Unofficial statistics on the
Hungarian Jews – 1997

Many of the following figures are not based on statistical surveys or official reports, since these are often not available about Hungarian Jews. Their sources are sometimes personal experiences, informal talks, estimations and the average of all these. Many dignitaries of synagogues, Jewish organisations, directors would exaggerate about their visitor’s number, since low figures may decrease their reputation. However, even if the real figures are somewhat above or below our data, we estimate that they can give an insight in the everyday life of the Hungarian Jews, because the proportions would not change considerably. The highly secular and rather assimilated Hungarian Jewry does not excel in frequenting religious events, but its interest in secular events (especially parties and balls) is considerable.

Estimated number of Hungarian Jews
80-100.000

life-cycle events
Registration of new-born children in the community	11
Bar Mitzvot	70
Religious weddings	15
Religious burials	504

synagogue attendance
Number of synagogue attendants on an average weekday	50-60
Number of synagogue attendants on an average Shabbat	5-600
Number of synagogue attendants on high holidays	6.000

social events
Friday night club of the Union of Jewish Students – number of guests	20-30
Friday night club of the Hashomer Hatzair movement – number of guests	20-30
Chanukah Ball of the Union of Jewish Students – number of guests	1.000
Purim Ball of the Federation to Maintain Jewish Culture in Hungary – number of guests	200

Jewish periodicals

• ‘Egység‘ (Unity) direct mail monthly of the Hungarian 17.000 copies
  Chabad Lubavitch house
• ‘Gut Shabes’ weekly of the Hungarian Chabad Lubavitch house 160 copies
  (delivered only for subscribers)
• Newsletter of the Bálint Community Center 3.500 copies
  (delivered for registered members)
• Newsletter of the Federation to Maintain Jewish Culture in Hungary 1.200 copies
  (delivered for registered members)

informal education
Number of children in the Szarvas Zionist summer camp	1600
Number of children attending Talmud-Torah circles	60
Number of attendants in the Maimonides weekly study group of the Union of Jewish Students	20-30

formal education
Official Jewish Community (conservative)	254
Benjamin kindergarten	84
Anna Frank High School	170
American Endowment School (orthodox)	292
elementary school	81
high school	131
College of Modern Business Studies	80
Lauder Yavneh Jewish Community School (secular)	628
kindergarten	60
elementary school	267
high school	301
Beth Menahem School (Chabad Lubavitch)	35
kindergarten	32
elementary school	3
Jewish University – Rabbinical Seminary (conservative)	105
Rabbinical Seminary	11
faculty of social workers	35
faculty of teachers of religion	49
faculty of liturgy	10
Altogether	1.304

Registration of new-borns in the official Jewish Community (conservative)

Year	number of registration
1945	117
1946	514
1947	573
1948	506
1949	328
1950	214
1951	134
1952	106
1953	102
1954	105
1955	73
1956	52
1957	54
1958	54
1959	41
1960	22
1961	24
1962	11
1963	18
1964	9
1965	3
1966	10
1967	8
1968	6
1969	10
1970	12
1971	19
1972	21
1973	23
1974	23
1975	36
1976	33
1977	39
1978	47
1979	27
1980	41
1981	26
1982	23
1983	21
1984	34
1985	18
1986	23
1987	24
1988	18
1989	15
1990	16
1991	30
1992	18
1993	8
1994	11
1995	18
1996	11

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