Tiszaeszlar Jewish Cemetery

The Jewish cemetery of Tiszaeszlár was established as early as 1864, which is the date marked on the oldest tombstone found in the cemetery. Some sources claim the cemetery was established in the mid-18th century. The latest tombstone found dates to 1919. The cemetery has been fenced.

There is a record dating back to the 1730’s which mentions a Jewish family in Tiszaeszlár, though the Jewish community was not formally established until 1860. The synagogue built around 1810. In 1880, 138 Jews lived in the village. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Jewish population began to decline. in 1910, the Jewish population was 94 and decreased to 64 by 1941.

In 1882, Tiszaeszlár Jewry were accused of blood libel, which led to a trial that triggered an increase in anti-Semitic sentiment and incidents in 1882 and 1883. After the disappearance of a local girl, Eszter Solymosi, Jews were accused of ritually murdering and beheading her. After her body was found sometime later in a river (she had apparently drowned), it was claimed that the body was not that of Eszter but had been dressed in her clothes. A lengthy trial followed which eventually resulted in the acquittal of all the accused. However, Győző Istóczy took advantage of the national increase in anti-Semitic sentiments following the lawsuit and the acquittal and formed the National Anti-Semitic Party on October 6, 1883. The Party won seats in Parliament in the 1884 and 1887 elections. By 1885, the Jewish community of Tiszaeszlár joined the Tiszalök Jewish community.

Prior to the deportation, none of the 53 members of the Jewish community paid taxes, nor were any rabbis employed. Presumably, the caretaker Gábor Goldstein provided synagogue and religious services. When necessary, the Jews of Tiszaeszlár could visit the rabbi of the Tiszalök community, who then was Rabbi Áron Fried. One evening in April 1944, the Jews were gathered in the synagogue and taken to the Nyiregyhaza Ghetto, from where they were deported to Auschwitz in early May. After the war, only a few Jews returned to the village and the Jewish community was never re-established. In the 1950’s the synagogue was demolished.