Jewish Heritage Europe

Poland: New online exhibit on history of Jewish Oswiecim (Auschwitz)

  The  Nazis built the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp outside the town of Oswiecim, a small town on the border between Galicia and Silesia that on the eve of World War II had a majority Jewish population. To mark today’s International … continue reading →

Vilnius: the Challenge of the Old Jewish Cemetery

The long-simmering debate on what to do with the Old Šnipiškės Jewish Cemetery in Vilnius bubbled to the surface again this past month. An online petition in December led to a series of articles against a multi-million dollar state project … continue reading →

New Resource on Jewish Gravestone History & Meaning

  We would like to point out a new online resource on the iconography of Jewish gravestones. It is the “Written in Stone” page of the Rohatyn Jewish Heritage web site. The page summarizes material from a number of online … continue reading →

Have Your Say: The Sermon That Changed (not just) My Life

    For decades, London-based Rabbi Andrew Goldstein has traveled to central Europe helping in the revival of Jewish life. In particular, he has forged close ties between his own congregation and the town of Kolín in the Czech Republic, … continue reading →

Jason Francisco: “Hanukkah in Holocaustland” (crosspost)

  The photographer and writer Jason Francisco, an American who spends periods of each year in Poland and/or western Ukraine, has written a provocative (and evocative) text-and-photo essay about visiting Krakow’s old Jewish quarter, Kazimierz, in the winter and marking … continue reading →