Jews and Communism, an Unlikely Pair

Recently, I was given a gift by my aunt, a collection of civillian metals given to my Great-Uncle Miklós by the Hungarian Communist Party. The metals were given to him for serving in the party, where he rose to be a high ranking official. Written on the metals were messages like “Kiváló Dolgozó”, “Excellent Worker”. 

While communism oppressed the Jews of Eastern Europe, who faced systemic discrimination and religious persecution, Miklós was Jewish.

While he was born into an orthodox family, when the Holocaust ended and after some of his relatives had been killed, Miklós walked away from religion viewing it as the cause for all of the world’s problems. When his only surviving sibling left for America, my great-grandmother with my grandmother, he decided to stay. In order to survive, Miklós hid his Jewish identity and joined the communist party. 

During this time, Hungarians were not allowed to have contact with Western society. However, Miklós with his high rank refused, not wanting to let go of his only living family in America. So, he would write to my great-grandmother and his letters would be read to make sure he was not leaking secrets. He was allowed to do this since he was a respected member and held a high rank. Miklós and my great-grandmother continued to do this until communism fell and the borders opened in the 90s. Afterwards, my family travelled back to Hungary and reunited.

Now, 40 years later, I look at the metals, a window into a past of sorrow for the Jews. I am unsure of what to do with them. I have an odd sense of pride in my family’s story of survival and perseverance. Still, I feel the tensions between my Jewish identity and the antisemitism which was deeply a part of this time period. My cousins, descendants of Miklós, still live in Hungary and even now face old antisemitic libels such as Jews having horns and black blood. The more things change, the more they stay the same. That is why it is important to remember our past as a guide for the future.

I encourage everyone to look into their own families histories.