Jewish cemetery clean-ups: Fourth 2022 Round-up. Nearly 4 dozen initiatives in 10 countries

So far this year, we’ve published three round-ups listing scores of the many Jewish cemetery clean-up initiatives taking place this spring and summer in various European countries. Here’s a fourth!  (Click to see our previous listings posted in April, in May, and July.)

This fourth round-up lists nearly four dozen actions in 10 countries — actions that have taken place since our last round-up, that are scheduled to take place, and that are (or have been) ongoing. Most are volunteer initiatives, but some are initiatives by Jewish organizations or civic bodies.

It is so important to emphasize these efforts, as they are largely overlooked (occasional vandalism, however, grabs headlines).

Click on the links to see details for each action on Facebook, local media, or dedicated website. The orange highlights show upcoming or ongoing initiatives.

We know we have missed some — if you don’t see your project on this list, let us know!

 

AUSTRIA

Vienna, Währing Jewish Cemetery — January 9, February 13, March 13, April 10, May 8, June 12, July 10, August 14, September 11, October 9 – Volunteer clean-up initiatives organized by the Save The Jewish Cemetery of Währing Association take place each month, from January to December, and include the removal of vegetation and fallen leaves from the gravestones. The organizers provide gloves, shears, rakes, and other equipment, but volunteers are also welcome to bring their own. Registration is not required. Click here to see more on the association’s website

 

BELARUS

Druya, Summer – Local authorities of the Druya former shtetl reconstructed the entrance to the local Jewish cemetery. The town is located in the Vitebsk region. Click here to see more on Facebook 

Kałyški, ongoing – The Jewish Cultural Center “Mishpokha” and the Vitebsk Jewish community have started to clean up the Jewish cemetery in Kałyški, in the district of Vitebsk. Throughout the summer, volunteers from Vitebsk have been traveling to Kałyški. The initiative includes the creation of a memorial complex, installing memorial signs, and some education programs. The program is open to volunteers. To support the initiative, write to: [email protected]. Click HERE and HERE  to see more on Facebook.

Mogilev, ongoing – Volunteer work at the city’s Jewish cemetery takes place throughout the year and includes clean-up and restoration work. The Mogilev Jewish community is fundraising for the restoration of the cemetery via a GoFundMe campaign 

See more details on the Facebook page

Click to read our Have Your Say article about the cemetery and restoration work

 

CZECH REPUBLIC

 Bílina/Teplice, October 4-12 – The German-based NGO Action Reconciliation Service for Peace will bring a group of volunteers to clean up the Bílina Jewish cemetery in its camp for people over the age of 40. In the 6-day camp, the group may also work in the large Jewish cemetery in the nearby city of Teplice. However, as the description states, the location is not yet confirmed. Click here to see more 

 

GERMANY

Grünstadt, every Thursday – Richarda Eich, a local activist and member of the Antiquities Association, welcomes volunteers to help her clean up the local Jewish cemetery and its gravestones. Volunteers can join her every Thursday from 4 PM at the cemetery, starting from the first Thursday after Easter. Contact her at +49 (0) 6359 1556. Click here to see more information and details from local media

Rödelsee, September – Every year, on the last Friday of September, the Friends of the Former Synagogue of Kitzingen association organizes a cemetery clean-up day from 9 AM to 5 PM. Click here to see more details on the association’s website

Wertheim, August 4 – The Wertheim Jewish cemetery re-opened to the public after two years of full-scale restoration. Click here to read more on local media  

Click here to see pictures on Facebook

 

HUNGARY

Over the Summer MAZSIHISZ, the main umbrella organization of Hungarian Jewish Communities, carried-out clean-up and restoration works in several cemeteries, including:

Abádszalók, Kenderes and Soltvadkert – Click here to read more from the MAZSIHISZ website 

Dévaványa – Attila Patkós, a gardener and carpenter from the town, has been taking care of the local cemetery on his own initiative since January 2021. This year, thanks to the support of MAZSIHISZ, several tombstones were professionally restored. Click HERE to see a post on Facebook with before and after pictures

Penyige – In the context of an agreement between the MAZSIHISZ and the ESJF – European Jewish Cemeteries Initiative, the cemetery was cleaned up, and the fence was replaced. Click here to see more on the MAZSIHISZ website 

Somogyvár, Summer –MAZSIHISZ, with the financial support of the Hungarian Jewish Heritage Foundation (MAZSÖK), cleaned up the local Jewish cemetery, restoring the stone wall fence, entrance gate, and tombstones. Click here to see more on the MAZSIHISZ website 

Budapest, ongoing – In the last seven months, the Friends of Budapest Jewish Cemetery Association completed work in four sections and is working on a fifth section at the Kozma Street Jewish cemetery in the Hungarian capital. These four completed sections cover an area of 34,600 sq meters (about 9 acres) and contain 11,304 burials. This year, the association hopes to complete work in other five sections, covering 33,000 sq meters and more than 9,800 graves. Click here to watch a video on Facebook Click here to see the association’s Facebook Page

Szentkirályszabadja, Summer – The Kibuci Bucik is a youth group from the Lauder Javne Jewish School in Budapest that every year organizes a clean-up session in a different Jewish cemetery in Hungary. This summer, the group workedin the Jewish cemetery of Szentkirályszabadja, a village in Veszprém county. Click here to read more on the MAZSIHISZ web site  

Click here to see photos on Facebook

 

THE NETHERLANDS

Ouderkerk aan de Amstel, every Wednesday – From 8.30 to sunset, the management of the Beth Haim Portuguese (Sephardic) Jewish cemetery welcomes volunteers to clean up and restore the cemetery. The management provides all the tools and other materials, and at 1 PM, a kosher lunch is served for the volunteers. If you are interested in participating, you can email to [email protected]. Click here to read more on the cemetery website

The Hague, the last Sunday of every month – The Foundation for the Preservation of the Jewish Cemetery in The Hague does clean up work in the local Jewish cemetery every last Sunday of the month, and at the request of several volunteers, also on Friday, September 23rd, from 12.00 to 16.00. The organizers ask volunteers to sign up beforehand by emailing [email protected]. Click here to find details on the Foundation’s website

Click here to see more on Facebook 

 

POLAND

Białystok, August – The US-based Białystok Cemetery Restoration Project (BCRP) returned to the Bagnowka Jewish cemetery after two years of forced inactivity due to the pandemic. This year the organization worked at the cemetery for 20 days. During the work, some 120 matzevot were  removed from an artificial mound outside the cemetery where they had been buried during the communist era. Click here to read more  on JHE

Bytom, August 19 – More than 20 volunteers took part in an all-day clean-up initiative at the local Jewish cemetery, carried out under the umbrella of the Coalition of Guardians of Jewish Cemeteries in Poland. Click here to find more on the Coalition’s website 

Chrzanów, upcoming – At the initiative of Prof. Anna Michałowska-Mycielska from the history department of the University of Warsaw, all matzevot in the cemetery will be translated and scanned in 3D. Click here to find more on local media 

Czechowice-Dziedzice, July 12 – Despite unfavorable weather, a group of nearly 20 volunteers, school students, and retirees devoted five hours of their time to the intensive cleaning of the area of the 20th-century cemetery. The action was carried out under the umbrella of the Coalition of Guardians of Jewish Cemeteries in Poland. Click here to see more 

Działoszyce, August 13 – On the 80^th anniversary of the destruction of the local Jewish community, a group of volunteers gathered to clean up the Jewish cemetery. Click here to see more details on local media  

Giwice, September 11 —  Jewish cemetery clean up organized by activist Slawek Pastuszka,  the Coalition of Guardians of Jewish Cemeteries and the Jewish Community of Katowice. Click to see details on Facebook 

Grybów, May 6, July, and October – After volunteers from the local association “Saga Grybów” carried out clean-up work in the local cemetery in May and July, the association foresees another clean-up in October. Click here to see more on Facebook 

Karczew, August 5 – The Association Friends of Karczew organized a clean-up action at the local cemetery. Click here to see more on Facebook 

Koźmin Wielkopolski, September 3-4 – A two-day clean-up action at the local Jewish cemetery, co-financed by the National Heritage Board of Poland – Together for Heritage program, in partnership with the Jewish Religious Community in Wrocław, the City, and the municipality of Koźmin Wielkopolski. The initiative will be followed by two days of inventory work (September 17-18). Click here to find out the details

Krynki, August 16 – A group of volunteers carried out a clean-up of the Jewish cemetery. Two volunteers also plan to return to the graveyard soon, while FODZ will ask local authorities to remove the cut grass once the initiative is completed. Click here to see more 

Łódź, ongoing? – People sentenced to community service, led by probation officer Tadeusz Ołubek, have regularly cleaned up the city’s Jewish cemetery every Sunday for more than four years.   But on Sept 4, Olubek announced on Facebook that the initiative was being discontinued by what he said was lack of interest of the Lodz Jewish community. 

Małogoszcz, May 13, July, and September – Thanks to a grant allocated by the Ministry of the Interior and Administration (MSWiA), further cleaning and restoration work will be carried out at the local Jewish cemetery. Click here to find more details on Facebook 

Oświęcim, July 29- August 3 – Clean-up action carried out by the Matzevah Foundation, with volunteers from Brentwood Baptist Church in Brentwood, TN, the Auschwitz Jewish Center, friends, and local partners. It was TMF’s ninth summer to visit and work in Oświęcim.  See photos on Facebook

Pabianice, August 7 – Volunteers from the Guardians of Remembrance association carried out a clean-up action at the local Jewish cemetery. Around 15 people participated in the initiative. Click here to see more on Facebook

Pruszków, August – Professional staff from the local city council worked at the city’s Jewish cemetery. Click here to see pictures on Facebook 

Sosnowiec, ongoing – Cleaning works have been carried out in the local Jewish cemetery with funds from the Jewish community in Katowice. Click here to see more on Facebook

Tarnowskie Góry, August 25 – Volunteers via the Gliwicka 66 association carried out a clean-up action at the Jewish cemetery. The initiative was carried out in the context of the Coalition of Guardians of Jewish Cemeteries in Poland, organized by the Cultural Heritage Foundation and co-financed under the National Heritage Institute program – Together for Heritage.    Click to see details on the Gliwicka 66 web site  and on the Coalition of Guardians web site 

Warsaw, ongoing – Volunteers periodically clean up, and carry-out restoration works at the vast Okopowa street cemetery. In June, volunteers cleared the alley between sections 20 and 26 and several nearby tombs, while other work is currently underway in section 12. Click here to find more on Facebook

 

ROMANIA

Volunteers from the Jewish community of Zalău are currently cleaning up and restoring various Jewish cemeteries in the province, including:

Băbeni, August – Click here to see more on Facebook

Ileanda, August – Click here to see more on Facebook

Meseșenii de Sus, August – Click here to see more on Facebook

 

SLOVAKIA

Šahy, ongoing – Led by Krisztina Kapusta of the local Hont regional museum, a team of local volunteers has been cleaning the Status Quo Jewish cemetery for several months. During the clean-up, they discovered what is believed to be a balcony from which Cohanim could have viewed the cemetery without entering it. Click here to find more on local media Click HERE to see more on the website of MAZSIHISZ, the main umbrella organization of Hungarian Jewish Communiti

Podolínec, August – In preparation for its fencing, the ESJF – European Jewish Cemeteries Initiative, cleaned up the local Jewish cemetery, which has around 80 matzevot. Click here to see more on Facebook

  

UKRAINE

 This Summer, the ESJF – European Jewish Cemeteries Initiative carried out several clean-up actions in Ukraine, either in preparation for restoration works or in their context. Since our last post, most of the actions seem to have taken place in the Zakarpattia region of Western Ukraine, including:

Dovhe, August – The local Jewish cemetery was cleared in preparation for fencing. Click here to read more on Facebook

 Klyachanovo, August – The cemetery is regularly cleared. This summer, a fence was built to protect it from the overgrown adjacent properties. Click here to see more on Facebook

Loza, August – Clearing works started at the local Jewish cemetery, which will be later fenced. Click here to see more on Facebook

Perechyn, August – For the second time this year, the local city council cleared the local Jewish cemetery as a result of an agreement with the ESJF. Click here to see more on Facebook    Click to see on ESJF web site

Rohatyn, ongoing – Following the return to Ukraine, after five months, of Marla Raucher Osborn and Jay Osborn, Rohatyn Jewish Heritage started its annual cleaning work at the town’s Jewish cemeteries (the old and new). Click to see more on RJH’s Facebook Page and website

Vanchykivtsi, August – Residents cleaned up the local Jewish cemetery in the Chernivtsi region in Western Ukraine. Click here to see more on Facebook