Famous Jewish athletes and sports leaders
in Hungary

 

Every week, Maccabi VAC presents a Hungarian Jewish athlete, sports leader, pruner, coach, who played a decisive role in Hungarian and universal sports.

 

Lajos Dömény

(Deutsch)

 

(Ádánd, Somogy County, September 4, 1880 – Lemberg, Russian Empire, September 7, 1914) 

Dömény was a lawyer, Austro-Hungarian lieutenant, sports director, table tennis competitor. He was born the son of Sándor Deutsch and Ida Ehrlich. He died in World War I on the Russian front. He completed his university studies in Budapest, where he also opened a law firm. In university, he became acquainted with Zionist ideas and from then on became the most enthusiastic warrior of the Zionist movement, soon becoming one of the leading figures who stood out for his particularly tireless agility and organizing ability. He established the Hungarian office of the Jewish National Fund (Keren Kajemeth), of which he was head for some time. He founded the Fencing and Athletics Club, the first Hungarian Jewish sports club. He organized the Kadimah Scouting Team, which he developed with great skill into one of the best teams in the country, and together with Ármin Bokor, he founded the first Zionist publication, the Jewish People’s Journal, which he also had an editor for a short time. He also took part in general Zionist work and was mainly involved in organizing Zionist associations in Budapest and the countryside. He also worked as a publicist and wrote several articles for domestic and foreign Zionist newspapers. After his death, which was a great loss to the Zionist movement, he received the III. class officer cross of merit.