Jewish Heritage Europe

Germany: UNESCO adds the ShUM cities — Worms, Speyer and Mainz — to its World Heritage list. All near each other on the Rhine river, they combined to form a major Jewish center in the middle ages.

Ancient gravestones in the Worms Jewish cemetery.

(JHE) — UNESCO, the UN’s cultural body, has added the Jewish heritage of the so-called “ShUM cities” —  Speyer, Mainz, and Worms — to its list of World Heritage sites. The three cities, all near each other on the Rhine … continue reading →

UK: New Scottish Jewish Heritage Center Opens at Glasgow’s historic Garnethill synagogue complex

Mazel tov! The new Scottish Jewish Heritage Center (JHC) has opened at Glasgow’s historic Garnethill synagogue. It officially opened its doors on July 27 — and at the same time launched a dedicated web site. The Centre is a partnership project between … continue reading →

Germany: The former New Synagogue in Görlitz reopens as Culture center after €12.6 million restoration process over the past three decades

(JHE) — After a gradual, €12.6 million renovation process carried out over the three decades since the fall of communism, the former New Synagogue in Görlitz, in eastern Germany on the border with Poland, has reopened as a cultural center, … continue reading →

Poland: Violent storm damages Krakow’s New Jewish Cemetery, with downed trees and branches damaging headstones

The New Jewish Cemetery in Krakow appears to have suffered considerable damage from a violent rain, wind, and hail storm that swept the city on Friday, July 9. Similar storms were forecast for Sunday and early Monday (July 11-12). The … continue reading →