Hungary’s first Micva Mobile in service – photos

Hungary’s first-ever Micva Mobile, initiated by EMIH – the Hungarian Jewish Federation, has been put into service. It will first be displayed at the Shoes on the Danube Bank memorial before beginning its journey on the streets of Budapest.

On 30 September, just days before the Jewish New Year, the EMIH – Hungarian Jewish Federation introduced the country’s first Micva Mobile.

What exactly does EMIH’s Micva Mobile stand for?

Following the Second World War and the Holocaust, Jewish communities faced significant challenges. Many Jews, whose families had lived in Europe and Russia during the 19th and early 20th centuries, sought to distance themselves from the pain and religious traditions of those regions. In America, Jews began leaving urban Jewish centres, moving to suburbs and towns with smaller Jewish populations. With the decline of anti-Semitism and the promise of greater opportunities, many chose to assimilate into the broader Western cultural landscape. A new generation of Jews grew up with limited exposure to Jewish education or regular synagogue attendance.

In the summer of 1967, amidst the gradual erosion of Jewish identity, a new initiative emerged to counter assimilation – the Micva Mobile. In response to a call by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, these mobile synagogues were created. The word Micva refers to a “commandment”, underscoring the importance of observing the Torah and Jewish religious traditions. At the time, trucks repurposed from the Hertz car rental fleet were transformed into makeshift synagogues, equipped with Jewish books and religious items such as tefillin (phylacteries) and Shabbat candles.

These ‘mobile synagogues’ were staffed by young yeshiva students and rabbis, who would walk the streets, reaching out to Jews who had lost touch with their heritage. Their mission was to encourage Jewish practices, such as donning tefillin, lighting Shabbat candles, making charitable donations, or simply engaging in conversations about Judaism.

The Micva Mobile represented a significant shift in American Jewish identity, challenging the idea of being “Jewish at home, but American in public”. It introduced the concept of proudly displaying Jewish identity in the public sphere, rather than confining it to synagogues and Jewish schools.

In 2024, the time has come for Hungary to launch its own Micva Mobile. This initiative will help Hungarian Jews reconnect with their ancestral traditions while showcasing the renewed pride and freedom of Jewish identity in one of Europe’s safest countries for Jewish communities.

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