A huge and imposing memorial to Jewish martyrs was recently inaugurated in the city of Balassagyarmat, Hungary’s oldest Jewish community. on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the deportations. The ceremony in this northern city close to the Czechoslovakian border drew a large number of guests, many of whom had come from as far away as the United States and Australia.
The main speaker at the event was Hungarian Chief Rabbi Laszlo Salgo, who lauded Hungarian Jews for their devotion to the Jewish community as well as their continuing patriotism to their country. The memorial service was a particularly meaningful one for Rabbi Salgo–many members of his family were deported from Balassagyarmat and some are buried there. Representatives of the Hungarian Catholic, Lutheran and Reformed churches also attended the ceremony.
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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.