Jewish population: 696 (in 1880), 938 (in 1900). In SE Hungary, 22 miles WSW of Békéscsaba, 32 miles NE of Szeged at 46°34' N, 20°40' E
Jews lived in Békés county since the 18th century. In 1768 three Jews in the village of Vari (Gyulavari). From the end of the 18th century the first Jewish communities were founded in Vari,Dévaványa and Békésszentandrás. Jewish population in 1836 was 542 Jews and in 1870, 6255. From the 1850's to WWI, a a great number of Jewish institutions were built including Jewish cemeteries, synagogues, prayer-houses, mikvahs, schools and Chevra Kadishas (Békéscsaba, Gyula, Orosháza, Szeghalom, Békés, Szarvas, Battonya and Sarkad). From 1941, forced labor, ghettos, and/or the concentration camps of Bekescsaba and Szolnok was the fate of many. Others were deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau and Strasshof. 5,000 Békés County Jews died in the Holocaust . 2000 survived of whom very few returned to the area. The Békés County Jewish community now is very small and is concentrated in Békéscsaba where a new synagogue was built. The Oroshaza synagogue and school buildings still exist. [February 2009]
The building of the former synagogue is at Bajcsy-Zs street 4. The snagogue and community buildings are on Bajcsy-Zsilinszky Road, the synagogue was inaugurated as cultural institution in 2005.
CEMETERY:
Jewish cemetery: Restoration was initiated in Summer 2004 with the help of János Csepregi and the Faith Church. Caretaker: The large Orosházais cemetery with 350 gravestone located on Büchler Márton square has a catafalque and Holocaust memorial inside the cemetery. The area has been under constant restoration since 2004. [February 2009]
Source says that Fekete Balint who lives in a "castle" adjacent to the cemetery is no longer involved with the cemetery and should be avoided.This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. who is in ill health, has been looking after the cemetery, doing what he can, for a number of years.[August 2016]
i'm happy to report that as of March 2019 vegetation has been removed revealing matzevot not seen for decades. Upkeep for the cemetery is uncertain and the roof of the beit tahara (which houses artifacts and records of the former destroyed Jewish community) is leaking. Source: Catherine at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. [May 2019]