János Lázár, the Minister heading the Prime Minister’s Office described the meeting held with the leaders of the Alliance of Hungarian Jewish Faith Communes (Mazsihisz) on Tuesday in Budapest, in preparation for the Jewish Community Roundtable to be held on Wednesday, as constructive.

After the meeting held at the headquarters of Mazsihisz, the Minister told the press: there are a number of issues on which the parties are in full agreement, while there are others on which they disagree.

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Regarding the House of Fates, the Minister said: the position of the Government is clear. The House of Fates project will be implemented when Jewish communities in Hungary are able to support its content.

By Mr Lázár’s account, the topics of the Wednesday meeting will further include the issues of Holocaust education, the renovation of abandoned Jewish cemeteries and burial sites, and the refurbishment of the synagogue in Rumbach Sebestyén utca in Budapest as well as of the Szeged, Miskolc and Szabadka synagogues from funding provided by the Government.

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András Heisler, President of Mazsihisz, who also described the meeting as constructive, said concerning the House of Fates that it would be very difficult to create an internationally recognised institution under the leadership of Mária Schmidt, and they therefore take the view that there is need for a change of leadership regarding this project.

"It is now up to the Government to solve the problems surrounding the project, but we are happy to participate as partners", the President of Mazsihisz said. To this end, however, it is necessary to have more information, and a script of the contemplated exhibition: "this is what we have always found lacking, and this is what we continue to expect", he added.

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Regarding the refurbishment of synagogues, Mr Heisler told the press: the planning phase of the renovation of the Rumbach Sebestyén utca synagogue in Budapest has started, and the refurbishment works have already begun in the Szeged synagogue. The greatest „technical problems” have emerged in connection with the refurbishment of the Miskolc synagogue, but a process of consultations has already begun in the case of that project as well, he added.

(Prime Minister's Office)