Hungarian soccer club honors Holocaust-era hero

Istvan Toth saved hundreds of Jewish lives during the Holocaust.

Hapoel Beersheba defender Miguel Vitor celebrates after scoring his team’s opener in last night’s 2-1 victory over Honved of Hungary in the first leg of the Champions League second qualifying round. (photo credit: UDI ZITIAT)
Hapoel Beersheba defender Miguel Vitor celebrates after scoring his team’s opener in last night’s 2-1 victory over Honved of Hungary in the first leg of the Champions League second qualifying round.
(photo credit: UDI ZITIAT)
A Hungarian soccer club will honor Istvan Toth, who saved hundreds of Jewish lives during the Holocaust, before a match with the Israeli team Maccabi Tel Aviv at the Groupama Stadium in Budapest on Thursday, July 12, according the World Jewish Congress.
Istvan Toth was a Hungarian soccer player and coach who is counted as one of the Righteous Among the Nations.
The Ferencvárosi Torna Club (FTC) and the Federation of Hungarian Jewish Communities (MAZSIHISZ) took one of the first steps taken by the Hungarian government to combat antisemitism by organizing this ceremony.
“The World Jewish Congress is pleased that the Hungarian government is following through with its declared commitment to combat antisemitism, as expressed in its joint statement to the UNHRC last week on behalf of 21 co-sponsoring nations, at the initiative of the WJC," World Jewish Congress CEO Robert Singer said.
The ceremony will take place prior to the match at 17:30, with keynote addresses by FTC Chief Historian and Museum Director of Fradi Csaba Tobak, and Igor Ujhazi, WJC Counter Antisemitism Coordinator.