Hungarian Jewish Museum VII. 2 Dohány str. www.zsidomuzeum.hu

The idea of an independent exhibition containing mainly Jewish religious objects was raised first during the Millennium program series in 1896, when Jewish religion was introduced as part of the historical churches in the 1000-year-old Hungary.
Miksa Szabolcsi, chief editor of the Newspaper “Equality” has suggested that the exhibition collected for this event should be the basis material of a future Jewish museum and the Museum itself should be an archive, art-center and scientific working place of the religious and historical values of the past from all over Hungary. The idea was embraced by the most prominent cultural organization of the Jews in the next decade.

In the beginning the collection consisting of ca. 1500 objects was hosted in an apartment in Hold street. The Jewish Museum found its final home in 1932 in the building constructed according to the plans of László Vágó and Ferenc Faragó, as a side-wing of the Dohány street synagogue.
Only few people know that Theodor Herzl, the dreamer of State Israel was born in the house that was located on the today’s spot of the Museum.
The role of the museum has been valorized during the more and more threatening atmosphere of the 30ies. On the one hand they organized exhibitions that proved the active participation of Hungarian Jewry in different periods of Hungarian history. On the other hand they gave exhibiting opportunities for Jewish artists, who were excluded from the regular art scene because of their Jewish backgrounds: the works of Imre Ámos , Vilmos Perlrott- Csaba, Béla Kádár, Endre Bálint, Lajos Vajda were only be seen here. 
In 1942 the valuable art treasures of the museum were hidden in the cellar of the National Museum by two of the colleagues working there. During German occupation the Jewish Museum – its door being outside of the ghetto – was the only place to escape through for many people.
The institute today works under the aegis of the Federation of Hungarian Jewish Synagogues.
Its rich Judaic collection makes it the second richest Jewish museum of Europe.
Especially as a result of the endeavors of the last decade, it exhibits works of Jewish artists in film, fine arts, architecture and culture – beyond the former established focus on history of religion.

Program:
12th December Saturday
17:00 Chanukah Candle lighting
The museum can be visited free of charge during the festival.

The Chanukah candles are lit every day by the person in the detailed program
17:30 Exhibition tour in candle light – the symbols of Jewish religious objects- tour with lecture (In Hungarian)
INDOOR STREETART – the whole day, outdoor program

13th December, Sunday
16:00 Gábor Balázs lecture - Alexander Yanai –the symbol of the rule of darkness in rabbinic sources
17:00 Chanukah Candle lighting
LIGHTPROJECTION – external program

14th December Monday
14-15:00 After the traces of secret treasures
17:00 Chanukah Candle lighting
17:00 Lecture – Light and miracle in religion (In Hungarian)

15th December 15, Tuesday
14-15:00 After the traces of secret treasures
16:00 Lecture by Gábor Döme art historian - Light: an art medium in the 21st century (In Hungarian)
17:00 Lecture by Petra Csizek -Adi Nes- biblical stories
17:00 Chanukah Candle lighting

External programs in Sirály:
12th December Saturday
20:00   A B E N D L A N D - N I G H T F A L L by Fred Kelemen (Germany/Portugal 1999, 140 min., English subtitles)

In the framework of the Quarter6 Quarter7 Festival, Fred Kelemen’s film ABENDLAND will be shown to the public in the basement of Sirály (Király street 50, Budapest VI.) on the 12th of December at 8 p.m.

After the screening of the film, a conversation with Fred Kelemen will be led by the filmmaker Gábor Dettre.

The program is free of charge, everyone interested is welcome.

“…the fragility and pain of human beings is what he intends  to understand, to touch  and to picture. These films are sensible and fragile. We will see stories of fragile and sensitive characters and Fred is able to make these human beings loveable. I believe, it is abundant. Moreover, that is the utmost.”  Béla Tarr