The Jewish Community was established at the end of the 18th century by a few Jewish families. The archives show a temple building collection sheet from 1809. A chevra kadisha (Jewish burial association) was founded in 1808. Agriculture was the main occupation of the town’s Jewish population. According to the 1820 census, Szerencs had 98 Jewish inhabitants at the time. By 1930, 1400 Jews were living and working in Szerencs, mostly craftspeople, farmers and merchants. The stone building of the synagogue was finished in 1903. The Holocaust put an end to the thriving of the Jewish community. The rabbi house and the synagogue can only be seen in postcards. The synagogue of Széchenyi street was demolished after World War II, there remains only a prayer house out of use. (Széchenyi street 50).

The Szerencs Jewish cemetery
(Szerencs, Árpád hegy, Széchenyi köz)

The significant Jewish community is commemorated in the Jewish cemetery, by the graves of Rabbis Arman Billiczer and his son Pinkász. A stone fence has a marble plaque in memory of the victims of the Holocaust.

Sources:
Magyar Zsidó Lexikon – https://mek.oszk.hu/04000/04093/html/
www.szerencs.hu
www.tokaj-turizmus.hu
Dr. Bodor Mária: Előadás a Zempléni Múzeum judaika képeslapjairól
Photo: Juhász István