The European Commission has issued a Call for Applications for a major Pilot Project to document Jewish cemeteries in Europe and monitor best practices in preservation.
It is called: Pilot project – Protecting the Jewish cemeteries of Europe: A full mapping process with research and monitoring and individual costed proposals for protection.
The deadline for applications is August 11.
BACKGROUND
On 21 March 2018, the European Commission adopted the Annual Work programme for the implementation of Pilot Projects and Preparatory Actions in the area of education, sport and culture. The work programme foresees a pilot project aimed at conducting a broad sample survey of at least 1500 Jewish cemeteries in selected European countries, identifying good practices of their preservation as well as proposing a model for their successful safeguarding.
The action should contribute to the momentum built up by the European Year of Cultural Heritage 2018 through dissemination and awareness raising of the European value of heritage and cultural diversity of Europe.
The grant agreement resulting from this call for proposals will be allocated to one single project. The duration of the project shall be 18 months. It is expected that the action will start in December 2018.
Click HERE for full details and links to required documentation
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES OF THE CALL
It is expected that the selected organization/consortium will:
a) Produce a mapping which will include:
- an online list of identified Jewish burial sites in the specified countries (Greece, Slovakia and Lithuania and the neighbourhood countries of Ukraine and Moldova), with relevant accompanying factual and visual reference to be defined by the applicant (location, photographic documentation, relevant historical data, etc.); furthermore, each identified burial site shall be accompanied by relevant historical facts (e.g. information about the previously existing Jewish communities nearby) that could be important for identifying possible synergies (future educational activities, involvement of local communities, tourism,)
b) Compile analytical material which will include:
- list of identified “good practices” of Jewish burial sites’ restorations and/or preservation-related activities; it is understood that successful examples should consist of cases where not only the restorations works were carried out in an efficient manner, but the scope of the projects and their long-term planning involved a wide range of different stakeholders; applicants are kindly requested to propose a methodology for the identification of such good practices, while focusing on their potential transferability;
- proposed models for the involvement of various stakeholders (policy-makers, NGOs, local communities, cultural and creative sectors, etc.), with particular emphasis on young people and educational institutions;
- proposed models for funding of Jewish burial sites’ restorations and follow- up activities, with an emphasis on feasibility and transferability of suggested
c) Communicate the project results
- The applicants are asked to identify and prepare interactive communication tools where the collected material specified above can be publicised and presented (in paper and/or digital form, incl. websites and/or social media outlets) in order to be used by a range of identified stakeholders (local communities, NGOs, educational institutions, policy-makers, etc.). The applicants shall also propose an appropriate and attractive manner of presentation of their findings in this regards (e.g. analytical report, a “toolkit” to be proposed, etc.), focused on transferability.
- The applicants are asked to prepare informative and educational material (e.g. leaflets, brochures, websites, social media materials) on the value of Jewish burial sites for Europe, promoting understanding of European heritage and to be disseminated in the aftermath of the European Year of Cultural Heritage as well as aligned to the objectives of the European Year of Cultural Heritage
SCOPE: OBJECTIVES, THEMES, PRIORITIES
The general objective of the pilot project is to conduct a broad sample survey (hereafter referred to as “mapping”) of at least 1500 Jewish cemeteries in European countries, each of which presents a unique challenge with regard to the current state of Jewish cemeteries. The project should first of all include the EU Member States Greece, Slovakia and Lithuania and the neighbourhood countries of Ukraine and Moldova, however, applicants are encouraged to include other European Union and/or European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) countries, on condition that a convincing rationale for the suggested sample of countries is provided. The mapping should include a geographical overview with a proposed list of criteria and the sampling method(s) to be followed in each case(s), depending on the characteristics of the overall condition of Jewish cemeteries in the countries selected.
Furthermore, the pilot project shall recognize successful examples (“good practices”) of Jewish burial sites’ restorations and preservations carried out in the identified cemeteries (see the expected results for more information).
The action should also identify specific opportunities for cross-fertilisation and stronger interactions between various stakeholders interested in the preservation of Jewish burial sites, the representatives of broadly understood cultural and creative sectors, religious and local communities. The action shall for example examine how Jewish burial sites can offer the opportunity for local or regional education institutions or youth projects to re-involve youths with their community and encourage them to engage with the past and develop a feeling of ownership for Europe’s diverse cultural heritage and traditions.
Beyond being cultural heritage, Jewish cemeteries are also religious sites. The action should take these particular circumstances into account and further explore possibilities to involve faith communities.
The action should contribute to the momentum built up by the European Year of Cultural Heritage through dissemination and awareness raising of the European value of heritage and cultural diversity of Europe. The period following the Year will be an opportunity to highlight the importance of education, training and innovation for the maintenance and support of cultural heritage. It will also tap on issues regarding transmitting the knowledge of cultural heritage to the younger generations, the acquisition of heritage-related skills (e.g. heritage restoration skills) by the new generation, as well as models of participatory governance for cultural heritage among public and private actors.
Finally, the activity could also pave the way towards future specific interventions using local, national and European Union resources (e.g. European Structural and Investment Funds) for heritage-related activities. Should specific cases of existing EU- funded restorations or related activities (e.g. educational) be identified, they shall be flagged in the mapping and given separate consideration.
CLICK HERE FOR FULL GUIDELINES FOR THE APPLICATION