Jewish Heritage Europe

Poland: Remnants of a pre-WW2 Mikvah have been discovered in Oświęcim, the town in southern Poland where the Nazis built the Auschwitz death camp

Remnants of a pre-WW2 mikvah believed to date back to the 18th century have been found during the construction of a parking lot in Oświęcim, the town in southern Poland where the Nazis built the Auschwitz death camp. The discovery … continue reading →

Poland: New video about a Mezuzah Trail in Krakow that focuses attention on the still visible traces where mezuzahs were affixed before WW2

A tour guide in Krakow who specializes in Jewish history and culture has been tracing the sites on doorposts in the city where mezuzahs were once affixed and has developed a “mezuzah trail” of about 50 of these places to … continue reading →

Poland: An artist who escaped to Poland from Ukraine created a spectacular mirror mandala mural on the wall of the Jewish cemetery in Kalisz

(JHE) — A Belarus-born artist who escaped to Poland from Ukraine has created a spectacular mural made from thousands of fragments of mirrors  that extends across the outside of the wall of the Jewish cemetery in Kalisz.  Titled “Source,” the … continue reading →

Romania: The full documentation of the two oldest of the three Jewish cemeteries in Siret is now available online, with photo galleries highlighting the magnificent carved decoration

On a gravestone in Siret, Romania, a Crown flanked by griffins, above a lion

The three adjacent Jewish cemeteries in Siret, in the far north of Romania on the border with Ukraine, form an extremely significant complex of Jewish burial grounds dating back centuries. The elaborately decorated matzevot from the Old Jewish Cemetery (in … continue reading →

Call for Papers: Jewish or Common Heritage? (Dis-)appropriation of Synagogue Architecture in East- Central Europe since 1945

We are pleased to share this CfP for an important conference on Jewish built heritage. Jewish or Common Heritage? (Dis-)appropriation of Synagogue Architecture in East-Central Europe since 1945 Date: 12-14 September 2023 Organizers: Kamila Lenartowicz, Zuzanna Światowy (Bet Tfila – … continue reading →