The Rothschild Foundation Hanadiv Europe is marking 25 years since is was created by the late Lord Jacob Rothschild with a video series of conversations about Jewish Heritage, Culture and Communal Life in Europe, focusing on topics related to areas of work supported by the Foundation.
Called Challenging Conversations, the four videos, to be aired one by one over the coming weeks, are presented by different Foundation staff members, who are joined by notable figures in the field — archive and museum directors, community leaders, and academics.
The first episode – Endangered Jewish Community Archives – premiered today (March 24).
It is hosted by Dr. Gabor Kadar, Director of Yerusha and the Endangered Jewish Community Archives Project.
He’s joined by Dr. Zsuzsanna Toronyi, Director, The Hungarian Jewish Museum and Archives and Dr. David Fishman, Professor of Jewish History, Jewish Theological Seminary (New York).
In their conversation, Gabor takes a closer look at archives that document Jewish life and history which are at risk of being neglected, lost or destroyed. He asks his guests to consider the various threats to these archives and the ability of archivists to work in the most challenging of circumstances.
Click below to view it.
Gabor says about the interview: “I’ve been working with endangered Jewish archival collections for more than 15 years, with one of my first projects surveying small Jewish communities’ records in the Hungarian countryside under the leadership of Dr Zsuzsanna Toronyi.
Later, I had the privilege of expanding my research through the Foundation’s Yerusha project, where I worked closely with Dr David Fishman. I learned a great deal from both of them about at-risk collections, heritage protection, and the role of Jewish archives in shaping our understanding of the past. When planning this conversation, it felt natural to invite them to discuss the issue of endangered Jewish archives in Europe.
Click here for further information
Future episodes will be:
Jewish Communal Life (available 15 April 2026)
Daniela Greiber, Jewish Communal Life Grant Manager at Rothschild Foundation Hanadiv Europe asks about what established
Academic Jewish Studies (available 28 April 2026)
Dr Ruchama Johnston-Bloom, Academic Jewish Studies Grant Manager at Rothschild Foundation Hanadiv Europe hears about the state of Jewish studies in Europe today.
Jewish Museums (available 12 May 2026)
Dr. Brigitte Sion, curator of the Judaica Index and Museum Grant Manager at Rothschild Foundation Hanadiv Europe reflects on the future of Jewish museums.