Jewish Heritage Europe

Poland: Now owned by the city, the former synagogue in Konin will be returned to dignified use as a cultural space

(JHE) — With overwhelming support from local citizens, authorities in the city of Konin are seeking funding to restore the town’s former synagogue and return it to dignified use as a cultural space. The city acquired the nearly 200-year-old building … continue reading →

Austria: Former Synagogue in St. Pölten to undergo €4 million restoration and redevelopment as a Jewish cultural center

St. Pölten former synagogue, now a cultural space and part of a research center

(JHE) — The magnificent domed former synagogue in St. Pölten, west of Vienna, will undergo a €4 million restoration and redevelopment as a Jewish cultural center with financing from the  Niederösterreich (Lower Austria) region and the St. Pölten municipality. According … continue reading →

Mourning the death, at 97, of Rivka Dorfman, who with her husband, Ben-Zion, carried out extensive documentation of synagogues in Europe

(JHE) — We mourn the death of Rivka Dorfman, who with her husband Ben-Zion spent years documenting the synagogues of Europe. She passed away in Jerusalem, aged 97. Starting in 1987, the Dorfmans, American-born Israeli educators, roamed central and parts … continue reading →

Romania: Tiny but active Jewish community in Caransebeș plans a modern Jewish museum on the grounds of its synagogue to form a Jewish cultural, religious, and educational hub

(JHE) — The small but active Jewish community in Caransebeș, in western Romania, has embarked on an ambitious project to build a modern Jewish museum in the yard behind the elegant, 19th century neo-Gothic synagogue. Once complete, the museum and … continue reading →

Poland: Fate of former synagogue in the Fordon district of Bydgoszcz is uncertain after it fails to sell at 2 auctions

(JHE) — The fate of the early 19th century synagogue building in the Fordon district of Bydgoszcz, in northern Poland, remains uncertain after it failed to be sold at two auctions in recent months. A third auction is planned, maybe … continue reading →