The first Jewish wine merchants settled in Tokaj in the 17th century and played a significant role in getting recognition for Tokaj wine. The once populous community had a synagogue, a schoolhouse, a kosher butcher and slaughterhouse, a bakery and a mikveh (Jewish ritual bath). Their memory today is preserved by the large synagogue and the cemeteries.

The Tokaj synagogue
(3910 Tokaj, Bodrog utca)
The temple was built at the end of the 19th century. The local community consisted of almost 1000 members at this point, and decided to build a synagogue to replace the prayer house that was destroyed during the 1890 fire. After World War II only very few Jews had returned, thus the building stood derelict for decades. It was renovated in 2000, renamed to “Tokaj Cultural and Conference Center,” hosting the town’s cultural events.

Old Jewish Cemetery in Bodrogzug
(Bodrogzug)
The cemetery is situated in Bodrogzug, on an island where the Tisza and Bodrog rivers meet. It is accessible only by ferry or boat. The ruggedly romantic site was in use between the 1700’s to the end of the 19th century. There are 60-70 preserved graves, among them Zopf, classicist and romantic era headstones with Jewish relief symbols and archaically engraved Hebrew inscriptions.

New Jewish Cemetery
(Tokaj, Bodrogkeresztúr u. )
The new cemetery was established at the end of the 1800’s on what is called Bodrogkeresztúri road today. There are almost 300 graves facing the river Bodrog on the side of “Kopasz Hegy” Hill, among them some famous rabbis, such as Dávid Schück, Akiba Strasser, and Simon Juda Fanféder, whose grave was relocated here from the old cemetery.

Sources:
Csodarabbik útja – https://csodarabbikutja.hu
Wikipédia
KIBIC magazin – https://akibic.hu
tokaj.hu
Kanadai Magyarok Fóruma – https://canadahun.com