Jewish Heritage Europe

Italy: Day-long events mark the 200th anniversary of the synagogue in Sabbioneta, an “ideal city” that is on UNESCO’s world heritage roster

A day-long series of events this past Sunday (November 10) celebrated the 200th birthday of the elegant synagogue in Sabbioneta, near Mantova in northern Italy — a town built in the 16th century by Duke Vespasiano Gonzaga and laid out … continue reading →

Jewish Cemetery Clean-up Initiatives 2024 — Round-up #3. Dozens of actions in more than a dozen countries

Ongoing restoration work at the Okopowa jewish cemetery Warsaw

At the beginning of May and at the beginning of August  we published our first and second round-ups for 2024, showcasing some of the many Jewish cemetery clean-up initiatives taking place this spring and summer in various European countries.  Here’s a … continue reading →

UK: A civic group is working to restore the memory of a 1,000-year-old Jewish cemetery under London’s Barbican estate that has lain all but forgotten since the 13th century

A civic group is working to restore the memory of a 1,000-year-old Jewish cemetery in London that has lain all but forgotten since the 13th century and is now buried under the sprawling Barbican residential estate and arts centre. Activities … continue reading →

Slovakia update: Hopes of renewed momentum as a building permit for the reconstruction of the synagogue in Bytča is granted

Facade of the synagogue in Bytca, 2022

The slow process of restoring the synagogue building in Bytča, Slovakia and creating there a multifunctional arts and cultural center has gotten a boost with the recent granting of a building permit by the city and involvement of a key … continue reading →

Poland: In Oświęcim, the Bunker of Memory commemorative project in the Jewish cemetery is completed — watch the video

Detail of the Bunker of Memory showing informational signage Photo: Oshpitzin Museum

The Oshpitzin Jewish Museum in Oświęcim, the town in southern Poland where the Nazis built the Auschwitz death camp, has completed another element in its complex of memorial sites in the city — transforming a Nazi bunker in the Jewish … continue reading →