At the beginning of May, we published the first round-up for 2024, showcasing some of the many Jewish cemetery clean-up initiatives taking place this spring and summer in various European countries.
Here’s a second round-up listing almost 80 actions from 17 countries—actions that have taken place since our last round-up, that are scheduled to take place, that were missed in our previous round-up, that are planned, or are (or have been) ongoing. We also list an action from Azerbaijan, which is not part of our geographical scope, but which we found interesting.
Most are volunteer initiatives, but some are organized by Jewish organizations, civic bodies, or NGOs such as the U.S.-based Matzevah Foundation in Poland and the German Action Reconciliation Service for Peace (ASF) in various countries.
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 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 10, April 14, May 12, June 9, July 14, August 11, September 8, October 13 – Regular clean-ups organized by the Association “Save The Jewish Cemetery of Währing.” They take place 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 also welcome to bring their own. Registration is not required. Click here to see more on the association’s website
AZERBAIJAN
Baku, ongoing – The Jewish Community of Azerbaijan, with the participation of the communities of Mountain, European, and Georgian Jews of Azerbaijan, the International Charitable Foundation of Mountain Jews “STMEGI,” the Museum of Mountain Jews, and the Historical Heritage Foundation of Mountain Jews, has cleared up and is restoring the Jewish section of the capital’s Yasamal Cemetery. Click here to read more on local media
BELARUS
Horodok, ongoing – Local volunteers have been cleaning and restoring the Jewish cemetery since 2023. They document their work on a YouTube channel, showcasing the various tasks they undertake. This spring and summer, they gathered several times at the abandoned cemetery. Click here to see more on YouTube
BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
Bihać, March – At the beginning of March, the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage, in cooperation with the Komrad company, cleaned up the local Jewish cemetery in preparation for this site’s documentation and conservation project, which is a recognized national monument. Click here to see more on Facebook
CZECH REPUBLIC
Holešov, July – Six young volunteers from Italy, Germany, Spain, and Ukraine cleaned up the local Jewish cemetery and contributed to organizing the local well-known Jewish culture festival. Click here to read more on local media
Jičín, July 19-21 – Volunteers from the Czech Union of Jewish Students cleaned up the local Jewish cemetery. Click here to see more on Facebook
Kolín, ongoing – The Federation of Jewish Communities in the Czech Republic (FŽO), through Matana, which manages its properties, maintains the local Jewish cemetery with the help of volunteers. This year, after three years, the FZO and Matana should finish the documentation of this cemetery. To carry out the documentation, they first clean the tombstones. Click HERE and HERE to see more on Facebook
Kouřim, ongoing – Municipal workers from the local Christian cemetery consistently care for the Jewish section, ensuring it is continuously maintained and preserved. Click here to find more on Facebook
Litomyšl Lány, April and foreseen – A local volunteer, Vojtech Toms, mowed the greenery close to and inside the Jewish cemetery, but he suffered an accident in May, breaking some ribs, which has slowed the pace of his planned further clean-up work. Click here to see more on Facebook
Prague, New Jewish Cemetery, ongoing – The Jewish Community in Prague (ŽOP) and the Federation of Jewish Communities in the Czech Republic (FŽO), through Matana, continue their efforts at the New Jewish cemetery, cleaning and repairing tombstones. Click here to see more on Facebook
Somewhere in Moravia, September 10-18 – This year, the ASF plans to work in the Czech Republic again; they will be at a Jewish cemetery in Moravia, within a radius of approx. 100 km from Brno. A precise place will be decided only later this summer, but registration is already open. Click here to read more on the ASF’s website
Spomyšl, Postřižín, Budyně, and Jiřice, spring and summer – After cutting dense ivy coverage and cleaning many gravestones, the Tachov Archives and Museum Society (TAMUS) carried out detailed photographic documentation of Jewish cemeteries of Spomyšl, Postřižín, Budyně (Central Bohemia) and Jiřice (South Moravia). Click here to see more on Facebook
FRANCE
Westhoffen, July 8 and 24 — On July 8, a team of volunteers from La Chaîne, under the auspices of the Consistoire Israélite du Bas-Rhin, carried out maintenance work at the Westhoffen cemetery. Another group of volunteers gathered in the cemetery on July 24. Accompanied by Yoav Rossano, who is in charge of Heritage and Culture, the volunteers dedicated their day to maintaining the cemetery in preparation for Remembrance Ceremonies to be held in September. Click HERE to read more on JHE Click HERE to read more on the Crif-BR web site
GERMANY
Attendorn, June —Local secondary schools have been maintaining the Jewish cemetery every year since 1984 in coordination with the cemetery administration and the construction administration of the City of Attendorn. The idea for this campaign came from the former city director Hans-Joachim Sperling and Hartmut Hosenfeld from the “Jewish in Attendorn” initiative. This year, students had a session to learn about the cemetery and local Jewish history and then worked to clear vegetation and clean gravestones. Click here to find more on local media
Emden, ongoing – Ewald Warfsmann, a local citizen, volunteers alone to look after the Jewish cemetery on Bollwerkstrasse. Click here to read more on local media
Leipzig, May 12 – Volunteers from the local Jewish community cleaned up some of the tombstones in the New Jewish cemetery. Click here to find more on Facebook
Münchholzhäuser, June – To introduce young people to Christian-Jewish-German history and as a form of extremism prevention, local resident Thorsten Rohde organized the cleanup of the Münchholzhäuser Jewish cemetery with confirmation candidates from the Evangelical Church of Dutenhofen and Münchholzhäuser. The initiative took place under the auspices of Rohde, in collaboration with the Evangelical Church and the regional association of Jewish communities in Hesse. A few years ago, he started a similar initiative in Weilburg, together with the State Association of Jewish Communities in Hesse and the Society for Christian-Jewish Cooperation in Limburg. Click here to find more on local media
Speyer, July – Nine students from Edith Stein High School (ESG) cleaned up the local Jewish cemetery before the summer holidays. Click here to read more on local media
HUNGARY
Budapest, ongoing – The Friends of Budapest Jewish Cemetery NGO works to clean and restore the vast Kozma Street Jewish cemetery in Budapest throughout the year, with a brief pause during the winter. Click HERE to access the NGO’s Facebook page. Click HERE to read more on the NGO website
Gádoros and Szentes, June – Workers funded by MAZSIHISZ, at a total cost of 1.3 million HUF, completed restoration work on the damaged, fallen, or overturned gravestones in the Jewish cemeteries of Gádoros in Békés County and Szentes in Csongrád-Csanád County. Click here to read more on the MAZSIHISZ website
Káptalantót, Kővágóörs, Szentantalfa, May – Students from Budapest’s Sándor Scheiber School, organized by the Káli-medence Synagogue Foundation and supported by the Budapest Jewish Community (BZSH), took part in a Mitzvah Day. The activities included cleaning the Jewish cemeteries in the three villages and the area around the Kővágóörs synagogue. Click here to find more from local Jewish media
Kecskemét, May 2 – At the invitation of the Jewish Community of Kecskemét, a group of 45 students and teachers from the Budapest Jewish Community (BZSH), the Foreign Trade Technical University, and the Dávid Király College of the BZSH performed voluntary cemetery maintenance tasks all day at the local Jewish cemetery. Click here to see more on the MAZSIHISZ website
Nagyatád, July—Kibuci Bucik is a youth group from the Lauder Javne Jewish School in Budapest that has organized a clean-up session in a different Jewish cemetery in Hungary every year for 21 years. This summer, 32 students worked at the Nagyatád Jewish cemetery in Western Hungary. Click here to read more on local Jewish media
Nemesdéd, June – The Israeli organization Netaim cleaned a cemetery in Nemesdéd, Hungary, as part of an ESJF initiative involving local people in maintaining Jewish cemeteries where communities no longer exist. The ESJF recently surveyed this cemetery in preparation for future fencing. Click here to see more on Facebook
Orosháza, March 17 – In preparation for commemorations marking the 80th anniversary of the Hungarian Holocaust, local citizens conducted a community cleaning at the local Jewish cemetery. Click HERE and HERE to see more on Facebook
Tata, April – Volunteers from Mózes Ház – Moishe House in Budapest and Támár Hungary cleaned up the local Jewish cemetery. Click to find more on Facebook and the MAZSIHISZ website
LATVIA
Riebiņi, July 8-18 – Volunteers from the German-based NGO LOT e.V., have restored and cleaned up Jewish cemeteries in Latvia since 2005. This year they worked at the Jewish cemetery in Riebiņi. Click HERE to read a day by day blog report on the NGO’s website Click here to watch a video on Youtube
Višķi, August 19-29 – This summer camp is being organized for the third time by ASF, the association “Drei Stufen e.V.” (Osnabrück), and the local community. The work, which began in 2022, will continue this year. Restoration, gardening and cleaning work will be carried out under the guidance of specialised staff. Volunteers at the cemetery will contribute to the construction of a future open-air ensemble museum, and during the summer camp, two signposts will also be unveiled. Click here to see details and registration link
LITHUANIA
Anykščiai, June – Volunteers from the Maceva Foundation, along with volunteers and students and teachers from the 10A class at Anykščiai Jonas Biliūnas Gymnasium, carried out cleaning and documentation work at the local Jewish cemetery. Click here to see more on Facebook
Turgeliai, June 2 – Employees of the US Embassy and other volunteers cleaned up the local Jewish cemetery in the Šalčininkai district. The Maceva Foundation also participated in the cleanup and documented the cemetery. Click HERE and HERE to see more on Facebook
THE NETHERLANDS
Almelo, May 5 – Volunteers from the Penance & Reconciliation Foundation gathered in this cemetery to carry out cleaning and other activities. See more on the “Penance & Reconciliation” Foundation website
Deventer, August 1-10 – The ASF and the Etty Hillesum Centrum organized this summer camp. Young people from different countries will meet in Deventer and help make the inscriptions on the gravestones in the Jewish cemetery legible again, learn about Etty Hillesum’s life, participate in educational sessions, and visit memorial sites. Click here to read more on the ASF’s website
Hengelo, ongoing—For the past four years, volunteers from the Friends of the Hengelo Jewish Cemetery Association have been meeting almost every Sunday to clean and maintain the Jewish cemetery. In April, along with the Hengelo Jewish Cemetery Maintenance Foundation and volunteers from the Netherlands-based Christian foundation “Penance & Reconciliation,” they refreshed the lettering of epitaphs so that they were legible. See more on Facebook See more on the “Penance & Reconciliation” Foundation website
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 to [email protected]. The volunteer action takes place throughout the year and is suspended only due to rain or snow. Click here to read more on the cemetery website
POLAND
The Matzevah Foundation, in cooperation with several partners, carried out Jewish cemetery work in several towns. There were two where volunteers were welcome — in Nowogród and Żychlin. Click here to see further details
- Przysucha, April 29-May 4– TMF returned to Przysucha to continue non-invasive archeological research and clean the cemetery. They partnered again with Jewish Przysucha and Professor Radoslaw Ptaszynski, as well as students and staff from The University of Szczecin (Poland) and Staffordshire University (England). Support was provided by The Foundation for the Preservation of Jewish Heritage in Poland (FODZ).
- Nowogród,June 14-22 – TMF’s first time in Nowogród. Partners included descendants of Nowogród and their friends and the City of Nowogród, owners of the cemetery. TMF also collaborates with the FODZ and Friends of Jewish Heritage in Poland. The work focused on clearing the overgrowth of vegetation around the cemetery, which contains 18 standing matzevot.
- Żychlin,June 28- July 6 – Another new location. Located in the Lódź region of Poland, TMF collaborated again with FODZ and joined forces with a group of descendants and friends led by Professor Marysia Galbraith of the University of Alabama, who is the president of The Association of Descendants of Jewish Central Poland. Volunteers were welcome. Click here to read a report from Prof. Galbraith’s blog Uncovering Jewish Heritage
- Krasnystaw, July 15-17 –For a fourth year, TMF supported the Future Scholars Program from JewishGen. Along with Friends of Jewish Heritage in Poland, a group of university students toured important Jewish sites around Poland before gathering in Krasnystaw for several days of work in the Jewish cemetery. The team was joined by volunteers from Studnia Pamięci in Lublin. Along with the work in the cemetery, there were discussions and learning opportunities in the evenings.
- Zawiercie, August 2-10– The team is made up of several groups including an active descendants group, Zaglebie World Organization, JewishGen Neshema Project, Brentwood Baptist Church in Tennessee, and the City of Zawiercie along with local volunteers. Click here to read more
Białystok, July 29-August 17 – The 2024 Sumer camp of the Bialystok Cemetery Restoration Organization, working on the Bagnowka Jewish cemetery. A highlight this session is the August 11 formal dedication of the restored memorial pillar commemorating the victims of the 1906 pogrom. Click to read about the Pillar. Click HERE to see more on their website
Brzesko, June – A local activist, Anna Brzyska, together with Krzysztof Mularz and his associates, cleared the vegetation in the 3.5-acre cemetery in one day. Click here to see more on Facebook
Częstochowa, May 16-22 – Alon Goldman, Vice-President of the World Society of Częstochowa Jews & Their Descendants and Chairman of the Association of Częstochowa Jews in Israel, organized and led a clean-up of the Częstochowa Jewish cemetery. During the week of activity, Alon was joined by volunteers from various organizations, including both adults and young people. Click here to read more
Drobin, June – FODŻ, the Foundation for the Preservation of Jewish Heritage in Poland, organized the cleaning of the site of the destroyed Jewish cemetery with the financial support of the Friends of Jewish Heritage in Poland. The work was carried out by the Environmental Services Center from Drobin. The area is a grassy field – there is a memorial plaque and small monument, but no matzevot or other traces remain. Click HERE to see more on Facebook Click HERE to see more on the FODZ website
Dzierzgoń, April 19 – Students from the Cyprian Kamil Norwid School Complex in Dzierzgoń, along with their supervisors and Sztum district governor Leszek Sarnowski, cleaned up the area of the Jewish cemetery in Dzierzgoń, where around 60 grave markers survive. In doing so, they commemorated the 81st anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. Click HERE to read more on local media Watch a video report of the action
Gliwice, Old Jewish Cemetery – ongoing – Local volunteers gather to clean up the Old Jewish cemetery from spring through the summer. The latest action took place at the beginning of August . Click here to read more on Facebook
Iłża, June – The Foundation for the Preservation of Jewish Heritage commissioned the cleaning of the Jewish cemetery in Iłża. The work was carried out by Leszek Adamus and financed by descendants of Iłża Jews: Brenda Dales, Mitch Cowitz, and Ronnie Hoffer. Click here to see more on the FODZ website
Izbica, June 28 – Thanks to the joint efforts of the Anna Platto Municipal Public Library in Izbica and the Maria Konopnicka Primary School in Izbica, the local Jewish cemetery was tidied up. Click here to see more on the FODZ website
Kraśnik and Mszczonów, June – Thanks to the support of the Nissenbaum Family Foundation, the Jewish cemeteries in Kraśnik and Mszczonów have been tidied up. Click here to see more on the FODZ website
Łódź, ongoing – The local association Guardians of Remembrance takes care of the local Jewish cemetery year-round. So far this spring and summer, they have organized clean-up actions on May 26 and June 30. Click here to see more on Facebook
Oświęcim, August 10-20 – Organized by the ASF, volunteers at an international educational summer camp at the International Youth Meeting Centre in Oświęcim/ Auschwitz will also carry out hands-on maintenance and upkeep work at the Oświęcim Jewish cemetery, including clearing weeds and undergrowth and cleaning gravestones. Click here to see more on the ASF website
Pabianice, July 6, August 4 – Volunteers from the Pabianicki Sztetl association organizes volunteer clean-up actions from spring to early autumn, with the latest initiative taking place in early August. Click here to see more on Facebook
Przasnysz, June— Edward Janes and other descendants of Przasnysz’s Jewish community, along with Friends of Jewish Heritage in Poland, commissioned FODŻ (the Foundation for the Preservation of Jewish Heritage in Poland) to continue cleaning the site of the destroyed Jewish cemetery. Although no gravestone survives, the presence of a monument and ongoing cleaning efforts help maintain a sense of dignity at the site. Click HERE to see more on Facebook. Click HERE to see more on the FODZ website
Przemyśl and Sochaczew, June – Students from Dartmouth College, along with Rabbi Seth Linfield, cleaned the oldest Jewish cemetery in Przemyśl. The project was carried out in cooperation with the Taube Center for Jewish Life & Learning, and the Przemyśl Municipal Services provided free waste disposal. The Dartmouth group also worked at the Jewish cemetery in Sochaczew, where they renovated part of the metal fence and carried out cleaning activities. The Taube Center covered the cost of paint and tools. Click HERE to see more about Przemysl on Facebook. Click HERE to see more on Przemysl on the FODZ website. Click HERE to read more about Sochaczew on local media. Click HERE to see more about Sochaczew on the FODZ website
Tarnogród, July – Thanks to the involvement of Avi Brach and Tomasz Tyński, cleaning work has begun at the Jewish cemetery in Tarnogród. Click here to find more on the FODZ website
Trzebinia, June – The Jewish cemetery is under the care of the municipality, and in June, a municipal employee mowed the grass and cleaned it up. Click here to see more on Facebook
Tuszyn, June 19 – Students from Primary School No. 1 in Tuszyn took part in a cleanup action at the local Jewish cemetery. The initiative was part of a larger educational project aimed at bringing young people closer to the history of the local Jewish community and fostering attitudes of respect and remembrance. Click here to see more on Facebook
Wrocław, June 15-23, and August 24-September 1 – The ASF has organized two clean-up camps here this year. Camps are open to intergenerational groups of older adults and young people. Click here to read more on the ASF website
Wrzeszcz, May 21 – Students and teachers from the University High School in Gdańsk, the Art High School in Gdańsk, and the General High School of Individual Programs cleaned up the Jewish cemetery. The action was organized by the Fundacja Kultury Zbliżenia. Click here to see more on Facebook
ROMANIA
Alba Iulia, July 4-12 – The annual clean up and stone restoration camp took place, focusing on restoration and preservation of individual gravestones, general site cleaning, lectures, and study sessions. Conservation work (cleaning and treatment of monuments) was overseen by the project manager, the stone restorer Sidonia Olea. Click here to read more on JHE
Volunteers from the Jewish community of Zalău have been cleaning up and restoring various Jewish cemeteries in the province, including:
Zalău, ongoing – Click HERE to follow activities and see photos and videos on their Facebook page
Meseșenii de Sus, July – Click here to see more on Facebook
SERBIA
Kisač, June – In March 2024, ESJF fenced a Jewish cemetery in Kisač, Serbia. Three months later, volunteers from the Novi Sad Jewish community went to the village to clean up this newly fenced cemetery. Click here to see more on Facebook
SLOVAKIA
Banská Štiavnica, ongoing – So far this summer, volunteers from the local Dnesivica Association, the Hotel Academy, and the Guliver Primary School participated in three different cleanup sessions (on May 20, June 3, and June 26) under the auspices of the Banská Štiavnica Jewish Cemetery Association, which takes care of the cemetery year-round. Click HERE to read more on Facebook and HERE to access their website
Michal nad Žitavou, April 13, May 4, May 25, July 6 – Clean-up actions took place at the Jewish cemetery carried out by the FONTIS civic association NGO. Click HERE to see more on Facebook Read an article about the initiative on local media
Spišská Nová Ves, June – The OZ Pro Memory association gathered 32 volunteers from the companies Embraco Nidec and Servier Slovensko to clean the gravestones. Another company, Brantner Nova, planted new trees and greenery in the cemetery area. Click here to see more on Facebook
UNITED KINGDOM
London, June 16, August 18 – In the Willesden Jewish cemetery, there is a running series of workshops aimed at restoring the memorials of 200 babies and small children, many of whom died during the First World War and the Spanish Flu pandemic. Work entails placing new name plates, re-erecting loose headstones, cleaning the memorial. Click HERE to read more on the cemetery website Click HERE to read more on local Jewish media and HERE to see more on Facebook
UKRAINE
Čerkasy, April – Volunteers from 15 Ukrainian cities gathered in Čerkasy to help the local Jewish community with several tasks, including cleaning the local Jewish cemetery. Click here to see more on Facebook
Fastiv, July – Local volunteers cleaned up the Jewish cemetery. The ESJF had installed protective fencing around the site in 2019, and it now receives regular cleaning during the spring and summer months. Click here to see more on Facebook
Mala Dobron, July – The ESJF cleaned up the local Jewish cemetery, which it had fenced in 2017. Click here to see more on Facebook
Poltava, May – More than 20 volunteers worked to clear vegetation at the Jewish cemetery. Click here to see more on Facebook
Pyrjatyn, July – The local municipality cleaned up the area of the Jewish cemetery (and central cemetery) as part of general city maintenance and upkeep. Work entailed mainly clearing vegetation. Click here to see more on Facebook
Rohatyn, from Spring to Autumn – Rohatyn Jewish Heritage (RJH) started its annual maintenance of the town’s two Jewish cemeteries (and mass grave memorials) at the end of May. The yearly maintenance usually lasts until autumn. It also installed new signage at the sites of mass graves in July. Click here to see more on Facebook
Ternivka, May – Volunteers from the local branch of the Dzhulynka Center for Leisure and Sports cleaned up this small Jewish cemetery in the Čerkasy oblast. Click here to see more on Facebook
1 comment on “Jewish cemetery clean-ups 2024 — Round-up #2. Nearly 80 actions in 17 countries.”
I thought I had read that the Jewish cemetery of Wloszczowa, Poland would also be cleaned as a first step in reclaiming it. I have contact info for a family we met in the Fall of 2019 that has some of the missing grave stones in their garage to prevent further deterioration. Is there any update on this cemetery?