Nyirkarasz Jewish Cemetery

The Jewish cemetery of Nyírkarász was established as early as 1870, since it appears on the cadastral map of that year. The cemetery remained in operation until at least 1942, since the latest tombstone found in the cemetery was erected in that year. The cemetery is fenced and is maintained by the Heritage Foundation for Preservation of Jewish Cemeteries and has a Holocaust memorial.

In the 1747 census, 8 Jews were listed as living in the settlement. In 1848, 106 Jews were recorded as living in 25 households. Over the following decades, 220 Jews lived in the village in 1880, 197 in 1920, and 164 in 1930. In 1941, of the village’s total population of 2,744, 170 were Jews. The local Jews were mainly shopkeepers and door-to-door merchants, although several were craftsmen and three were landowners. A Talmud Torah and a cheder were also established in the community. In 1941, 30 Jews were taken to forced labour service. In 1944, the Orthodox community of Nyírkarász had 125 members. In April 1944, the Jews of the settlement were gathered and taken to the Kisvárda ghetto. At the end of May, they were deported to Lager-C in Auschwitz. In 1949, 21 Jews were still living in Nyírkarász. However, by the 1960’s, no Jews remained in the settlement. The synagogue was demolished in 1953.