Over the past several years, Jewish Federation of San Diego has built a growing relationship with Budapest’s Jewish community through individual travel, JDC Entwine experiences, teen exchanges, and connections between community members in both cities. With many San Diegans carrying family roots or personal ties to Hungary, Budapest has emerged as a natural place to deepen Federation’s Global Peoplehood work.
From September 2–7, five San Diego lay leaders and two Federation staff members traveled to Budapest to take the next step in that relationship. Over five days, they met with Jewish leaders, professionals, educators, philanthropists, and young adults shaping Jewish life in Budapest today, while experiencing the city’s Jewish history, institutions, and community firsthand.
Hosted by JCC Budapest – Bálint Ház, the delegation’s visit reflected both how far the partnership has come and the opportunities ahead for a deeper connection between San Diego and Budapest.
The group visited Scheiber Sándor Jewish School, where they toured the campus and shared lunch with students who participated in this year’s Global Ambassador Program (GAP) exchange. At the Hungarian Parliament, they also met with a representative to learn more about Hungary’s current political landscape and its relationship to Jewish communal life.
Throughout the week, the delegation met with leaders representing the breadth of Jewish Budapest, including staff and lay leaders from JCC Budapest, JDC Hungary and the Mozaik Jewish Community Hub, Mazsihisz, the Federation of Hungarian Jewish Communities, and independent organizations focused on culture, education, religious life, theater, and young adult engagement.
“The leaders of the Budapest Jewish community were open, warm, and thirsty for creating a thriving Jewish life in Budapest,” reflected one delegation participant.
The group also had opportunities to experience Jewish community life firsthand. They sang with the Shalom Club choir, danced Israeli hora with members of All Hearts, JCC Budapest’s community for young people and adults with intellectual disabilities, and spent Shabbat with congregations, philanthropists, youth movement participants, GAP alumni, and other young Jewish leaders.
The delegation explored Budapest’s Jewish history as well, including the historic Jewish Quarter and Dohány Street Synagogue, with guidance from a curator at the Hungarian Jewish Museum and Archives. The group later marked Havdalah together along the banks of the Danube.
The trip culminated at Judafest, Hungary’s largest Jewish community festival. For the first time, San Diego hosted a tent alongside more than 20 Jewish organizations. Delegation members baked challah with festivalgoers, shared the story of Jewish San Diego, and spent the day building connections with members of Budapest’s Jewish community.
One participant reflected on the sense of connection that stayed with her after returning home:
“Despite living thousands of miles apart, we share a language of music, traditions, history, and values that immediately bonded us together. There was a deep sense of belonging that transcended geography.”
The visit marked another step in a relationship that continues to grow, creating new opportunities for San Diego and Budapest to learn from one another and strengthen Jewish connection across generations and geography.
Experience Budapest with Jewish San Diego
The Community Trip to Israel in May 2027 will continue to Budapest, giving travelers the opportunity to experience the city, explore its Jewish history, and connect with the community behind this growing partnership. Learn more about The Community Trip and explore how Federation’s Israel & Global Peoplehood work is building relationships between Jewish communities in San Diego, Israel, and around the world.
