On Jul 9, 2016, at 2:09 AM, H-SIG digest <h-sig@...> wrote:


Subject: Budapest Jewish Deaf School
From: judyyoung@...
Date: Fri, 8 Jul 2016 16:17:57 +0000
X-Message-Number: 1

Hi,

First, re the word for deaf in current Hungarian. It is suket (with the tw=
o dots on the u (Umlaut in German). In older, archaic Hungarian it used to =
be siket. My big Hungarian-English dictionary form the 1970's does not even=
have the word siket in it. And most online dictionaries also give you suke=
t first except in the deaf and dumb combination siketnema. However in check=
ing more about it, it seems that deaf people in Hungary today use the word =
siket for themselves because they feel that suket in Hungarian has a negati=
ve connotation meaning people who won't listen or who are a bit stupid. =
=20

from the earlier usage the word siket has remained in the name of the "nati=

onal association of deaf and hard of hearing" which in Hungarian is Sikete=
k es Nagyothallok Orszagos Szovetsege: http://sinosz.hu/ (there is an Engli=
sh page on the site). This organization was established in 1907 and has kep=
t the word "siket" in their name since the founding. Perhaps one can write =
to them for information about the Jewish institute of earlier times.

Secondly, re Jewish deaf and dumb institute in Budapest: I don't have enoug=
h time to research this but there were several institutes established in th=
e 19th century already in Budapest and it's quite possible that the Jewish =
community of Budapest was well ahead of others in looking after deaf and bl=
ind students and in establishing institutes for them. So there was an Isra=
elite deaf and dumb institute established in Budapest in its own specially =
designed and erected building in 1878 at Mexikoi ut 60. This institute to=
ok in non-Jews as well. Here is a photo of the building:
http://info.kazimir.hu/kazimir-latnivalok/az-egykori-izraelita-siketnemak-o=
rszagos-intezete
You have to click on the postcard of the building under the map to enlarge=
it.

The very first such institute (Not for Jews but for the general population)=
was set up in 1802 in a town called Vac north of Budapest with money raise=
d by members of the Jewish community (the effort was led by a man called A=
ndras Chazar after whom the deaf and dumb Institute and school was named be=
fore the war).

Later the Jewish deaf and dumb institute was on Bethlen Ter where there w=
as even a shul in the institute. See "Jewish Budapest, Monuments, Rites, Hi=
story", pg 542:=20
https://books.google.ca/books?id=3D-wUg6rlWS2kC&pg=3DPA542&lpg=3DPA542&dq=
=3Dbethlen+ter+deaf+and+dumb+school&source=3Dbl&ots=3D_qrYvwXxuS&sig=3Da3ow=
8HghQHnRaWNrG_xsj4AgLZ4&hl=3Den&sa=3DX&ved=3D0ahUKEwix2f3pneTNAhVIzz4KHSppD=
oUQ6AEIGzAA#v=3Donepage&q=3Dbethlen%20ter%20deaf%20and%20dumb%20school&f=3D=
false

But also see some info among a list of Budapest synagogues here: http://www=
.greatsynagogue.hu/syns.html
Scroll down about a little >from the top (synagogues outside of Pest) Distri=
ct VII, Istvan u 17 (Bethlen ter) and see the text below the pictures about=
the Deaf and Dumb Institute.

Try to approach the Jewish organization MAZSIHISZ by email or the Jewish Mu=
seum and Archives's Director, Zsuzsanna Toronyi at info@...
If you cannot reach her, let me know offlist.

Judy Young
Ottawa