Unusual Letter: What Did The Prime Minister of Hungary Write in the Letter Sent to the Jews of His Country?

The Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orban, sent an emotional letter of greeting to the Jewish community in the country for Chanukah, after he was unable to attend the main Chabad lighting event in Nyugati Square in the heart of Budapest.

In the letter addressed to the Chief Rabbi, Rabbi Shlomo Koves, Orban directly addresses the community: "Dear Rabbi! My dear fellow Jews! When darkness increases - not only because of the season, but also under the shadow of war and terrorism expanding in the world - it is truly important to find time to stop, look inward, and pay attention to one another."

Orban weaves in his letter an inspiring quote from the Book of Psalms: 'And those who hope in Hashem will renew their strength, they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint,' and emphasizes that "the sources of this renewed strength against the darkness in the world are the stories, customs, and ancient traditions that have sustained the Hungarian Jewish community for centuries."

Orban expressed his pride that "Hungary is an island of safety and peace (for Jews) in Europe today," and promised: "I will do everything to ensure it remains so and that we can all celebrate in peace in the future. Allow me to respectfully wish you a happy Festival of Lights, Chanukah."

The special letter from the Hungarian Prime Minister, who is identified as a close friend of Israel in Europe, was read by Rabbi Koves at the main lighting event at Nyugati Square, in the presence of about 1,200 Jews of the city. The lighting, which takes place there every evening, joins a series of main lightings held by emissaries of the Lubavitcher Rebbe throughout the city, including in the main squares of the 11th district, the Palace district, the picturesque town of Szentendre, at the Ukrainian refugee camp in Balaton, and in the cities of Debrecen and Miskolc.

The highlight of the event, held for the 26th consecutive year, came when Jewish children studying at the Chabad school in the city sang for the audience the famous song 'Sol A Kokosh Mar,' first sung by the founder of the Kaliv dynasty, the Rebbe Yitzchak Eizik Taub, one of the famous Rebbes in Hungary.

Rabbi Koves summarized: "The lighting in Nyugati has become a central event in the life of Hungarian Jews and symbolizes the security Jews of the country feel and the freedom of religion granted to them by the authorities. The event has become something that all media in Hungary report on annually, and it joins dozens of special events throughout the festival days in various synagogues across Budapest."