Investigating Jewish Spiritual Heritage as a Tourist Attraction in the Tourist Offer of Sátoraljaújhely

Abstract

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The leader of the Hasidic Jewish community in Sátoraljaújhely, the founder of the Hasidic dynasty of Szatmár, was Mózes Teitelbaum, who was known as the Miracle Rabbi for his healings. He quickly became known for his help and advice, and even after his death, people from Hungary and beyond the border visited his grave. The descendants of the rabbi are the Hasids of Szatmár, who began to show interest in the grave of the Miracle Rabbi during the Kádár era, and visits increased from the 1990s. In the past thirty years, the number of Hasidic Jewish visitors has soared from three thousand to eighty thousand. The results show that one third of Jewish tourists come to the city twice a year (in spring and summer). Neither the organizers nor the city had anticipated these increased numbers. Based on the qualitative results of 2024, accommodation expansion has begun in Sátoraljaújhely, and part of the Jewish-built heritage is also being renovated (synagogue, prayer house). Foreign and local organizers arrange the entry, accommodation and catering, for Jewish tourists since the 2010s. The aim of this research is to determine whether the increase in the number of tourists in the city is sustainable, or whether the old Jewish cemetery will remain an important Hasidic pilgrimage site in Central and Eastern Europe.