Gabor Blajer’s family has kept watch over the final resting place of a mystical spiritual leader for over two centuries. Things are about to come full circle.
Incredible. We should discuss books in progress - I have a portion of Hungarian history in my book. Also we visited some Rebbe’s tomb in nowhere Hungary in 1991 - I’ll have to rewatch the video to see who it was. My family were Tokaij merchants and still have a fascination with wines.
Finally - there was always a family rumor that we came from Spain to Hungary during the Inquisition but zero proof. I’ve been trying to track down HOW WE GOT TO Hungary generally, and more significantly without Yiddish, but haven’t hit on it yet.
Absolutely. Most Jews in the region spoke Hungarian primarily and not yiddish. They were integrated into society a lot more. I have books I can share with you that are hard to get in English :) And for the record, I love Tokajj wine. I'm trying to figure out how to get some in Toronto.
Leah, I just want to pause and say how deeply this piece moved me. You’ve braided legend, lineage, grief, and grit into something that feels alive — not just as history, but as inheritance. The story of Gábor Blajer and his family's quiet devotion across centuries hit me like a sacred echo. It’s rare to feel time collapse like that — to read something and feel like you're standing beside both Fisch in Tzfat and Gábor in Nagykálló at once.
This piece is so beautiful. The deep commitment of Gabor Blajer and his family, despite everything that has happened and across time, to "watch over" is so powerful. And I love knowing that so many Jews make pilgrimages to these towns, filling them, if even sporadically with yiddishkeit. It's a powerful image.
Incredible. We should discuss books in progress - I have a portion of Hungarian history in my book. Also we visited some Rebbe’s tomb in nowhere Hungary in 1991 - I’ll have to rewatch the video to see who it was. My family were Tokaij merchants and still have a fascination with wines.
Finally - there was always a family rumor that we came from Spain to Hungary during the Inquisition but zero proof. I’ve been trying to track down HOW WE GOT TO Hungary generally, and more significantly without Yiddish, but haven’t hit on it yet.
Absolutely. Most Jews in the region spoke Hungarian primarily and not yiddish. They were integrated into society a lot more. I have books I can share with you that are hard to get in English :) And for the record, I love Tokajj wine. I'm trying to figure out how to get some in Toronto.
Leah, I just want to pause and say how deeply this piece moved me. You’ve braided legend, lineage, grief, and grit into something that feels alive — not just as history, but as inheritance. The story of Gábor Blajer and his family's quiet devotion across centuries hit me like a sacred echo. It’s rare to feel time collapse like that — to read something and feel like you're standing beside both Fisch in Tzfat and Gábor in Nagykálló at once.
Thank you! That means so much to me!
This piece is so beautiful. The deep commitment of Gabor Blajer and his family, despite everything that has happened and across time, to "watch over" is so powerful. And I love knowing that so many Jews make pilgrimages to these towns, filling them, if even sporadically with yiddishkeit. It's a powerful image.