An agreement providing for the affiliation of the Central Board of Hungarian Jewry with the World Jewish Congress was released simultaneously here and in Budapest today. This is the first time contact has been re-established between the Hungarian Jewish community and world Jewry since 1949-50 when the Eastern European Jewish communities “lost touch” with the communities of the West.
The agreement is the outgrowth of conferences in Zurich August 23-25 between Hungarian Jewish leaders and WJC officers. Representing the WJC were its president, Dr. Nahum Goldmann, the three chairmen of the branches of the world executive of the Congress, Dr. Israel Goldstein of New York, Israel M. Sieff of London and Dr. Arieh Tartakower of Jerusalem, and several others. The Hungarian board was represented by board chairman Andreas Sos, vice president Miklos Vida and Budapest Chief Rabbi Benoschofsky, a member of the executive of the central board.
The Hungarian group will be represented on the WJC executive and will have the right to express its opinions, even when it disagrees with the majority. To promote cooperation between the Hungarian community and the Congress, a “World Jewish Congress Committee in Hungary” will be elected. Dr. G. M. Riegner, WJC representative in Geneva, has been invited by the Hungarian community to be present at the first meeting of the WJC Committee.
The Hungarian Jewish community is estimated to be about 75,000 to 80,000 strong, with most of its membership concentrated in Budapest. More than 25,000 Jews have quit the country since the revolt last October.
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