Nagyhalasz Jewish Cemetery One

There were two Jewish cemeteries in Nagyhalász. This cemetery was established as early as 1870, since it appears on the cadastral map of that year. The cemetery remained in operation until at least 1941, which is the date marked on the latest tombstone found in the cemetery. It is fenced and is maintained by the Heritage Foundation for Preservation of Jewish Cemeteries.

75 Jews lived in the village of Nagyhalász in 1848. The Jewish population increased over course of the subsequent decades, numbering as follows: 178 in 1890, 298 in 1910, 268 in 1920, and 312 in 1930. In 1941, 266 Jewish people lived in the settlement, 17 of whom were classified as practicing Jews. The organized Jewish community was active by 1881. The community had a Chevra Kadisha (burial society), a Women’s Association, a mikveh, a cheder, a school, a Talmud Torah, and a Yeshiva.

Fifteen Jews from Nagyhalász died in World War I. Nevertheless, at the end of the war, Jews were accused of treason and their houses were robbed, and they were beaten and humiliated during the White Terror. In 1944, the Orthodox community had 262 members, including 42 of whom were taxpayers. The Jews of the settlement were deported to Auschwitz from Nyíregyháza. Forty people survived. According to the 1949 census, 39 Jews lived in Nagyhalász, but by 1963, merely 3 Jews remained in the village.