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.
Six month “Heritage Season” of Events (Ceremonial, Concerts, Lectures, Meal, Performances, Talks, Tours, and Walks) to mark the 150th Anniversary of Princes Road Synagogue.
Themes:
September 2024 – People & Place;
October 2024 – Charity & Philanthropy and Rituals;
November 2024 – Civil life; December 2024 – Education & Learning;
January 2025 – Trade & Occupations; February 2025 – Art & Culture
The program is evolving.
Click here to see the program as events are confirmed.
NOTE: Tickets for all events must be reserved in advance.
To apply for tickets, please complete the application for tickets form here.
The “Jewish Värmland” temporary exhibition, a collaboration between the Värmland Museum and the Swedish Jewish Museum in Stockholm, explores Jewish life and history in the Värmland County, in west-central Sweden.
One of the main attractions of the exhibition will be the reconstruction of the synagogue of Karlstad, the county’s capital, a wooden structure built in 1899 and demolished in 1961.
Although there is no longer an active Jewish community in the county, a testament to the local Jewish life and history is the small, well kept Jewish cemetery, which can be visited in 3D by clicking here. The Jewish cemetery was opened in the late 1890s.
The Jewish Museum of Bologna hosts a presentation of the book “The Synagogues of Carpi” by Matteo Cassani Simonetti (BUP, Bologna 2023). The event will feature the author, who is Associate Professor at the University of Bologna, along with Marzia Luppi, Former Director of the Fossoli Camp Foundation, and Vincenza Maugeri, Former Director of the Jewish Museum of Bologna.
Admission is free.
Carpi is a town in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna, located within the province of Modena. Earlier this year, the town’s Old Synagogue was fully restored after being seriously damaged in the 2012 earthquakes. Click here to read more in the JHE article from April 2024.
For Italian speakers — architect and architectural historian Andrea Morpurgo gives a talk about the symbolic, stylistic and ritual evolution of synagogue architecture in Italy — “Dalle Scole al Tempio: un racconto dell’evoluzione simbolica, stilistica e rituale dell’architettura sinagogale în Italia.”
The talk comes within the context of the Più libri più liberi — More Books, More Free” book fair.
An exhibition organized by the Polish Embassy in Israel showcasing the dedication of local activists and students in Poland to preserving Jewish heritage.
Photographs and testimonies explore the actions behind the care of Jewish cemeteries and the stories that keep history alive.
Beit Yad Labanim, HaMahteret 6, עיריית רמת-השרון
Sunday–Thursday, 8 a.m. – 7 p.m.
The two-day program organized by the European Jewish Cemeteries Initiative includes a mix of activities: a series of lectures, a workshop on reading and translating epitaphs on the matzevot, and a tour of the Jewish cemetery.
This seminar is specifically designed for historians, guides, librarians, cultural program organizers, NGOs, and others interested in preserving Jewish heritage.
This ESJF seminar is funded by the Auswärtiges Amt (Federal Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany) and organized in cooperation with the Еврейская Община Молдовы / Jewish Community of Moldova, with support from the Ministerul Culturii al Republicii Moldova (Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Moldova)
For Italian speakers — during December, in addition to regular visits, the Jewish Museum and Synagogue of Florence are organizing a series of thematic guided tours of the city’s Great Synagogue, each focusing on a different aspect of Jewish culture, arts, and history.
More information can be found here, and tickets can be purchased here.
Wednesday, December 11, 11:00 AM
Florence, its Synagogue, and Jewish Culture
A guided tour of the Florence Synagogue and Jewish Museum, exploring the history of the synagogue’s construction and Jewish rituals. The museum’s first and second floors showcase the history of Florentine Jews, from the 16th-century ghetto to the post-World War II period, with a focus on Jewish holidays, life cycles, and key milestones illustrated through museum artifacts.
Sunday, December 15, 11:00 AM
The Besamim Container: The Fragrance of Shabbat
A guided tour on the history and stylistic evolution of the Besamim Container, the spice holder used at the end of Shabbat. During the Havdalah ritual, the fragrance of the spices helps ease the transition from the sacred day of rest to the workweek. The tour will explore various examples in the museum and the Shabbat table set up on the first floor.
Wednesday, December 18, 11:00 AM
Florence, its Synagogue, and Jewish Culture
Another guided tour of the Florence Synagogue and Jewish Museum, similar to the one on the 11th, focusing on the synagogue’s history, Jewish rituals, and the history of Florentine Jews.
Sunday, December 22, 11:00 AM
Florence, its Synagogue, and Jewish Culture
A repeat of the guided tour on the Florence Synagogue and Jewish Culture, offering the same content as previous sessions.
Sunday, December 29, 11:00 AM
Chanukkah and the Miracle of Light
In celebration of Chanukkah, a guided tour exploring this eight-day holiday, commemorating the Jewish victory over Greek domination. The tour will discuss the miracles of oil, the rededication of the Sanctuary, and the victory of a small group of fighters over a large army. Through the museum’s collection of Chanukkiot, participants will learn about the victory of light over darkness, monotheism over polytheism, and faith and hope over physical strength. The tour will also delve into the traditions, customs, and recipes associated with this joyful festival.
For Italian speakers — during December, in addition to regular visits, the Jewish Museum and Synagogue of Florence are organizing a series of thematic guided tours of the city’s Great Synagogue, each focusing on a different aspect of Jewish culture, arts, and history.
More information can be found here, and tickets can be purchased here.
Wednesday, December 11, 11:00 AM
Florence, its Synagogue, and Jewish Culture
A guided tour of the Florence Synagogue and Jewish Museum, exploring the history of the synagogue’s construction and Jewish rituals. The museum’s first and second floors showcase the history of Florentine Jews, from the 16th-century ghetto to the post-World War II period, with a focus on Jewish holidays, life cycles, and key milestones illustrated through museum artifacts.
Sunday, December 15, 11:00 AM
The Besamim Container: The Fragrance of Shabbat
A guided tour on the history and stylistic evolution of the Besamim Container, the spice holder used at the end of Shabbat. During the Havdalah ritual, the fragrance of the spices helps ease the transition from the sacred day of rest to the workweek. The tour will explore various examples in the museum and the Shabbat table set up on the first floor.
Wednesday, December 18, 11:00 AM
Florence, its Synagogue, and Jewish Culture
Another guided tour of the Florence Synagogue and Jewish Museum, similar to the one on the 11th, focusing on the synagogue’s history, Jewish rituals, and the history of Florentine Jews.
Sunday, December 22, 11:00 AM
Florence, its Synagogue, and Jewish Culture
A repeat of the guided tour on the Florence Synagogue and Jewish Culture, offering the same content as previous sessions.
Sunday, December 29, 11:00 AM
Chanukkah and the Miracle of Light
In celebration of Chanukkah, a guided tour exploring this eight-day holiday, commemorating the Jewish victory over Greek domination. The tour will discuss the miracles of oil, the rededication of the Sanctuary, and the victory of a small group of fighters over a large army. Through the museum’s collection of Chanukkiot, participants will learn about the victory of light over darkness, monotheism over polytheism, and faith and hope over physical strength. The tour will also delve into the traditions, customs, and recipes associated with this joyful festival.
For Italian speakers — during December, in addition to regular visits, the Jewish Museum and Synagogue of Florence are organizing a series of thematic guided tours of the city’s Great Synagogue, each focusing on a different aspect of Jewish culture, arts, and history.
More information can be found here, and tickets can be purchased here.
Wednesday, December 11, 11:00 AM
Florence, its Synagogue, and Jewish Culture
A guided tour of the Florence Synagogue and Jewish Museum, exploring the history of the synagogue’s construction and Jewish rituals. The museum’s first and second floors showcase the history of Florentine Jews, from the 16th-century ghetto to the post-World War II period, with a focus on Jewish holidays, life cycles, and key milestones illustrated through museum artifacts.
Sunday, December 15, 11:00 AM
The Besamim Container: The Fragrance of Shabbat
A guided tour on the history and stylistic evolution of the Besamim Container, the spice holder used at the end of Shabbat. During the Havdalah ritual, the fragrance of the spices helps ease the transition from the sacred day of rest to the workweek. The tour will explore various examples in the museum and the Shabbat table set up on the first floor.
Wednesday, December 18, 11:00 AM
Florence, its Synagogue, and Jewish Culture
Another guided tour of the Florence Synagogue and Jewish Museum, similar to the one on the 11th, focusing on the synagogue’s history, Jewish rituals, and the history of Florentine Jews.
Sunday, December 22, 11:00 AM
Florence, its Synagogue, and Jewish Culture
A repeat of the guided tour on the Florence Synagogue and Jewish Culture, offering the same content as previous sessions.
Sunday, December 29, 11:00 AM
Chanukkah and the Miracle of Light
In celebration of Chanukkah, a guided tour exploring this eight-day holiday, commemorating the Jewish victory over Greek domination. The tour will discuss the miracles of oil, the rededication of the Sanctuary, and the victory of a small group of fighters over a large army. Through the museum’s collection of Chanukkiot, participants will learn about the victory of light over darkness, monotheism over polytheism, and faith and hope over physical strength. The tour will also delve into the traditions, customs, and recipes associated with this joyful festival.
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