We are launching a new section on JHE — “Spotlight.”
It will consist of occasional longer posts taking a deeper dive into the history of specific Jewish heritage sites and/or highlighting the work of specific individuals, NGOs, projects etc.
In our first Spotlight, JHE contributor Michele Migliori focuses on the Tayar Foundation in Malta. It was established at the end of 2019 with the goal of safeguarding Malta’s three Jewish cemeteries as well as promoting Jewish culture, heritage, and memory in the Mediterranean island state.
Malta boasts a rich Jewish history, tracing its roots back to Phoenician times.
Currently, it is estimated that only around 100-300 Jews reside there, including Jews who moved to Malta from Israel and elsewhere in Europe. The significance of its larger historical Jewish population is underscored by the presence of three remaining Jewish cemeteries.
The oldest dates back to 1784, although a menorah carved in St. Paul’s St. Agatha’s Catacombs in Rabat testifies to the existence of a Jewish community on the Maltese archipelago in ancient Roman times.
Click here to read the Spotlight on the Tayar Foundation and Malta’s Jewish Cemeteries