Jewish Heritage Europe

Italy: devastating acqua alta in Venice floods historic Venice Ghetto; toppled trees damage centuries-old Venice Jewish cemeteries

The disastrous flooding that swept most of Venice Tuesday night due to an exceptional “acqua alta” — high tide — toppled trees and caused some damage at the Jewish cemeteries on the Lido island. It left the main square of … continue reading →

Russia: New downloadable tourist guide to Jewish Kaliningrad (Königsberg) — a walking tour

If you get to Kaliningrad, Russia — formerly Königsberg, East Prussia — you can now follow a Jewish heritage itinerary in the city. Just a year ago, exactly 80 years after the grandiose New Synagogue was destroyed on Kristallnacht, a … continue reading →

Italy: the death of Edda Servi Machlin prompts focus on Jewish Pitigliano

The death last month of Edda Servi Machlin, known for her Italian Jewish cookbooks, has prompted a focus on the Jewish heritage in her hometown, the beautiful hill town of Pitigliano, dramatically perched on a neck of rust-colored tufa rock … continue reading →

Have Your Say: JHE Director Ruth Ellen Gruber reflects on the European Day of Jewish Culture, 20 Years On

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the European Day of Jewish Culture, a pan-European festival of tourism and education centered on Jewish built heritage. Taking place in more than two dozen countries across the continent, the EDJC has become … continue reading →

Lithuania: Searching for a drowned shtetl (using sonar and GPR technology)

  Archaeologists are moving forward this summer with a longterm project using sonar and ground-penetrating radar (GPR) to discover and document a one-time Jewish shtetl in Lithuania that today lies at the bottom of a man-made lake. The team is … continue reading →