Jewish Heritage Europe

CZ: Cobblestones cut from mazevot used as paving in Prague are being returned to Jewish community

The city of Prague is returning to the Prague Jewish community cobblestones cut from Jewish gravestones that the communist regime had used to pave a prominent downtown pedestrian promenade. As we reported in January, the cobbles were used to construct … continue reading →

Netherlands: Culture ministry allocates €2.5 million to preserve Jewish cemeteries

The Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture, and Science has allocated €2.5 million for the maintenance and restoration of Jewish cemeteries in The Netherlands. Minister Ingrid van Engelshoven announced the grant in a letter to Parliament November 5. The NIK Jewish … continue reading →

Ukraine: Fire Guts former Great Synagogue in Illintsi. Had long been used as a carpentry workshop (UPDATE: Much of structure appears to have survived)

The former Great Synagogue in Illintsi, in southwest Ukraine, was gutted by fire this past week, according to local media and video. UPDATE: a picture posted on Facebook after the fire was extinguished showed the at least parts of the … continue reading →

Poland: restored Jewish cemetery and Holocaust memorial dedicated in Grybów — the second commemoration project spearhead by Polish Olympic athlete Dariusz Popiela

A second project spearheaded by the Polish Olympic athlete Dariusz Popiela has seen the restoration of a Jewish cemetery and placement of a memorial to its destroyed Jewish community. The memorial at the restored Jewish cemetery in Grybów, in southern … continue reading →

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 →