Jewish cemetery 2023 clean-ups #3

Every year, we post roundups of  some of the many Jewish cemetery clean-up initiatives that take place in various European countries. It is so important to emphasize these efforts, as they are largely overlooked – while occasional vandalism grabs headlines.

So far this year we’ve posted two round-ups, at the beginning of May and in mid-July.

Here’s a third round-up, listing three dozen actions from 13 countries — actions that have taken place since our last round-up, that are scheduled to take place, that we missed in our previous round-up, and that are (or have been) ongoing. Most are volunteer initiatives, but some are initiatives by Jewish organizations or civic bodies.

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

We know we have missed some — if you don’t see your project on this list, let us know – and also put it in the comments! 

AUSTRIA

Vienna, Währing Jewish Cemetery, March 12, April 16, May 14, June 11, July 9, August 13, September 10, October 15 – Regular clean-ups organized by the Association “Save The Jewish Cemetery of Währing.” They occur once a month, from March to October, and include the removal of vegetation and fallen leaves. The organizers provide gloves, scissors, rakes, and other equipment, but volunteers are welcome to bring their own. Registration is not required. Click here to see more on the association’s website  

BELARUS

Janavičy, ongoing – The Vitebsk-based Jewish Cultural Center “Mishpokha” has been caring for the local Jewish cemetery’s restoration, documentation, and clean-up since 2020. In June, a group of volunteers cleaned up the cemetery, while workers are currently constructing pathways in it. Click here to see more on Facebook 

Kałyški, ongoing – The Vitebsk-based Jewish Cultural Center “Mishpokha” and the Vitebsk Jewish community have been working for four years to restore and clean up the Jewish cemetery in Kałyški, in the district of Vitebsk, and create a memorial complex there, with a Holocaust memorial. Volunteers gathered all the summer to document, restore, and clean up the site. Click here to find more on Facebook 

Minsk, July 16-17 – Volunteers from the Minsk Jewish Student Cultural Center Hillel cleaned up the city’s Jewish cemetery and translated Hebrew inscriptions. Click HERE and HERE to find more on Facebook 

Mogilev, ongoing – Volunteer work at the city’s Jewish cemetery occurs 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 HERE read our Have Your Say article about the cemetery and restoration work 

Valožyn, foreseen – Eugenia Heifetz and the Vitebsk-based Jewish Cultural Center “Mishpokha” call for volunteers to restore and clean up the local Jewish cemetery. Click here to find more on Facebook

CZECH REPUBLIC

Golčův Jeníkov, ongoing – Since 2010, the Jewish community of Prague, which owns the cemetery, has been restoring this place. This year they plan to cut trees, which are at risk of falling and are a threat not only to visitors but also to the surrounding tombs. Click here to see more on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/zidovskePamatky/posts/pfbid032goNqgCGFzH5BC78qbZ4a5DSbPp2ydRXGGLytutEF947Rmc4fhw8QJFMotrzpeQBl

Mnichovo Hradiště, ongoing – The municipality, along with the Prague Jewish community and the Skoda Auto Foundation, has begun to renew the overgrown area of the Jewish cemetery. It was leveled, and its gravestones removed, under the Communist regime in the 1980s. Today, only a few broken gravestones remain, with a memorial stone reading “Here was the Jewish cemetery, 1800 -1982.” The town wants to create an area that will be a dignified memorial site. Work is scheduled to be completed in November. It will cost an estimated five million crowns (€211,000). Click here to see the project on the town’s web site  Click HERE and HERE to read more on local media  

Podivín, Summer – Volunteers from TAMUS Tachov cut the vegetation, cleaned the gravestones, and carried-out a detailed photographic documentation of the local Jewish cemetery. Click here to see more on Facebook 

 Prague, New Jewish Cemetery — During the summer, students from Israel and the Czech Republic carried out clean up work in the New Jewish cemetery. Click here to watch a video on Facebook 

GERMANY

Halle, September – As part of a student exchange, local students and students from Ramat HaNegev, in Israel, cleaned the local Jewish cemetery. Click here to see more on local media 

Wankheim, June – Volunteers gathered to maintain the green areas and the fence of the cemetery, while work on the gravestones was reserved for professional restorers, who analyzed, cleaned, and strengthened the stones. Click here to see more on local media

HUNGARY

Császártöllés, foreseen – The local municipality will renovate the local Jewish cemetery with the support of the MAZSIHISZ. Click here to find more on local media 

Kápolnásnyék, May 19 – Volunteers from a Christian organization took part in a volunteer action at the local Jewish cemetery. Click here to find more 

Szászvár, Summer – Local citizens helped to clean up the Jewish cemetery, while research work was carried out by the local Archives Committee. The municipality received 100,000 Hungarian forints (around 260 euros) from the MAZSIHISZ to carry out the work. Click here to read more on local media 

Pécs, August – Seventh-grade students from the Budapest-based Lauder Yavne Jewish school participated in a clean-up in the city’s Jewish cemetery. Click here to read more on local media 

LATVIA

Smiltene, July 28 – August 4 – Volunteers from the German-based association “LOT eV” visited the city and carried out restoration work at the local Jewish cemetery.  Click here to find more on the Smiltene district tourist information web site    Click here to see details on the LOT eV blog

LITHUANIA  

THE NETHERLANDS

Ouderkerk aan de Amstel, every Wednesday – From 8:30 a.m. 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 [email protected]. The volunteer action occurs throughout the year and is suspended only due to rain or snow. Click here to read more on the cemetery website

The Hague, 30 April, 21 May, 25 June, 30 July, 27 August, 17 September, 29 October – Throughout the year, the Foundation for the Preservation of the Jewish Cemetery in The Hague carries out clean-up work in the Jewish cemetery every last Sunday of the month. To participate, volunteers need to sign up beforehand by emailing [email protected]. Click here to find details on the Foundation’s website

POLAND

Gliwice, ongoing – Throughout the Summer, volunteers worked to clean up the Old Jewish Cemetery. The latest action took place on September 14. Click here to see more on Facebook 

 Jasło, August 17 – Volunteers from the local NGO AntySchematy 2 cleaned up the town’s Jewish cemetery. Click here to see more on Facebook 

Katowice, July – Throughout the entire month, volunteers worked to clean up the vast local Jewish cemetery. The actions were organized by the Jewish community’s Chevra Kadisha and local historian and activist Sławek Pastuszka. Click here to see more on Facebook 

Koszyce, Summer – The local municipalities of Koszyce and Kazimierza Wielka in cooperation with the Busko Cultural Association, cleaned and restored the local Jewish cemetery, which was rededicated in September. Click here to read more on local media 

Kraśnik, September 21 – Volunteers were invited to clean up the Jewish cemetery, an initiative of the local historian and high school teacher Mariusz Bieńko, who, in agreement with the Jewish community, wants to revitalize the cemetery and bring it back to local awareness.  See announcement of the initiative on Facebook 

Łódź, ongoing – The Guardians of Remembrance Foundation organizes clean-up actions in the city’s immense Jewish cemetery from Spring to early Autumn. The latest actions took place on September 1. Click here to access the foundation’s Facebook page 

Mielec, July 21 – A group of local volunteers, together with Israeli visitors, cleaned up the local Jewish cemetery. It was an initiative of the Mayn Shtetele Mielec group, supported by the Names Not Number orgaization. Click here to see more on Facebook 

Podwilk, September – Local volunteers cleaned up the Jewish cemetery. Click here to see a post on Facebook

Pszczyna, August 14 – A group of volunteers, organized by local historian and activist Sławek Pastuszka, did six hours of clean up work in the Jewish cemetery. Click here to see more on Facebook 

Tarnów, ongoing — Members of the Committee for Preservation of Jewish Heritage in Tarnów are searching, uncovering, and cleaning hundreds of gravestones in the historic Jewish cemetery. Their inscriptions will be included in the online database of the Foundation for Documentation of Jewish Cemeteries in Poland. Click here to see more on Facebook (scroll for posts, videos, pictures)  

ROMANIA

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

Agrij, August – Click here to see more on Facebook 

Buciumi, September – Click here to see more on Facebook 

Zalău, July and August – Click here to see more on Facebook

Suceava, July – On their annual research and documentation expedition, a group from the Jewish Galicia & Bukovina Organization (JGB) carried out research at the Old Jewish Cemetery, documentating some 750 headstones, many of them richly carved masterpieces of the stone-cutters’ art The local Jewish community helped by organizing a clean up of the cemetery before the arrival of the researchers. Click here to read about it on the Jewish Galicia and Bukovina web site  and Click here to find more on local media

SERBIA

Novi Pazar, Summer – Workers from the Municipality carried out some maintenance and clearing work at the local Jewish cemetery. Click here to see a post on Facebook 

SLOVAKIA

Spišská Nová Ves, Summer – All along the summer, local citizens, volunteers from private companies, and others gathered at the local Jewish cemetery to clean it up, under the auspices of the local NGO OZ Pro Memory. The latest action took place on August 25. Click here to see more on Facebook

UKRAINE

Rohatyn, ongoing – Volunteers from Rohatyn Jewish Heritage keep both the Old and New Jewish cemeteries maintained. The latest round of clearing for 2023 was completed in July. Click here to see more on Facebook