Jewish Heritage Europe

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 →

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 →

Poland: conference to tackle issues related to the preservation, protection, and documentation of Jewish cemeteries in Poland

A conference in Poland next week will tackle a range of issues relating to Jewish cemetery preservation, documentation, and legal status. The two-day meeting, organized by the Gliwice Museum, will be held at the Memorial House of Upper Silesian Jews, … continue reading →

Slovenia: complex of Ljubljana’s synagogue, Jewish museum & culture center closes indefinitely due to dangerous condition of building

The Jewish museum, cultural center, and synagogue in Ljubljana is being forced to close indefinitely because of the perilous state of the building hosting the complex. An announcement on the center’s Facebook page just before Rosh HaShana by the Center’s … continue reading →