Rabbi Fulop Fischer's Sermons: Navigating Ambiguity and Advocacy in Hungarian Jewry

Type of Abstract (select): Paper presentation

Abstract (max. 250 words):
Fulop Fischer (1877-1944), an Orthodox rabbi in Sárospatak, eastern Hungary, was a beloved leader. He defended Jewish community interests in public speeches in churches and pamphlets, and translated important works of the era, such as essays by Samson Raphael Hirsch. Fischer's outspoken advocacy for his community led to the publication of many of his sermons from the 1910s until his death, which were distributed even beyond Hungary, and read by Hungarian Jews in Palestine and the US. In 1937, Fischer published a collection of his sermons on Zion and Zionism, titled Ción felé ("Towards Zion"), which offers a fascinating analysis of growing antisemitism in Hungary, the activities of the Zionist movement. Fischer's sermons express his ambiguous stance towards the Zionist movement and its lack of religious commitment, while also revealing his personal belief in Zionism's ultimate victory. Fischer's use of humor and pastoral guidance in dark times makes his sermons easy to read, yet deeply insightful into the spirit of the community. Despite the long and distinct history and culture of the Hungarian Jewish community, it is often overlooked by scholars, even within Jewish studies. This paper focuses on Fulop Fischer as an influential and popular rabbi of his time, and aims to contribute to research on Hungarian Jewry. Analyzing Fischer's work provides valuable insights into the historical context and debates within the Hungarian Jewish community during a time when questions around belonging to Europe and longing for Israel were especially relevant.


Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Ármin Langer is DAAD Assistant Professor at the University of Florida's Center for European Studies and affiliate faculty at the Bud Shorstein Center for Jewish Studies. His research interests are migration, identity politics and populism in Europe and the US. He is author of a monograph on German-Jewish integration, co-edited an anthology on Jewish-Muslim entanglements and published several articles in edited volumes and peer-reviewed journals. Armin holds a Ph.D. in sociology from the Humboldt University of Berlin. He was ordained as a rabbi by the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in Philadelphia and has served Jewish communities in Pennsylvania, Texas, Sweden, Germany, Austria and Hungary.