Olaszliszka, or Liska, as the local Jewish community calls it, is a magical hideaway in Hungary, where tens of thousands of Orthodox Jewish peoples come every year.

Olaszliszka, or Liska, as the local Jewish community calls it, is a magical hideaway in Hungary, where tens of thousands of Orthodox Jewish peoples come every year.

As a place of deep-rooted traditions and steadfast faith, Liska Jewish Cemetery is truly one of a kind. This location is home to the venerated grave of Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch Friedman, or "Hershel Lisker" as he is known among the community, the first center of Hasidism in Europe. Although he was famously impoverished, the first Lisker Rebbe lived in accordance with the values of teachings, generosity, and miraculous assistance. His name is associated with countless miraculous deeds: sick people visited the famous rebbe and received healing, but he also helped many to prosperity with his blessing. The life of the wonderful rebbe had a great impact on the present of the Orthodox Jewish communities of that time. Today, tens of thousands of pilgrims still visit the rebbe each year, especially on his yahrzeit, which falls on the 14th of Av.

Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Friedman and the Liska Hasidic dynasty were instrumental in promoting the growth of Hasidism in Hungary and internationally. The Kerestir Rebbe, Yeshaya Steiner (widely known as Reb Shaya'la of Kerestir), used this signature style in his correspondence:„Yeshaya son of R. Moshe, who attended the righteous Rebbe of Liska”

Known across many regions, the Lisker Rebbe was celebrated for his extraordinary healing skills. People from various countries also moved to the village of Liska, seeking his healing touch. There was a belief in the community that the rabbi's blessing and prayers could heal physical and mental suffering.Despite his death, numerous visitors to his grave claimed to have felt his continued presence.

The two caretakers of the Liska Jewish cemetery performed an act that honored not just the graves, but also preserved respect and remembrance for the past. Each grave was adorned with candles, their flames bowing solemnly to honor the souls of those who once called this small village home. The flame of the candles is considered a kind of bridge between the past and the present, the light of which shines from the depths of memory.

The light of candles serves as a profound emblem of the Jewish religion. The flames not only illuminate but also open a gateway to the Eternal. As the Book states: "Man's soul is the Lord's lamp, which searches out all the innermost parts." Proverbs 20:27

We are commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Holocaust in 2024. The solemn lights burning in the Jewish cemetery of Liska not only honor individual graves but also evoke an entire era and the fate of a whole people. The light of the candles keeps alive the memory of the graves, as well as the lives never fully lived and families never started. These flames, lit in memory, bring the Holocaust’s tragedies into focus and remind us that each life that never reached its potential is a loss felt by all. 

United, the candle flames and the legacy of the Liska Rebbe remind us that the light of remembrance is a timeless beacon. The next similar commemoration: before the yarhzeit of Reb Shaya'la of Kerestir on Thursday (2024-05-09) at sunset.