There were more than a thousand shtetls in today’s territories of Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania and Belarus. The Second World War and the Holocaust obliterated the world of shtetls completely. Today, in Opatów—as well as in tens of other Polish towns—there are no more Jews left.
The OPOLIN Museum’s new temporary exhibition titled (post) JEWISH… demonstrates that Polish towns hide two parallel histories. The history of their Polish inhabitants is well known and remembered. The one of their Jewish neighbours who are no more is forgotten or left unsaid.
Guide in the exhibition will be the late Mayer Kirshenblatt, a painter who emigrated to Canada with his mother and brothers as a teenager, in 1934. Mayer recalls the shtetl of his youth, restoring vivid memories of the people, events, daily life and customs. His paintings—full of color, imagination and humor—show us a world that is no more. Looking at them, we learn about our shared Polish-Jewish history.
The exhibition also features a documentation of artistic interventions carried out in today’s Opatów, aimed at discovering and restoring the vestiges of the pre-war Jewish life.
The Tayar Foundation for Jewish Heritage in Malta is hosting An Evening of Jewish History in Malta on October 22, 2024, at the Aula Prima Hall, University of Malta, Valletta Campus. The event is moderated by Mr. John Mallia, Broadcaster and TV Producer, and features two talks, one by Prof. William Zammit on his book “Slavery, Treason and Blood,” which details the 1749 plot by Muslim slaves to assassinate Grandmaster Manuel Pinto de Fonseca, foiled by the Jewish proselyte Joseph Cohen.
The second one, by Prof. Conrad Thake, will explore the history of Malta’s three Jewish cemeteries: the Kalkara cemetery for Jewish slaves, Ta’ Braxia Cemetery, and the modern Marsa cemetery. He will discuss the cemeteries’ origins, burial practices, and their artistic and architectural significance. The event starts at 6 PM, followed by a light reception. Attendance is by invitation only, which can be requested by filling out the form available here.
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