Budapest Holocaust Memorial

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On Monday I returned from a two week trip to Europe that included business, politics, and visiting with a lot of old friends. The first leg of that trip was Budapest. I was there to support my friend Andor Schmuck, President of the Hungarian Social Democratic Party. I attended a number of events during my 4 days there including this press conference leading up to municipal elections on Oct 12.

But that's not what I want to tell you about. This press conference took place at in a small coffee shop in the center of Freedom Square, a park in the middle of Budapest that contains various political statues and memorials. On the edge of the square the government has erected a memorial to the 600,000 Hungarian Jews who were murdered during the Holocaust. This project was completed without consulting the remnant Jewish population (about 40,000). When you understand the purpose of the memorial you will understand why the Jewish community was not consulted and why they have, and continue to, protest loudly.

The purpose of the memorial is to lay the blame entirely on the Germans. The inscription on the memorial disavows any cooperation by the Hungarian government or the Hungarian people. This is a total fabrication and everyone in Hungary knows it. Goebbels himself stated that within weeks of his arrival in Budapest he received thousands of letters from Hungarians giving the names and addresses of their Jewish neighbors. And the Hungarian police volunteered to round up Hungarian Jews. In this letter, Goebbels commented on how cooperative the Hungarians were. It should therefore be expected that Hungarian Jews would protest this memorial. In the pictures below you will see the nature of the protest. People place photos of dead family members, personal memorabilia, written stories, and candles. They also place stones— I think all of us recognize the significance of the stones. They have in fact created their own Holocaust memorial in front of the government version. It's a powerful statement. Frankly, I am quite amazed that the government permits this protest. It has been going on for many months now, with no sign of abatement. In the following pictures you will see Andor explaining the memorial and the protest to me. Then we head off to the press conference.

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The Carnegie Shul Prepares for the High Holidays and Celebrates More Than a Century of Tradition

By Rick D'Loss • September 11, 2025

Carnegie, PA – September 11, 2025—The Carnegie Shul , founded in 1896 and incorporated in 1903, remains a cornerstone of Jewish life in the South Hills. As the oldest congregation in the region , it reflects more than 125 years of history, resilience, and community spirit. High Holy Days Services: A.J. Edelman Returns High Holy Days services at the Carnegie Shul will be held on September 22–24 for Rosh Hashanah and October 1–2 for Yom Kippur . The complete schedule is available at www.thecarnegieshul.org/high-holy-days . This year, services will once again be led by A.J. Edelman, a figure beloved by the congregation. "A.J. has been with us for about 8 years. He is a treasure that we have now," said Rick D'Loss, President of the Carnegie Shul. Edelman is renowned for his historic achievement as the first Orthodox Jewish athlete to compete in the Winter Olympics, inspiring many through his dedication to balancing athletic excellence with religious faith. His leadership and spirituality continue to enrich the community, making his annual return as shaliach tzibur a highlight of the Shul's holiday observances. A History of Faith and Community The Shul's roots stretch back to its founding families, including the Shermans, Millers, Wilks, Klees, and many others. "Starting in the late 1800s, Markus Sherman held services in his home," explained D'Loss. He led the formation of the congregation and organized the first high holidays services in 1896. We didn't even have a building; the first holiday services were conducted in the Husler building, the present home of the Carnegie Historical Society." The congregation was incorporated in 1903 and built a shul on Broadway St. "When a fire destroyed that shul in 1934, it was decided not to rebuild on that small lot because the congregation was still growing," recalled D'Loss. A new and much larger synagogue opened on Lydia Street in 1937. Leadership Across Generations Over the years, leadership has passed through many dedicated families and has been sustained by many other families and members. "In addition to the Sherman family, the Wilk family provided three generations of shul presidents. D'Loss recalled, "Ike Peresman and Jean Perlman served as Treasurers for more than 70 years between them. Stanley Roth served as Secretary from around 1947 up until 2005 and passed in 2009. He was a huge figure in the congregation and we referred to him as Nusi , the Hebrew word for "prince"." D'Loss said Dr. Larry Block, a retired professor from Duquesne University, continues to play a vital role. "He is an incredible, knowledgeable guy who has dedicated so much of his time and effort to this congregation over the past 40 years," said D'Loss. He was and still is a scholar. We rely on him for his knowledge of Torah and tradition. He's in his 80s and leads Torah study for us every week." A Unique Congregational Identity The Carnegie Shul is known for its strong traditions, welcoming nature, and independence. "We have not had a rabbi here since 1978, when Stanley Savage moved on to another shul. The congregation is unaffiliated. The term indie minyan is in vogue these days, but we've been an indie minyan for 50 years." The Shul has an open-door policy for High Holidays. Most congregations limit High Holiday services to just their members, but in the history of the Carnegie Shul, we've never restricted admission. "It's a pretty amazing testament to our place that people come, donate, and join because they appreciate what we offer and they want us to stay open. But their attendance and participation are their most important gift— a gift to both themselves and the community. The congregation is certainly smaller than it was in previous generations, but the ner tamid is still burning in Carnegie," D'Loss said.