Spurred by rumors of new anti-Jewish legislation, an unprecedented wave of conversions was sweeping Hungarian Jewry today.
Jews desiring to cover connections with the Jewish Community are daily forming long lines in front of the rabbinates. In view of the enormous pressure, the Pest Community is issuing numbered forms for applications, which have already been filed up to July. A daily queue of 200 persons forms at the Pest Community offices, while the Buda Community is recording an average of 30 secessions each day.
The conversion movement has been spurred by a rumor that Cardinal Seredi has induced the Government to exempt from the present Jewish law, under which Jews are restricted to a 20 per cent participation in the nation’s economic and cultural life, all Jews baptized before the end of the year. The present law defines as Christians all persons baptized before August 1, 1919.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
