(Jewish Group) In Hungary, a palace tied to political scandal becomes Jewish refugee camp
For the last few months, a lakeside palace linked to a major political scandal in Hungary has been home to Jewish refugees from Ukraine.
Just before Passover, six weeks after Russia invaded Ukraine, the Hungarian government signed off on an effort to makes the palace in Balatonőszöd, a resort town on the the lakes of Lake Balaton some 80 miles away from Budapest, kosher for the holiday.
Now, the palace will be renovated to accommodate at least 664 people with a kosher kitchen able to feed hundreds more daily, according to a statement released Tuesday by the government and a Chabad-affiliated Jewish group that has been operating the space.
“During times like these we, the Jewish community of Hungary, consider it our special and sacred duty to reach out and offer whatever assistance is necessary to meet the existential and spiritual needs of our fellow Jews from across the border,” Rabbi Shlomó Köves, the head of the group, the EMIH federation of Jewish communities, said in the statement.
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