Jewish Heritage Europe

France: Death of Gilbert Weil, longtime activist and founder of the Jewish Alsatian Museum

We are saddened to learn of the death of Gilbert Weil, an architect and urbanist who was long a tireless activist for Jewish heritage in Alsace and the founder of the Jewish Alsatian Museum in Bouxwiller. He passed away March … continue reading →

Happy Purim! Drink is part of the festivities… We revisit previous Purim posts that take a look at Jews in the wine and liquor trade — in relation to built heritage, too

The festive holiday Purim begins tonight. It’s a time of celebration, crazy costumes, and… drink. Wine — kosher wine — forms part of many Jewish ceremonies and rituals, including Shabbat and holiday dinners, the Passover Seder, and Havdalah ceremonies…. To … continue reading →

France: Great opportunity for French speakers — a free webinar series this month on Jewish culture, history, and heritage in Alsace

A great opportunity  French speakers: The association “Routes du Judaïsme Rhénan” (Routes of Judaism in the Rhineland) and Alsace Destination Tourisme, with the support of the French Ministry of Culture, have organised a free online training program: Le patrimoine juif d’Alsace, to … continue reading →

New Have Your Say by Piotr Puchta — On the permanent preservation of synagogues in Poland: the need for synergies and strategic thinking.

Synagogue in Łęczna, Poland, August 2018

After a lengthy hiatus, we have a new Have Your Say personal essay — this one from Piotr Puchta the CEO of the Foundation for the Preservation of Jewish Heritage in Poland (FODZ). It’s titled On the permanent preservation of synagogues … continue reading →

Turkey: Amid the overwhelming devastation of the earthquakes in Turkey, three synagogues appear to have survived

The devastating series of earthquakes in Turkey and Syria earlier this month reduced cities to rubble, obliterated centuries-old cultural heritage, and left more than 50,000 dead and as many as 1.5 million or more homeless. The toll — both in … continue reading →