a. Jewish identity

In Hungary a Jewish population of approximately quarter of a million lives endangered by the renewal of anti-Semitism that is firmly grounded in the country boasting a wide political and social basis. On the other hand, only a small proportion of Hungarian Jews are in touch with their Jewish past and tradition for historical reasons (assimilation, trauma of the Holocaust). Conducting a Jewish life has ceased to be attractive in the Diaspora; many have been distanced from Jewish traditions. Traditional Jewish life has been pushed into the margins, to the intimate sphere of flats and small communities, for the non-Jewish majority it became an unknown, mysterious phenomenon. We are convinced that ignorance breeds prejudice. Jewish communities work and function separately, the passing on information is accidental, and possibilities for cooperation are limited

The Hungarian Jewry has not yet found its voice and identity in spite of the numerous Jewish institutions that has been founded in the country.
In Hungary, the years of intensive assimilation, along with the institutionalized anti-Semitism for a quarter of a century, the tragedy of the Holocaust, four decades of communist dictatorship followed by a controversial Jewish revival are shaping the present socio-political situation. All these factors are summed up as a unique and complex challenge for those who want to shape the future of Hungarian Jewry.

b. image of Israel

The state of Israel is judged by its role in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the mass media portray Israel as a permanent battleground, and the public opinion is not informed about Israel as a multicolored, democratic state full of contradictions.

Information from and about Israel is still unreliable and scarce. The Hungarian language coverage of the Israel Broadcasting Authority suffers from chronic lack of resources, and in the course of years budgetary cuttings reduced its staff and broadcasting time to a minimum. Now the program faces a pending closedown.