Every year on Jewish Heritage Europe, we post round-ups of initiatives and projects aimed at restoring and cleaning up Jewish cemeteries all over Europe. We feel it so important to highlight these initiatives, which are often overlooked or ignored.
In January, we published our first round-up of the year, covering actions carried out from autumn 2025 through winter 2025/26. Here, we present our second round-up, highlighting actions that have already taken place in 2026 or are planned for the months ahead.
Most of these actions are carried out by volunteers, and some take place within the framework of longstanding international volunteer programs, such as those organized by Germany’s Action Reconciliation Service for Peace (ASF). Others are organized by Jewish communities, local governments, civic organizations, or NGOs, including ESJF – European Jewish Cemeteries Initiative. As posted in April by JHE, the Matzevah Foundation, a U.S.-based Christian NGO that has worked to clean and restore Jewish cemeteries in Poland since its founding in 2010, is winding down its activities and has ceased direct field work.
In this second round-up of 2026, we list more than 70 actions from 16 countries.
The list includes initiatives that have taken place, and those we know are planned. Planned and underway actions are marked in orange. For each initiative, we provide a link or links to further information on local media, Facebook, or an organization’s website.
We learn about new initiatives all the time, and we know we have missed some on this list — if you don’t see your project on this list, let us know — and add it in the comments!
AUSTRIA
Vienna, Währing Jewish Cemetery, March 8, April 12, May 10, June 14, July 12, August 9, September 6, October 11 – Regular clean-ups organized by the Association “Save The Jewish Cemetery of Währing” take place once a month, from March to October. The organizers provide gloves, shears, 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
BELARUS
Yanavichy, April – Students from Yanavichy High School carried out a post-winter clean-up of the Jewish cemetery. Earlier the cemetery had been restored and documented by the Vitebsk City Jewish Community and the Jewish Cultural Center “Mishpokha,” which also erected a Holocaust memorial. Click here to see more on Facebook
CZECH REPUBLIC
Kladno, April – Volunteers carried out cleanup work at the local Jewish cemetery, removing overgrown vegetation from graves and inviting others to join future restoration efforts. Click here to see more on Facebook
Luže, April – Volunteers removed dense ivy growth at the Jewish cemetery, uncovering long-hidden gravestones. Click here to see more on Facebook
Mikulov, September 1-9 – This ASF summer camp invites volunteers, especially those aged 40 and over, to help preserve one of the oldest Jewish cemeteries in the country, promoting intergenerational collaboration. Click here to find out more
Strakonice, April – Spring maintenance of the Jewish cemetery in Strakonice included removal of overgrown ivy. Long-term care is being coordinated thanks to new collaboration between Matana and local workers. Click here to read more on Facebook
Turnov, March – A successful clean-up of the Jewish cemetery took place thanks to new cooperation between Matana and the Turnov Information Centre. Volunteers removed waste and overgrown vegetation and improved the site, highlighting a commitment by local residents to its long-term care. Click here to read more on Facebook
FRANCE
Dehlingen, April – At the historic Jewish cemetery, 13 volunteers took part in a clean-up operation, with more workdays planned. Click here to see more on Facebook
Marmoutier, March – Volunteers from the Association de Sauvegarde et de Valorisation du Patrimoine 1799 (ASVP 1799), an association set up several years ago by the town and the Jewish Consistoire to care for and promote local Jewish heritage sites, cleaned-up the local Jewish cemetery. Click here to see more on Facebook
GERMANY
Glückstadt, foreseen – Students in Glückstadt will help preserve the town’s 400-year-old Jewish cemetery through a new partnership between a local school, the Schleswig-Holstein Jewish community, and the municipality, aimed at connecting younger generations with the history of Jewish life beyond the Holocaust era. Click here to read more on local media
Schmalkalden, May – Residents joined a spring clean-up at the old Jewish cemetery, restoring the area around an old oak tree as part of a local heritage preservation effort. Click here to read more on local media
Wuppertal, April 19 – Members of the Rotary Club Wuppertal South organized a volunteer spring clean-up of the Jewish cemetery on Hugostraße. Click here to see more on local media
HUNGARY
Apc, Hajdúsámson, Isaszeg, Mezőnagymihály, Mezőtúr, Pécel, Sajószentpéter, Szabadszállás, Szarvas; Spring – These Jewish cemeteries were recently cleared of overgrowth by MAZSIHISZ and its local partners. Click HERE and HERE to find more –
Budapest, Kozma Street Jewish Cemetery, ongoing – In March, the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and MAZSIHISZ launched a joint initiative in Budapest to restore the graves of 22 prominent scientists at the Kozma Street Jewish Cemetery by the end of 2026, combining heritage preservation with commemorative activities. Click here to read more on the Mazsihisz web site
Budapest, Óbuda Jewish Cemetery, April – More than 200 students and teachers from the Budapest Jewish Community’s Foreign Trade Technical College took part in restoring a section of the Óbuda Jewish Cemetery as a hands-on Holocaust remembrance initiative around the time of the country’s Holocaust Remembrance Day. Click here to read more on the MAZSIHISZ website
Hercegszántó, March – In March, municipal employees cleaned the gravestones in the Jewish cemetery, which had been restored last year. Click here to read more on the MAZSIHISZ website https://mazsihisz.hu/nagyon-szep-lett-a-megtisztitott-hercegszantoi-zsido-temeto/
Szeged, May – A large group of students and other volunteers held a major cleanup in the six-hectare Jewish cemetery in Szeged, supporting ongoing restoration efforts at one of Hungary’s most significant Jewish heritage sites. Click here to read more on local media https://www.delmagyar.hu/helyi-kozelet/2026/05/zsido-temeto-takaritas
Veszprémvarsány, May – Members of the Bakony Kapuja Tisza Island volunteer group worked to clean and restore the neglected Jewish cemetery in Veszprémvarsány, uncovering historic gravestones and preserving an important piece of the village’s heritage. Click here to see more on Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/talpramagyarokkozossege/posts/4470284893236605/
LATVIA
Višķi, July 28-August 6 – This action is being organized for the fourth time by ASF, the association “Drei Stufen e.V.” (Osnabrück), and local activists. Restoration, gardening and cleaning work at the Jewish cemetery will be carried out under the guidance of specialized staff. An eventual goal is the establishment there of a future open-air ensemble museum. Click here to see more
LITHUANIA
Kelmė, August 2-10 – This ASF international summer camp in Kelmė engages volunteers in preserving and documenting Jewish heritage—especially the cemetery—while exploring the town’s pre-Holocaust history and culture. Click here to see more on their website
Linkuva, May 22-27 – Volunteers, including local students and seniors, documented and cleaned 325 gravestones at the Jewish cemetery in Linkuva as part of an international effort to preserve the memory and heritage of the town’s once-thriving Jewish community. The initiative took place under the auspices of the NGO Maceva – the Litvak Cemetery Catalogue and was financially supported by the descendants of Linkuva Jews. Click here to see more on Facebook Click HERE to see Maceva’s latest newsletter
THE NETHERLANDS
The Penitence & Reconciliation Foundation has announced the dates for its main 2026 camp to clean up a Jewish cemetery, which will be in Muiderberg, as well as other actions by its volunteers nationwide. Click here to see details on their website
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An overgrown part of the Muiderberg Jewish cemetery near Amsterdam Muiderberg, July 20–24 – Volunteers from the Foundation will be working at the Muiderberg cemetery for the second year in a row.
- Haarlem, April 13 and thereafter regularly one day a month
- Overveen, May 6
- Nijkerkerveen, Thursdays and Fridays from April 16 until the end of June
- Utrecht, April 13, May 11, June 8, June 22, July 6, July 20, August 3, August 17, August 31, September 14, September 28, October 12, October 26
- Groningen, June 1 and two more days that week
- Arnhem, every Monday
- Appingedam, with dates not yet known
Hengelo, April 12 – The kickoff of the cleaning up season at the local Jewish cemetery by the Friends of the “Hengelo Jewish Cemetery Association” was carried out. Click here to see more on Facebook
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
Czechowice-Dziedzice, April – Volunteers carried out the annual spring clean-up of the Jewish cemetery, combining intensive restoration work with remembrance and prayer. Click here to see more on Facebook
Czestochowa, May 27-June 2 – Alon Goldman, Vice-President of the World Society of Częstochowa Jews& Their Descendants and Chairman of the Association of Częstochowa Jews is Israel, organized and led a five-day intensive clean-up of the Częstochowa Jewish cemetery. Taking part in what is almost an annual event were volunteers and activists from a number of organizations, both adults and young people, including around 200 local high school students. The city administration also sent a work crew to help. See detailed information and pictures on the web site of Czestochowa Jews
Watch a video local TV report (auto-dubbed in English) about the cemetery and clean-up work:
Gliwice, Old Jewish Cemetery, ongoing – Local volunteers clean up the old Jewish cemetery all year round, creating partnership with local institutions, such as schools. Some 35 clean-ups were carried out in 2025. The latest clean-up of this season took place on May 31. Click here to see more on their Facebook page
Głubczyce, March – Local activists and students carried out a major clean-up of the Jewish cemetery. Click here to watch a video on YouTube
Łódź, May 31 – Volunteers from local schools, families, and community groups spent two hours clearing one of the oldest and most overgrown sections of the Jewish cemetery in Łódź. Click here to see more on Facebook
Mysłowice, March 16 – Students from local schools cleaned the Jewish cemetery in an initiative combining heritage preservation with education on Jewish history and respect for the past. Click here to read more on local media
Nowy Żmigród, May – The Society of Friends of Nowy Żmigród carried out cleaning works at the Jewish cemetery, continuing more than a decade of preservation efforts at the site, where hundreds of matzevot, some from the 18th century, survive. Click here to read more
Prudnik, April – A volunteer clean-up led by the activist Sławek Pastuszka and the Museum of Prudnik Land, with assistance from Municipal Services, uncovered previously undocumented gravestones, and transformed the long-overgrown site through more than eight hours of work. Click here to read more on Facebook
Rzeszów, May 11-13 – The City of Rzeszów, together with descendants of local Jews, organized a volunteer clean-up of the Jewish cemetery, inviting residents and students to help preserve the site. Click here to see more on Facebook
Sieradz, April 12– Volunteers—including local residents and scouts—cleaned the Jewish cemetery, marking the first large-scale initiative to restore and commemorate the neglected site organized by the Guardians of Memory NGO, with support from the city. A dozen volunteers, including an American descendant, continued the clean-up work on May 10. Click here to see more on local media And on Facebook
Świebodzin, April – As part of the nationwide “Żonkile” (Daffodils) campaign commemorating the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, students in Świebodzin cleaned and restored the Jewish cemetery while reflecting on the town’s multicultural heritage and the memory of its Jewish community. Click here to see more
Tomaszów Mazowiecki, ongoing – The first clean-up session of the year took place on April 15, organized by the Guardians of Memory NGO and led by Paweł Kulig. It brought together volunteers of different ages and backgrounds, including high school students and teachers. A second clean-up session is scheduled for June 15–18. Click HERE and HERE to see more on Facebook
Wrocław, New Jewish Cemetery, June 7-18 – The ASF invited primarily people aged 40 and over to clean up the cemetery. The focus this year is on the old, largest part of the cemetery, which served as a final resting place until the end of World War II. This place was neglected for a long time and suffered considerable damage. The northern half is heavily overgrown and there are numerous graves in need of care. Click here to find out more
Żychlin, May 25-29 – Volunteers and members of the Association of Descendants of Jews from Central Poland (ADJCP) gathered to help clean and preserve the Jewish cemetery, inviting locals and students to join. On May 28, a group of detainees from the Garbalin Penitentiary participated in the cleaning. Click here to see details, photos, reflections and other material
PORTUGAL
Porto, May 27 – Volunteers from the Jewish Community of Porto held a clean-up session at the Isaac Aboab Cemetery, one of Portugal’s most significant Jewish heritage sites. Click here to read more
ROMANIA
Volunteers from the Jewish community of Zalău, led by community president Dan Has, have been cleaning up and restoring various Jewish cemeteries in the province, including:
Băbeni, February – Click here to see more on Facebook
Chichișa, April – Click here to find more on Facebook
Hida, two Jewish Cemeteries, May – Click here to find more on Facebook
Ip-Sălaj, Spring/Summer – Click here to see more on Facebook
Lozna, March –Click here to find out more on Facebook
Sâg, April/May – Click here to find more on Facebook
Zalău – Click here to see more on Facebook
Giurtelecu Șimleului, March – Working with the Jewish community of Zalău, the ESJF cleaned up the Jewish Cemetery before fencing its area. Jewish community president Dan Has is the ESJF’s local coordinator. Click here to see more on Facebook
Malin, April-May – Volunteers from the Celtic Transylvania Association cleaned up the neglected Jewish cemetery in Malin with financial support from noted French epidemiologist Philippe Lazăr, whose family originated there. Lazar died on May 1, aged 90. Click here to see more on local media See more details and photos on Facebook
SERBIA
Bač, Stanišić, Vrbas, February – The ESJF – European Jewish Cemeteries Initiative cleaned up the Jewish cemeteries in these towns. Click here to see more on Facebook
Titel, March – The ESJF – European Jewish Cemeteries Initiative cleaned-up the Jewish Cemetery before fencing its area. Click here to see more HERE and HERE on the ESJF web site https://www.esjf-cemeteries.org/the-fencing-of-the-second-jewish-cemetery-in-serbia-this-year-has-been-completed/ and on Facebook
SLOVAKIA
Levoča, ongoing – Volunteers led by the recently formed NGO Mekomot Slovakia held several clean-up sessions from March through May, in the first phase of its planned five-phase restoration of the Jewish cemetery, clearing invasive growth and garden waste and uncovering matzevot. See details of the project on the Mekomot Slovakia web site Click HERE to follow the progress and see posts on its Facebook page Click here to see our JHE post about Mekomet Slovakia
Michal nad Žitavou, March 22 – A clean up action took place at the Jewish cemetery, carried out by the FONTIS civic association. Click here to see more on Facebook
SWITZERLAND
Lausanne, spring – Jewish teenagers cleaned and restored 16 graves in a Jewish cemetery in Lausanne. See the JNS article
UKRAINE
Čerkasy, April – Volunteers from the local JeWay club carried out a clean-up of the Jewish cemetery as part of Good Deeds Day, an international volunteer initiative celebrated in Ukraine by a variety of projects, and J-Serve, the international Jewish day of service and volunteering. Volunteers repaired and documented stones. Click here to see more on Facebook
Lviv, April 19 – As part of Good Deeds Day, an international volunteer initiative celebrated in Ukraine through a variety of projects, volunteers from the Lviv Volunteer Center cleaned and restored parts of the Jewish cemetery. Click here to see more on Facebook
Rohatyn, from Spring to Autumn – The first clean-up of the season by the Rohatyn Jewish Heritage NGO took place in mid-May. Click here to see their FB page
Sumy, April 19 – On Good Deeds Day, volunteers in Sumy cleaned the Jewish cemetery. Click here to see more