A Museum of Jewish Culture is being developed in Bardejov, in eastern Slovakia. It will be located in the recently restored beit midrash — one of the components of the historic Jewish quarter — the Jewish Suburbium, which together with Bardejov’s medieval town center form a conservation area on UNESCO’s roster of world heritage sites.
The museum is part of a general project, by the Bardejov Jewish Preservation Committee, called the Bardejov Jewish Heritage Center, and the Fund has launched an outreach campaign to residents and descendants for objects to include in the exhibition — items such as books, photographs, religious items, documents, and other memorabilia.
The Preservation Committee was founded in the mid 2000s by Emil Fish, a survivor who left his native Bardejov in 1949.
“We are looking for people who would be willing to donate or lend these items for a future museum. Each item will be dignified by the name of the donor or original owner – as a sign of respect and gratitude,” the Fund said in a Facebook post.
If you have any material to donate or present on loan, contact: Lyuboslava Mačejová at [email protected]
The Jewish Suburbium complex includes the early 19th century Great Synagogue, long used as a plumbing supply warehouse and reopened in in 2017 after a years-long restoration process, as well as a mikvah and the Beit Midrash. The restoration of the Great Synagogue preserved evidence of the devastation it went through during and after WW2.
The restoration of the beit midrash was carried out between 2022 and 2024, with financing from the Slovak Culture Ministry and the Bardejov Jewish Preservation Committee. It already hosts cultural and educational events.
The large mikvah, which dates from the late 19th century, included sections for men and women. Long used as a warehouse, it preserves original fittings including the historic steam boiler. It still awaits restoration.
There is also a large Holocaust memorial, with a memorial sculptural, a plaza, and a series of tall, black marble panels that list the names of thousands of local victims.
The small, fully intact Chevra Bikur Cholim synagogue, founded in 1929, is preserved in the town center. Its building includes the apartment where the rabbi lived. The synagogue was preserved thanks to Meyer (Maximilian) Spira, the last Jew to live in Bardejov, who cared for it and prayed there every day until his death in 2005.
Bardejov also has a large Jewish cemetery.
Click here for the Bardejov Jewish Heritage Center web site
