The Social History and Contemporary Situation of the Jewish Community of Pécs in Light of the Sociological Research of the Jewish Theological Seminary–University of Jewish Studies, Budapest

Abstract

This study examines the social history and contemporary situation of the Jewish community of Pécs, integrating a long-term social-historical perspective with applied social work research. Starting from a broad social-historical context – tracing the institutional development, welfare traditions, and successive traumas of the Pécs Jewish congregation from the nineteenth century through the Holocaust to the post-war reconstruction period – the study's primary goal is the empirical analysis of the living community today and the formulation of actionable community planning recommendations. The research was conducted in July 2025 by social work students of the Jewish Theological Seminary–University of Jewish Studies, Budapest, commissioned by and in close collaboration with the Pécs Jewish Congregation. As a piece of social work research, the study employs a mixed methodology: quantitative questionnaire survey and qualitative narrative biographical interviews are combined with participant observation – the research team attended Shabbat and martyr memorial services as well as a cemetery commemoration, generating contextual knowledge that substantially enriched the interpretation of findings. This participatory, mixed-method social work research design is, to our knowledge, unique in the study of Hungarian rural Jewish communities. Findings reveal an ageing, highly educated but economically vulnerable community whose sense of belonging is demonstrably strengthened through active engagement with congregational frameworks. The shadow of the Holocaust – manifested in family silences, fragmented narratives, and intergenerational trauma transmission – emerges as a structuring force in everyday community life and identity formation. On the basis of the empirical results, the study formulates concrete community planning recommendations covering social service development, outreach to isolated elderly members, engagement of younger generations, and the management of internal normative diversity. We regard the present investigation as a pilot study to be extended to other provincial Jewish congregations in Hungary in a comparative framework.