Budapest Israelis Celebrate Purim

Almost 400 members of the Israeli community in Budapest attended a grand Purim celebration, along with dozens of medical students and a group of Israeli students who arrived by bus from nearby Szeged.

“I truly regret not attending last year’s Purim party,” said one of the Israeli students who were in attendance at this year’s event.

The event took place at Budapest’s Intercontinental Hotel, with various honored guests in attendance, including the staff of the Israeli embassy, Ambassador Ilan Mor and R’ Yehoshua Raskin, father of the local shliach Rabbi Shmuel Raskin, who came to Hungary as a guest speaker for the farbrengen.

Participants enjoyed a delicious kosher buffet, after which Rabbi Raskin explained the significance of the festival and how to apply the concept of Purim to our own lives.

Afterwards, the Megillah was read, followed by lively dancing, accompanied by live music and a performance by singer Assaf Levi, who flew in from Israel for the event.

A Purim comedy performance was put on by comedian Ro’i Levi.

Bochurim Menachem Mendel Wilhelm, Shlomo Gurfinkel, Mordechai Herzog, Aryeh Dreifus, and a group of yeshiva students from London helped organize the event.