Kosher food, religious discussions, an area reserved for women to swim in Lake Balaton: 18-year-old Rina Zalilova in Hungary, a Ukrainian refugee camp specially designed to accommodate observant Jews. In the seaside resort of Balatonozót, 130 kilometers southwest of Budapest, the “Magne Chabad” refuge, which houses several hundred people, is “unique in Europe,” according to its invocation of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement. Hasidic.
“It’s only intended for those who want to live in a community that respects religious practices and the dietary rules of Jewish tradition,” explains the 43-year-old religious man. Contacting a Ukrainian rabbi to find a place to stay “in time for Passover,” the Jewish Passover, Slomo Koves turned to the government of nationalist Viktor Orbán, who is close to him.
The Hungarian prime minister is constantly accused of flirting with anti-Semitism. In July, the Auschwitz group and Chief Rabbi Robert Froelich were prosecuted after he made strong comments against “race-mixing”. In the face of criticism, he showed zero tolerance for anti-Semitism and is remembered for renovating several synagogues. Refusal to open its doors to refugees from Africa and the Middle East allowed Slomo Kows to use these infrastructures quickly.
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