Járay József

Járay, József József Járay was a tenor, who sang in the National Opera in Budapest. Among his fans were a number of Jewish youths who came to the opera house to hear him every Sunday. Over time, Járay got to know this group of Jewish admirers, who included, among others, Ágota Halmi (later Agotha Casey), Marianna Wiener (later Mrs. László Révész), and Judit Bársony. On Sunday, March 19, 1944, the German army invaded Hungary. On that day, Marianna Wiener was arrested at the train station as she was attempting to join her family in the provinces. She was sent to the internment camp in Kistarcsa, near Budapest. Járay visited Wiener and brought her food. Because all Wiener’s family lived outside of the city, if not Járay, there wouldn’t have been anybody to help her. Járay was not able to prevent Wiener’s deportation to Auschwitz; but he was able to ease the hunger and despair until the deportation took place. After the Arrow Cross party rose to power on October 15, 1944, Jews began to be snatched from their homes and murdered on the streets. The following day Ágota Halmi heard a knock on the door, and was amazed to see the star of all her favorite operas, József Járay. Járay helped Halmi escape, and hid her in his apartment together with three of her friends. He himself moved to the Opera House during this period, saying it was because the bomb shelter there was more secure. The walls of Járay’s small, modern apartment were so thin that every noise could be heard by the neighbors, so the girls didn’t even dare to breathe heavily. After a few weeks, Halmi left Járay’s apartment, and with the help of forged papers was able to move elsewhere and live under an assumed Christian identity. Járay visited her there too, and brought her food and encouraged her until the day of liberation. In 1956, Halmi emigrated to Australia, but she stayed in contact with Járay until the day he died in the1960's. On April 19, 1998, Yad Vashem recognized József Járay as Righteous Amongthe Nations.