Jewish Heritage Europe

Spain: Remains of the medieval synagogue discovered during restoration of the main altarpiece in the Santa Maria la Blanca church in Seville

The mail altarpiece, Santa Maria la Blanca church, Seville. Photo via wikipedia by CarlosVdeHabsburgo, CC BY-SA 4.0 Deed

Experts carrying out restoration work on the apse and elaborate main altarpiece of the Santa Maria la Blanca church in Seville have identified the site, long concealed by the altar, where the Ark had stood when the church functioned as … continue reading →

Lithuania: After a 2-year break, archaeologists return to the excavations of the Vilna Great Synagogue this summer, and welcome volunteers

Montage of photos from the Vilna Synagogue excavations, from the 2024 season announcement

After a two-year break, a team of  international archaeologists is returning this summer to continue excavations at the site of the Vilna Great Synagogue and Shulhoyf in Vilnius — and they are welcoming volunteers. The excavations will take place July … continue reading →

Germany: Archaeologists begin excavating the site of the destroyed synagogue in Fulda, as part of plans to create a permanent memorial

Archaeological work begins at the site of the Fulda synagogue. Photo © City of Fulda

Archaeologists are exploring the site of the synagogue in Fulda, in central Germany, which was torched  on Kristallnacht, November 1938, and razed a few months later.  The work is taking place within the context of plans to redesign and upgrade … continue reading →

New “Have Your Say” personal essay: Researching the History of Swedish Synagogues — in Italy. By Swedish scholar Daniel Leviathan

After a long hiatus, we have posted a new Have Your Say personal essay, Researching the History of Swedish Synagogues — in Italy, by the Swedish scholar Daniel Leviathan. Leviathan, an archaeologist, studied at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, specializing … continue reading →

Russia: Archaeologists unearth what they say is a 2000-year old synagogue at ancient Greek city of Phanagoria, on Black Sea coast

Archaeologists excavating at the site of the ancient Greek city of Phanagoria, on Russia’s northern Black Sea coast, have discovered what they believe are the remains of an synagogue from the late Second Temple period that functioned from the first … continue reading →