On leaving Jerusalem, the Jews began an exile to successive destinations which dispersed them to the four corners of the world and in particular to Europe. A first Jewish presence in Hungary is revealed by a tombstone dating from the 3rd century bearing the inscription of a Menorah.

It was not until the 11th century that a real community was established, made up of emigrants from Bohemia, Moravia and the Germanic regions. In 1251, King Bela IV granted them the right of residence and ensured their protection until the beginnings of the Ottoman period.