Paideia Beer Fellow Marcell Kenesei tells us about the conception of the Israeli Cultural Center in Budapest that is due to open its doors to visitors in Fall 2009.

What is the main mission of the Center?
MK: The Israeli Cultural Center (ICC) is a new idea of an institution that not only provides information, services and possibilities regarding Israel and Jewish culture but enriches the Hungarian Jewish community through programs that educate, inspire, and entertain, fostering engagement with Israeli and Jewish culture, and nonetheless the power of diverse perspectives. The ICC aims to build a bridge between Israel, the Jewish people in the Diaspora and the Hungarian society. We want to initiate an atmosphere where  working, studying, playing, celebrating and relaxing together is possible.

What is your position within the Center?
MK: At the ICC I am the person responsible for the coordination of resource development and maintaining conacts with our partners and supporters. Since the Center has not yet been officially established the preparation works are in process at the moment. This is a very important stage and my actual work consists of many different parts according to this; creating a framework about planned activities, services and projects; to make a transparent system for and about the establishment; to look for new opportunities, search for new partners and sponsors who may contribute to our work.

Why do you think the establishment of the Center was needed and how do you hope it would influence the general attitudes in Budapest?
MK: The establishment of the Center aims to make a difference in many fields. First of all we see that the image of Israel in the Hungarian society is not always positive. If we look at the way how Hungarian people think about Israel in general we may find sad and in some instances even scary results. When talking about Israel , people usually associte to politics in the middle-east and don't know much about people there, the life they have, how they live on a daily basis. I think it is important to have an institute that tries to advertise the cultural and human aspects of Israel as well. Like France, Germany, Britain or other countries also maintain such cultural centers in Hungary with success, it is time now for Israel to have something similar.

Besides all that, it is also clear that the cultural centers of various other countries cannot be 100 % matching examples for us because of the special connections between the Jewry living in the Diaspora and the State of Israel. This institute wants to be a focal point of Jewish life in Hungary as well. In order to effect a true revitalization of Jewish life, it is vital not simply to support new programs, but to underwrite paradigm shifts that will galvanize the community. Our activity and operation seeks to upgrade existing institutions and projects, support local grassroots initiatives related to Israel and to create new channels that will contribute to a renaissance of Hungarian Jewish identity, culture, life and development and strengthening the Israel connections and relationships