The Hungarian Jewish-Christian Society (KZST) met on September 26 in the Central Seventh-day Adventist Church in Budapest to hear lectures, participate in discussion and listen to music organized by Catholic theologian József Szécsi, President of the Society. The opening address was presented by Andras Szilvási, President of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Hungary.

Csaba Török, a Catholic theologian, emphasized in his presentation that "it is very important to 'remember'" referring his audience to the fourth commandment of Exodus which highlights God's instruction to "Remember the Sabbath Day…" ‘Remembering’ is not only memories of past blessings from Sabbath observance but the future act of continuing to 'remember' to observe the sacredness of the Sabbath day. Török reminded us that in history ‘remembering’ has been very important for those without a voice and words.

Rabbi Janos Oláh, professor at the Jewish University, demonstrated through the life and work of Rabbi Bertalan Kolbach’s, the importance, depth and richness of Jewish folklore. In his performance of Jewish prose, Istvan Karasszon, professor of the Budapest Reformed University, illustrated the importance of the listing of Biblical genealogy.

Jeno Szigeti, professor at the Hungarian Adventist Theological Seminary, emphasized the important role, of housing persecuted Jewish families, played by the Central Seventh-day Adventist Church in Budapest during the Second World War.

Szigeti also expounded on the courageous role of Laszlo Michnay, former President of the Adventist Church in Hungary. Michnay was recognized with an award from the government of Israel for his work, which was described by famous Hungarian poetess, Zseni Vanai, by the name she gave him of ‘gold-hearted leader of persecuted persons’.

The Hungarian Christian-Jewish Society (KZST) was founded in 1991 by the Catholic theologian and professor for Semitic and biblical languages, József Szécsi, who emphasized that it was not the task of dialogue to solve problems, but to create an atmosphere of dialogue that allows discussion of the problems. KZST has its own Web Site: http://www.kzst.hu/

The Association publishes a “Yearbook for Christian-Jewish Theology” with expert contributions from diverse theological disciplines and different religions. [Editors: Imre Tokics and Christian B. Schäffler for APD]