Between May and October 2021, we published four Jewish cemetery clean-up round-ups, in which we listed around 270 initiatives in 18 countries and more than 150 towns, cities, and villages. In these round-ups, we showed how hundreds of volunteers and others clean, restore, and maintain Jewish cemeteries around Europe — actions that are generally ignored in the media.
We published round-up articles in mid-May , at the beginning of July, at the end of August, and in mid-October.
So much has continued to go on that, for the first time, we’re presenting a clean-ups roundup winter edition. Because of the weather, actions in Jewish cemeteries usually take place in spring, summer, and early autumn. But this year we saw that many actions took place also in October, November, and December, when the weather is already cold and outdoor work can be difficult, especially in central and eastern Europe.
In this round-up we list initiatives in 11 countries — actions that have taken place since our last round-up, that are scheduled to take place, and that are (or have been) ongoing. We also include some examples of documentation and restoration work carried-out by private citizens, public institutions, or NGOs, and we note dates of clean-up actions that have already been scheduled for 2022.
Thanks to all the dedicated individuals, groups, NGOs, and others who carry on this important work!
Click on the links to see details for each action we list — on Facebook, local media, or dedicated web sites. Upcoming and/or ongoing initiatives are highlighted in orange.
We know we have missed some — if you don’t see your project on this list, let us know!
NOTE: the initiatives in our Round-ups include actions by individuals, NGOs, and other civic or local Jewish organizations. Several international organizations, including orthodox religious operations, also carry out continuing, coordinated Jewish cemetery work, primarily including fencing, but also clean-up and maintenance, and re-erection of headstones.
Find out more about these actions, for example, on the web sites of the European Jewish Cemeteries Initiative (ESJF) and the Heritage Foundation for Preservation of Jewish Cemeteries HFPJC Avoyseinu.
AUSTRIA
Klosterneuburg, December – Following the renovation of the local Jewish cemetery, the municipality will care for the cemetery for the next 20 years, and, in cooperation with with the Fund for the Repair of the Jewish Cemeteries and the Committee for the Preservation of the Jewish Cemetery in Klosterneuburg, a pilot project to include the Jewish cemetery in several local high schools’ educational programs was started. Click here to read more the Fund’s website
Vienna, Währing Jewish Cemetery — January 9, February 13, March 13, April 10, May 8, June 12, July 10, August 14, September 11, October 9, November 13, and December 11, 2022 – The Association “Save The Jewish Cemetery of Währing”, has already published the dates for next year’s clean-ups. Initiatives will take place once a month, from January to December. Actions include removal of vegetation and fallen leaves from the gravestones. Gloves, scissors, rakes and some other equipment are provided by the organizers, but volunteers are also welcome to bring their own. Registration is not required. Read more on the association’s website
BELARUS
Mogilev, ongoing – Volunteer work at the city’s Jewish cemetery continued into autumn and included both clean-up and restoration work. On November 11, bushes and trees were removed in an older part of the cemetery. The Mogilev Jewish community is fundraising for the restoration of the cemetery via a GoFundMe campaign
Read our Have Your Say article about the cemetery and restoration work
See more details on the Facebook page
CZECH REPUBLIC
Přistoupim, November 14 – A clean-up action at the local Jewish cemetery in this village in the Kolín District in central Bohemia took place on November 14th. The initiative was organized by the NGO oPŘISe, which since 2018 has organized two volunteer clean-ups a year at the cemetery, one in the fall and another in the spring. Read more on the NGO’s Facebook page
Volyně and Mirovice, November – The Tachov Archives and Museum Society (TAMUS), a Czech non-profit NGO deeply involved in documenting and preserving Jewish cemeteries and other sites, documented 324 matzevot inscriptions from the Volyne Jewish cemetery, and documented with photographs 259 epitaphs from the Mirovice Jewish cemetery. Read more on Facebook
FRANCE
Sarre-Union, October 28 – The Consistoire Israélite of the Bas-Rhin restored 269 matzevot in the Sarre-Union Jewish cemetery, after it was desecrated in 2015. The rededication ceremony took place on October 31, 2021.
Click here to watch a video on Facebook
Click here to see some pictures on Facebook
GERMANY
Kusterdingen-Wankheim – Several municipalities and institutions are contributing to the cost of an estimated €300,000 for the renovation of the local Jewish cemetery, property of the Association for the Promotion of Jewish Culture in Tübingen. Works at the cemetery could take up to five years.
Click here to read more from local media
Click here to read more on the Association’s web site
HUNGARY
Böhöny, Karád, Somogyszentpál and Somogyvár, ongoing – The Federation of Hungarian Jewish Communities (MAZSIHISZ), is gradually restoring damaged tombstones in various Jewish cemeteries in Somogy county. In total, there are nearly 100 tombstones to be restored, and the expected cost of the operation is 3 million forints (around €8,000). Read more on the MAZSIHISZ website
Budapest, autumn/winter – The Friends of Budapest Jewish Cemetery completed clean-up works at sections 29 and 30 of Budapest’s vast Kozma Jewish cemetery. Click here to watch a video the association published on Facebook
In December, it started to started to clean section 38A/A1, which is severely overgrown with vegetation. Read more and see pictures on Facebook
Dévaványa, autumn – This autumn MAZSIHISZ completed the clean-up of the Jewish cemetery of Dévaványa, in the Békés county, and restoration works will start soon. Read more on the MAZSIHISZ website
Geszteréd, December –MAZSÖK, the Hungarian Jewish Heritage Public Foundation, renovated and re-inaugurated the local Jewish cemetery, with the support of the local municipality. Read more on the MAZSOK Facebook page
Rákóczifalva November 10 – The Szent Flórián Tűzoltóság Múltjáért Foundation cleaned-up the local Jewish cemetery. Click here to see some pictures from the foundation’s Facebook page
LITHUANIA
Šiauliai, October 26 – Volunteers from the Šiauliai Jewish Community organized a clean-up action at the Donelaitis cemetery in Šiauliai. Click here to see more
THE NETHERLANDS
The Hague, September 26, October 24, and new dates for 2022 – The Foundation for the Preservation of the Jewish Cemetery in The Hague cleaned up the Jewish cemetery on September 26 and October 24 and published the dates for 2022. In 2022, volunteers will be welcomed to work in the cemetery on the last Sunday of the month and at the request of several volunteers also Friday June 24th and Friday September 23rd, from 12.00 to 16.00. Read more on the organization’s website
POLAND
As we wrote earlier in December, 2021 marked a “ground-breaking year” in Jewish cemetery preservation in Poland, as more than 10,000 volunteers took part in more than 200 campaigns to clean up and preserve nearly 100 Jewish cemeteries around the country. These actions took place under the umbrella of the Coalition of Guardians of Jewish Cemeteries, . X/)
Since our last round-up, published in mid-October, the Coalition of Guardians of Jewish Cemeteries– a recently formed network of NGOs, individual activists, and institutions dedicated to caring for Jewish cemeteries in Poland — carried-out and/or supervised a number of actions in several Polish towns and cities. As we wrote in December, largely thanks to the Coalition network, 2021 marked a “ground-breaking year” in Jewish cemetery preservation in Poland, as more than 10,000 volunteers took part in more than 200 campaigns to clean up and preserve nearly 100 Jewish cemeteries around the country.
Some of them include:
Biała, November 15 – Employees of the Municipal Office in Biała cleaned up the Jewish cemetery in their city. Rubbish and branches were removed, bushes were trimmed, leaves were removed from paths partially surrounding the cemetery, weeds were mowed. Read more on the Coalition’s website
Kraśnik, November – the local Jewish cemetery was cleaned-up by teachers and students from two local schools. They removed 160 bags of trash from the site. Read more on the Coalition’s website
Gliwice, November 21 – On November 21, volunteers cleaned up the local Jewish cemetery, after professional workers started to work there earlier that week. Read more on the Coalition’s website
Łódź, November 7 and 21 – A team of volunteers and also people sentenced to community service, led by probation officer Tadeusz Ołubek, cleaned-up the city’s Jewish cemetery. Click here to see more on the Coalition’s website also HERE
Ostrów Mazowiecka, November 4 and November 15 – On these two dates, the local Jewish cemetery was cleaned up by local high school students, employees of the Museum of the Pilecki Family House, members of the Cultural Heritage Foundation and employees of the local municipality, including Mayor Jerzy Bauer. Read more on the Coalition’s website
Suchowola, November 25 and December 1 – Students from the local Technical School cleaned up the local Jewish cemetery, under the supervision of the Center of Three Cultures. Earlier this year, local firefighters cleaned the same cemetery. Read more on the Coalition’s website
Trzemeszno, November 25-26 – High school students and local residents cleaned up the local Jewish cemetery, where a lapidarium made from rescued matzevot will soon be built. The project was co-financed by the Jewish Historical Institute. Read more on the Coalition’s website
Warsaw, November 7 – A group of 20 volunteers, including students from the Warsaw school Saska Szkoła Realna, together with their parents, put in order monuments at the vast Okopowa street Jewish cemetery. 27 clean-ups in this cemetery took place from Spring through Autumn. Read more on the Coalition’s website
Other clean-up actions in Poland, included:
Ożarów, October 28 – As every year, students from the Edward Szylka Secondary School in Ożarów, cleaned up local cemeteries to mark All Saints’ Day. For the occasion, they also cleaned the local Jewish cemetery. Read more on local media
Przasnysz, October/November – A group of scouts and other local volunteers carried out preliminary cleaning works at the Jewish cemetery in Przasnysz. Cleaning works are also to be continued in the coming weeks by a specialized company dealing with maintenance of greenery. Read more on Facebook
ROMANIA
Volunteers from the Jewish community of Zalău spent the summer cleaning-up, restoring, and building fences in various Jewish cemeteries in the province. In October and November, the community worked in the following towns — Click the links to see reports on Facebook
Cehu-Silvaniei, October/early November
SLOVAKIA
Dolný Kubín, October 21 – 9th graders from a local school cleaned-up the Jewish cemetery, with the support of the local NGO OZ Aktív-relax. Students will return to the cemetery next spring. Read more on Facebook
Považská Bystrica, October 2 – Volunteers from the association “Historic Považská Bystrica” cleaned-up the local Jewish cemetery. Read more on Facebook
Spišská Nová Ves, ongoing – Thanks to Ružena Kormošová, activist of the Pro Memoria civic association and a retired high school teacher who used the local Jewish Cemetery to teach about local Jewish history, high school students maintain and clean the Jewish cemetery all year round. In November, at the annual Slovak Jewish Heritage conference, Kormošová was awarded the annual Eugen Barkany Prize, for her Jewish cemetery and educational work. Click here to read an article about the initiative that we recently published on JHE
1 comment on “Jewish Cemetery Clean-ups: Special Winter Round-up edition”
i was in the cementery in kosuce the last september and it is teribel i cant go inside please kleen it my mothrs and fathes parents are buried there