In other photographs he can be seen at a Catholic mass in Alsógöd church. As Jewish online weekly szombat.org later uncovered, Schwezoff’s original name was Viktor Csereklye. The Budapest Beacon has reported that Schwezoff had musical education and was studying to be a cantor.

Before the scandal, he had already given hints to his confused past in his autobiography on cantoronline.net:

“At 20, I started to identify with a setting and environment that defined boundaries of my everyday life for 8 years. Although I did not fully identify with that wordview in spirit and soul, for many years I sought to live in a world that did not correspond to my personal values. I could only face these tensions in my personal life after 8 years, and – although in my opinion all experiences teach us something – with the weight of the mistakes in conducting my life.”

In response to inquiries from ATV, Schwezoff said he did not wish to comment on the information.

In light of this startling revelation, Mazsihisz (Union of Hungarian Jewish Communities) president András Heisler has sent a letter to Budapest Jewish Community president Péter Tordai asking Schwezoff be suspended as CEO given the “security risk” his personality represents. Heisler is quoted by anonymous sources as saying “Schwezoff needs to go.”

According to szombat.org Schwezoff’s past is his private matter and should not represent a problem in itself for any liberal. However, the Jewish weekly adds that his frequent identity changes or “other, uncovered dark secrets” may make him vulnerable to blackmail, and for this reason Budapest Jewish Community cannot allow him to handle finances.

The scandal broke only one day before the general assembly of Mazsihisz was scheduled to elect a new CEO. The long-time holder of this position, Gusztáv Zoltai, who resigned suddenly in April, had previously been criticized by Heisler for “serious misconduct” in handling the finances of Hungary’s Jewish community. In previous elections Schwezoff was accused of being a “secret candidate of Zoltai”.

Source: The Budapest Beacon

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