Hi,

My name is Bence Illyés, I am a photographer, journalist and a researcher of Jewish studies. Currently I am working on a project documenting chassidic pilgrimages in Hungary by taking photos and conducting interviews with the pilgrims who come from abroad all over the world. Additionally I’ve been given the opportunity to organize a photo exhibition about the project in a gallery in Budapest by next year February.

What is the project about and why is it relevant?

Each year tens of thousands of Chassidic Jewish pilgrims arrive to Hungarian villages from the US, Israel, the UK, Belgium and even South Africa in order to visit the grave sites of the tzadikim or wonder rabbis, and pray at their tombs, since honoring the tzadik and connect with him through community prayers has a spiritual significance for the chassid pilgrims.

In the spring of the current year I decided to find and join a chassidic pilgrimage, because I long had an interest in exploring it, experiencing it, and take photos of this special and rare event. At the pilgrimage to Bodrogkeresztúr (Kerestir) it was surprising, and at the same time fascinating to see that there are people from all over the world who travel to small Hungarian villages because of religious beliefs, to villages where unfortunately Jews no longer live, but where once Jewish communities have thrived. It was inspiring and powerful to experience this pilgrimage which is based on spirituality and traditions, especially in today’s world where both seem scarce and rare.

As a result of my first visit to this pilgrimage, I decided to set up a photo project about it, which I find highly important, because both the Hungarian Jewish and non-Jewish population are completely unaware of such an event. It is my firm belief that these pilgrimages and an exhibition about them would be a great opportunity for the Hungarian population to get acquainted with the heritage of the Jewish culture, and specifically this unique and curious example of religious practice. With my photos I try to document and commemorate the spirituality and community-like fellowship of the pilgrimage, since I’m sure it would enrich even those who are distant from religiousness or Jewish culture as a whole. This is why I intend the exhibition to be educational in the first place, to where I would invite students from most elementary and high schools in Budapest, for I am sure that one can learn a lot through this peculiar occurrence about remembrance, respect and love for one another as humans.

My activities

I have published articles with photos taken by me about this topic in a Jewish periodical called Szombat and several other local periodicals and journals. Besides the articles I have conducted interviews, several hours long, with both locals and the pilgrims, about their mutual relationship and about the Jewish heritage of the places, among others. I intend to use these interviews as sounds installations for the exhibition.

I won the opportunity to exhibit the photos I have taken so far at a stand-alone exhibition at the Csányi5 Exhibition Center in Budapest from the 13th of February, 2020, thus I am currently working on the realization of the project, to which I am asking for your help.

The Chassidic Pilgrimage Photo Project is still ongoing, and I would like to take part in several future pilgrimages, both domestically and abroad, and the photographs taken there will be included in the exhibition.

What do I need sponsorship for?

I would use the sponsorship to achieve two objectives. So far I have visited pilgrimages within Hungary to Bodrogkeresztúr, Sátoraljaújhely and Olaszliszka, and in the next 12 months I would like to extend my travels to explore the Hasid pilgrimage to Nagykálló and Újfehértó in Hungary, to Uman, Vyzhnitsia and Belz in the Ukraine, to Bratislava in Slovakia, to Satu Mare and Maramures in Romania. I would kindly like to ask for your financial support for the travel expenses to these places by train or by bus.

Additionally, I would also like to ask for further financial aid to cover the costs of the mentioned free-of-charge photo exhibition titled “Pilgrims of Wonders – Chassidic pilgrimages in Hungary”, which opens on February the 13th, 2020. It is important for me that the exhibition is financed by communities and micro-donations, since these donations are also a part of the spirituality and ethos of the pilgrimages themselves. With the help of the generous sponsorship I am planning to cover the following costs:

– Printing of 30-33 photos (size A3)

– Printing 50-100 copies of handouts (leaflets) about the exhibition

– Advertising the exhibition

– Invitations to schools

– Expenses to cover the following items: printing of invitations, payment of musicians, catering

In case we receive enough support, the exhibition will turn into a travelling exhibition and will be displayed in other cities too.

Disregarding the donated amount, the name of each sponsor will be listed on the publications of the exhibition and the promotional materials. Those sponsors who donate above USD 50, will get a unique present from the assortment of the “Weinberger Judaica ” store in Budapest.

You can also follow the Facebook page of the exhibition for more details and updates!