Bodrogkeresztúr
Bodrogkeresztúr (Hebrew: בודרוגקרסטור, Yiddish: קערעסטיר) is a village in Tokaj District of Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County. Its population in 2024 was 838. The settlement is an important Jewish pilgrimage site, so for a few days each year it looks like a religious quarter in Israel.[1]
Location
[change | change source]The village lies on the right bank of the Bodrog, 43 kilometres east of Miskolc, the county seat, by air and 48 kilometres east by road.
It is completely integrated with its southern neighbour Bodrogkisfalud, so there is practically no distance between them. Szegi is 3 km away, Tarcal 2 km, while the nearest towns are Tokaj 6 km away, Rakamaz 10 km, Szerencs 14 km and Sárospatak 25 km.
Connection
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The main road access route is Road 37, which can be reached from both Miskolc and Sárospatak, turning off at Bodrogkisfalud.
History
[change | change source]The area has been lived in since prehistoric times, proven by important Neolithic finds, including gold jewelry from 1200 BCE called the “Dereszla Treasure.” The exact origin of the village’s name is unknown, but it might come from crusader knights.
The village and its castle were first mentioned in 1239, and the castle was likely destroyed during the Mongol invasion. From 1411, the village was part of the Tokaj estate. In the 16th century, it was known as a market town, and from the late 16th to mid-17th century, it had a printing press.
The Rákóczi War of Independence was hard on the village, but it recovered, mainly thanks to grape growing, which improved a lot after Hasidic Jewish settlers arrived in 1726.[2] During the 1848–49 Revolution, the village was looted.
A famous member of the Jewish community was Reb Steiner Saje (1851–1925), a “miracle rabbi,” who died in Bodrogkeresztúr in 1925. His former home is now a memorial house and pilgrimage site.[3][4]
Notes
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- ↑ "Észak-Magyarország zsidó zarándokhelyei- I. rész". ZSBLOG (in Hungarian). 2018-05-31. Retrieved 2025-03-22.
- ↑ "www.vendegvaro.hu". Archived from the original on 2010-07-20. Retrieved 2011-06-15.
- ↑ "Hatvanezer zsidó zarándok érkezik a csodarabbi sírjához - forgalomkorlátozásra lehet számítani". Borsod24 (in Hungarian). 2024-05-09. Retrieved 2025-03-22.
- ↑ Népszava. "Tízezrek jöttek a bodrogkeresztúri csodarabbi miatt – Galéria!". Népszava (in Hungarian). Retrieved 2025-03-22.
