The Hungarian government has decided to allocate more than HUF 13.5 billion for the comprehensive renewal of the Országos Rabbiképző – Zsidó Egyetem (National Rabbinical Seminary – Jewish University), with the project scheduled for 2027–2028.
The announcement was made by Hungarian Minister for European Affairs János Bóka, who also serves as Hungary’s Special Envoy for Combating Antisemitism. In his statement, Bóka recalled the long and significant history of the institution, which will celebrate its 150th anniversary next year.
The Rabbinical Seminary opened its doors on 4 October 1877 and quickly became a defining centre of the Neolog Jewish movement in Hungary. Its establishment was made possible through the Zsidó Oktatási Alap (Jewish Educational Fund), created in 1850 by Emperor Franz Joseph I and financed through penalties imposed on Jews following their participation in the 1848–49 Hungarian revolution.
Over the decades, more than 300 rabbis have graduated from the institution, studying under renowned scholars such as Kaufmann Dávid, Goldziher Ignác, Blau Lajos, and Scheiber Sándor. The seminary’s library is considered one of the most important collections of Jewish religious literature in the world.
Bóka also highlighted the institution’s turbulent history during the Second World War. In 1944, parts of the library’s collection were seized and sent by Adolf Eichmann to Prague, intended for a planned “museum of an extinct race.” These volumes were later rediscovered in the basement of the Prague National Museum in the 1980s, with some returned to Budapest in 1989.
After the war, the seminary had to be rebuilt almost from scratch. During the communist era, it remained the only institution of its kind east of the Iron Curtain, attracting students from across Central and Eastern Europe. Following Hungary’s democratic transition, the seminary entered a new phase of development and evolved into a modern university.
Today, the institution offers undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral programmes not only in traditional Jewish studies, but also in fields such as community organisation and social work.
According to Bóka, the planned renovation represents both a symbolic and practical investment. The government aims to provide modern, 21st-century educational conditions, reinforcing the institution’s academic and cultural role. He described the project as fulfilling a long-standing national obligation and emphasised its importance as part of Hungary’s cultural heritage and a source of national pride.
The renovation of the Rabbinical Seminary is being framed as more than an infrastructure project. It is seen as a continuation of Jewish scholarly life in Hungary, reflecting the resilience of a historic institution and its ongoing role in educating future generations of religious and community leaders. As Hungary approaches the 150th anniversary of the seminary, the investment signals a commitment to preserving and strengthening one of the country’s most significant centres of Jewish learning.
