New Mesivta in Hungary Will Be First Yeshiva Since the Holocaust

At a meeting with the Hungarian Minister of Education, Rabbi Shlomo Köves announced that for the first time since the Holocaust, a yeshiva will open in a massive campus strategically located on the main route between Hungary and Vienna, serving Mesivta-age sons of shluchim from across the region.

Rabbi Shlomo Köves, one of the Rebbe’s shluchim to Hungary and the rov of the Association of Torah-Observant Communities in Hungary, met with Hungarian Minister of Education Bálázs Hankó for an update on the rapid growth of Jewish communities in the country and the ever-expanding educational institutions.

During the meeting, Rabbi Köves shared exciting news: for the first time since the Holocaust—80 years ago—a new Mesivta is set to open in a massive campus strategically located on the main route between Hungary and Vienna. The yeshiva will serve the children of shluchim from across the region.

In recent years, the Jewish communities of Hungary have seen an unprecedented resurgence, with new mosdos opening constantly. EMIH, the Association of Torah-Observant Communities, under the leadership of Rabbi Köves, launched the ‘Maimonides’ high school two years ago—an institution that offers a top-tier combination of Jewish and general studies. The demand for this school has been extraordinary. Additionally, a semicha program was recently established, welcoming yeshiva bochurim from the United States. These are just some of the many mosdos spanning from daycare through higher education, all of which left the minister deeply impressed.

In the course of the meeting, the minister also shared a major development: Hungary’s prestigious Milton Friedman University, which operates under the Jewish community led by Rabbi Köves, will now be offering BA and MA degrees in Jewish studies. Recognized as one of Hungary’s leading and fastest-growing universities, Milton Friedman University will now provide Jewish studies programs not only in Hungarian but also in English and through online platforms. This initiative acknowledges the widespread demand for structured academic programs in Jewish studies, an area where university-level offerings remain scarce both in Europe and the United States.