Head of Hidabroot Operations in Hungary: "This Is How I Got to Save Lives"

"I write many posts on topics related to Judaism, especially about relationships according to the guidance of the Torah," says Moshe Arye Cink, 54, married with two children, secretary of Chabad House in Budapest and head of Hidabroot operations in Hungary. "I received many supportive responses, and there were a lot of discussions about the posts. Suddenly, one day I saw a woman I didn't know responded with a crying emoji on one of the posts I wrote. With *siyata d'shmaya*, I immediately felt there was a problem and reached out to her with a personal message.

"I asked her if everything was okay, and she said that she happened to visit our Facebook page, Hidabroot Hungary, and while she hadn’t told anyone, she was in a life-threatening situation due to relationship difficulties she was experiencing. I understood the severity of the situation, and I promised her that she would have a good relationship if she just did a few things I would tell her. I instilled her with confidence and faith that with Hashem's help, everything would be okay. I gave her several pieces of advice, continued to stay in close contact, and, *baruch Hashem*, she is alive today, healthy, whole, and happy. We are still in touch, and recently she wrote me a letter thanking me and explicitly wrote that thanks to our activities, she is with us today."

Eye-level Approach

For several years now, Moshe Arye Cink has been working to bring the distant closer in Hungary, but the spread of the virus forced him to expand into additional areas of work. "I started my Jewish outreach activities in Hungary five years ago, under the guidance of Rabbi Zamir Cohen. We were fortunate, and the rabbi has visited here three times.

"When the virus began to spread, right before Passover, my wise and dear wife told me that it was time to do something new. Everyone was home, less out and about, and so it was worthwhile to broadcast a daily Torah lesson in Hungarian. We set up a Facebook page for this purpose called 'Hidabroot Hungary', and since then, thank Hashem, I have been giving a lesson every day. The idea quickly gained traction among the Jews in Hungary and no less importantly, many Hungarian speakers around the world connected to it greatly.

"Today, there are 80,000 Jews living in Hungary, and tens of thousands of Hungarian speakers around the world. I've already received numerous inquiries from Jews living in Israel, the USA, Canada, Switzerland, Slovakia, Romania, and more. In many responses, Jews write to me that thanks to the lessons, they're taking on more and more actions of strengthening in mitzvah observance. I think, thank Hashem, it works well because I strive to provide personal advice and responses to everyone who reaches out, mainly because I implement Hidabroot's method to speak from the Torah at eye level, about things that can help each of us. I believe that if a person feels they're getting help based on the holy Torah, and it helps them deal with life’s challenges, it will greatly bring them closer to Hashem. Especially now, when many people are fearful of what's happening, and find a home and warmth in Judaism."

Which materials do you see people you reach out to connect with most?

"It is indeed something I try to check to give people what they are looking for, but relationships are undoubtedly one of the most interesting topics for people. Besides that, I also give lessons on self-confidence, body and soul health, and basically, almost all the topics discussed in Hidabroot. Over time, we also opened a YouTube channel, where we also upload the lessons. Additionally, a few years ago, I translated a book by Rabbi Zamir into Hungarian, and recently, I received permission to translate another of his books. What people need the most is to illuminate and strengthen their souls, and that's what, with Hashem’s help, we try to do.

"Another thing I've understood recently and also saw through Hidabroot is that today it's worthwhile to give relatively short lessons. Most people do not have the patience for hour-long lessons, particularly those who are strengthening or are doubtful at the start of their journey. Only on special occasions, like before Yom Kippur, did I give a relatively long lesson, and then, too, it was less than 20 minutes. The vast majority of Jews in Hungary are very, very distant from Judaism, and one needs to think wisely about how to bring them closer."

The Second Wave: "The Situation is Worsening"

The spread of the coronavirus in Hungary, which as mentioned caused Cink to shift his main activities to digital means, indeed wreaked havoc in the Eastern European country, providing an interesting glimpse into the response of a country similar to Israel in terms of population size to the dangerous virus. "In recent weeks, the interest in coronavirus has significantly increased here," says Cink. "Unfortunately, from day to day, the number of deaths is rising, and more and more people need to go to hospitals and connect to respirators.

"In the first wave, which began before Passover, they really closed the country here. Almost no one worked, and people barely left their homes. In contrast, towards the second wave, they decided not to close the country due to economic reasons. The situation here isn't great economically, so the Prime Minister decided not to close the country. The result is that the morbidity and mortality rates are rising accordingly. According to estimates, unless a lockdown is declared, the situation will only worsen."

What do you think the Hungarian government should do?

"I'm not a coronavirus expert, but for example, the whole issue of coronavirus testing is not being handled correctly here. In Hungary, not many tests are done due to economic considerations. For example, two weeks ago, they reported 1,200 new patients, but the real number is much greater. Few tests are done here, so there are few officially confirmed patients. However, because the percentage of positives among those tested is high, I believe there are many more patients than are reported. It's to the extent that even if someone tests positive, they don’t test their family."

And what about you? How do you personally stay safe?

"Thank Hashem, I feel great and am very careful, especially because I have asthma. I nearly never leave the house, and I try to use every moment for learning, spreading, and doing good. It's a bit uncomfortable to say, but for me personally, this period is like a pink dream. I have never had so much time to do what I really want, to invest in dissemination activities, learn, translate. I finish my work at Chabad House as quickly as possible, and then I turn to dissemination.

"In general, thanks to the lockdown and this whole situation, I can reach so many people now. Under normal circumstances, this wouldn't happen. Many people are at home, they have more time, and thanks to that, they draw closer. Beyond that, people are more confused now, asking questions, things are changing for them, and it allows them to reexamine values, and of course, increases the chance of drawing closer and returning to roots."

And on a general level, what's happening with Jewish life in Budapest due to the coronavirus?

"The main synagogue in Budapest has been closed since the beginning of the coronavirus, and all activities, except for what's happening on Shabbat and holidays, of course, are done on Zoom and Facebook. At the Chabad House, there are prayers, but most people are afraid to attend, so the quorum is relatively small. There are also weddings, few though they may be, and few people attend them. Here, the limit is up to 500 people at events, but the truth is, even without coronavirus, a wedding attended by 100 people is considered large here."

Regarding the Jewish community, how do representatives of the various organizations view your activities?

"*Baruch Hashem*, everyone loves us very much. I learned this from Rabbi Zamir, and I try to unite the various organizations in my activities. It's very important to me to do things collaboratively. Naturally, there are also struggles between the Jewish organizations in Hungary, but the wise approach is cooperation. I invite people from different organizations to give lessons with us, for example, those running Breslov Hungary, and it's very helpful for the success of the matter.

"In general, it's advisable to learn from the best, so I truly strive to learn as much as possible from Hidabroot. I listen to Rabbi Zamir's lessons and other rabbis, translate them, and present them in Hungarian. Rabbi Zamir changed my life, and I want to change others' lives, help them be as happy as I am."

Moshe Cink: "Many non-Jews in Hungary eagerly absorb the lessons of Rabbi Zamir Cohen"