Jews in Bekes county
Encyclopedia
The history of the Jews
in Bekes, a county in Hungary
, has lasted more than two centuries.
have lived in Békés County, Hungary
since the 18th century. In 1768 there were only 3 Jews in the village of Vari (Gyulavari). From the end of the 18th century the first Jewish communities were founded in Vari, Dévaványa
and Békésszentandrás
.
In 1836 there were 542 Jews in Békés County, but by 1870 there were 6255. From the 1850's to the First World War
a large infrastructure was built including Jewish cemeteries, synagogue
s, prayer-houses, mikvehs, schools and Chevra Kadisha
s (Békéscsaba
, Gyula
, Orosháza
, Szeghalom
, Békés
, Szarvas
, Battonya
and Sarkad
)
and Szolnok
. Others were deported on transports to Auschwitz-Birkenau and Strasshof.
5000 Békés County Jews died in the Holocaust
. Of the 2000 survivors, very few returned to the area and now the Békés County Jewish community is very small and is concentrated in Békéscsaba where a new synagogue has been built.
, Oroshaza
, Gyula
, Szarvas
, Totkomlos
and Doboz
- every year, in summer.
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
in Bekes, a county in Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, has lasted more than two centuries.
History
JewsJews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
have lived in Békés County, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
since the 18th century. In 1768 there were only 3 Jews in the village of Vari (Gyulavari). From the end of the 18th century the first Jewish communities were founded in Vari, Dévaványa
Dévaványa
Dévaványa is a town in northern Békés county, in the Southern Great Plain region of south-east Hungary.-Geography:It covers an area of 216.73 km² and has a population of 8273 people ....
and Békésszentandrás
Békésszentandrás
Békésszentandrás is a village in Békés county, in the Southern Great Plain region of south-east Hungary.-Geography:Békésszentandrás, the western gate of Békés county, lies along the left coast of the Hármas Körös river. The territory of the village is divided by the M44 road. The village is...
.
In 1836 there were 542 Jews in Békés County, but by 1870 there were 6255. From the 1850's to the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
a large infrastructure was built including Jewish cemeteries, synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
s, prayer-houses, mikvehs, schools and Chevra Kadisha
Chevra Kadisha
A chevra kadisha is a loosely structured but generally closed organization of Jewish men and women who see to it that the bodies of Jews are prepared for burial according to Halacha and are protected from desecration, willful or not, until burial...
s (Békéscsaba
Békéscsaba
Békéscsaba is a city in Southeast Hungary, the capital of the county Békés.- Geography :According to the 2001 census, the city has a total area of .- Name :...
, Gyula
Gyula, Hungary
Gyula is a city in Békés county in south-eastern Hungary. It lies close to the border with Romania, on the river Fehér-Körös.-History:The first recorded reference to Gyula was in a document dated 1313 which mentions a monastery called Gyulamonostor . By 1332 the settlement around the monastery was...
, Orosháza
Orosháza
Orosháza is a city situated in the westernmost part of Békés county, Hungary, on the Békés ridge bordered by the rivers Maros and Körös. Orosháza is an important cultural, educational and recreational centre of the region...
, Szeghalom
Szeghalom
Szeghalom is a town in Békés county, in southeastern Hungary. It is located at around .Szeghalom's football club is in the regional 1 league.It has a stadium with capicities over 500 people.-External links:*...
, Békés
Békés
Békés is a town in Békés county, Hungary. It lies about north of Békéscsaba and east of Budapest.- History :The area of the present town has been inhabited since ancient times, due to its good soil and proximity to rivers. After Hungarians conquered the area, Békés and its surroundings were the...
, Szarvas
Szarvas
----Szarvas is a town in Békés county in southeastern Hungary. The Hungarian placename Szarvas means 'deer' in English.- History :...
, Battonya
Battonya
Battonya is a town in Békés county, in the Southern Great Plain region of south-east Hungary.-Geography:It covers an area of 145.77 km² and has a population of 6747 people ....
and Sarkad
Sarkad
Sarkad may refer to:* Sarkad, Hungary, a town in Hungary* Sarkad·keresztúr* Sarkad·tanya, a village in Hungary...
)
The Holocaust
From 1941 forced labour was imposed on the Jews, and all of the Jews of Békés County went either to the ghettos and/or to the concentration camps of BekescsabaBékéscsaba
Békéscsaba is a city in Southeast Hungary, the capital of the county Békés.- Geography :According to the 2001 census, the city has a total area of .- Name :...
and Szolnok
Szolnok
Szolnok is the county seat of Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok county in central Hungary. Its location on the banks of the Tisza river, at the heart of the Great Hungarian Plain, has made it an important cultural and economic crossroads for centuries....
. Others were deported on transports to Auschwitz-Birkenau and Strasshof.
5000 Békés County Jews died in the Holocaust
The Holocaust
The Holocaust , also known as the Shoah , was the genocide of approximately six million European Jews and millions of others during World War II, a programme of systematic state-sponsored murder by Nazi...
. Of the 2000 survivors, very few returned to the area and now the Békés County Jewish community is very small and is concentrated in Békéscsaba where a new synagogue has been built.
Holocaust memorial days
In BekescsabaBékéscsaba
Békéscsaba is a city in Southeast Hungary, the capital of the county Békés.- Geography :According to the 2001 census, the city has a total area of .- Name :...
, Oroshaza
Orosháza
Orosháza is a city situated in the westernmost part of Békés county, Hungary, on the Békés ridge bordered by the rivers Maros and Körös. Orosháza is an important cultural, educational and recreational centre of the region...
, Gyula
Gyula, Hungary
Gyula is a city in Békés county in south-eastern Hungary. It lies close to the border with Romania, on the river Fehér-Körös.-History:The first recorded reference to Gyula was in a document dated 1313 which mentions a monastery called Gyulamonostor . By 1332 the settlement around the monastery was...
, Szarvas
Szarvas
----Szarvas is a town in Békés county in southeastern Hungary. The Hungarian placename Szarvas means 'deer' in English.- History :...
, Totkomlos
Tótkomlós
Tótkomlós is a town in Békés county, in the Southern Great Plain region of south-east Hungary.-Geography:It covers an area of 125.4 km² and has a population of 6638 people .-People:* János Jankó...
and Doboz
Doboz
Doboz is a village in Békés County, in the Southern Great Plain region of south-east Hungary.-Geography:It covers an area of 54.47 km² and has a population of 4563 people ....
- every year, in summer.
The memorials of the Jewish communities
- SynagogueSynagogueA synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
s (Bekescsaba, Gyula, Bekes, Oroshaza, FuzesgyarmatFüzesgyarmatFüzesgyarmat is a town in Békés county, in the Southern Great Plain region of south-east Hungary.-Geography:It covers an area of 127.41 km² and has a population of 6542 people ....
) - Prayerhouses (MedgyesegyházaMedgyesegyházaMedgyesegyháza is a town in Békés County, in the Southern Great Plain region of south-east Hungary.- Geography :It covers an area of 64.32 km² and has a population of 3891 people .- See also :...
) - SchoolSchoolA school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
-buildings (Bekescsaba, Oroshaza, DevavanyaDévaványaDévaványa is a town in northern Békés county, in the Southern Great Plain region of south-east Hungary.-Geography:It covers an area of 216.73 km² and has a population of 8273 people ....
) - Jewish cemeteriesJewish cemeteryA Jewish cemetery is a cemetery where members of the Jewish faith are buried in keeping with Jewish tradition....
(KorosnagyharsanyKörösnagyharsányKörösnagyharsány is a village in Békés County, in the Southern Great Plain region of south-east Hungary.- Geography :It covers an area of 19.93 km² and has a population of 698 people .- History :...
, Devavanya)
External links
- Istvan Balogh's homepage about the jews of Bekes county, Hungary
- Szarvas Jewish Camp
- The original address of the page in Hungarian: ":hu:Békés megyei zsidók"