Jewish Heritage Europe

Pipe Organs in Synagogues — Pride and Polemics. (See pix and access an article and music)

Ark in the Fabric synagogue, Timisoara, showing the organ behind and above it. Photo © Anna Szentgyörgyi

Having an organ in a synagogue is a fairly recent innovation, related to the emancipation of the Jews and spread of reform Judaism in the 19th century.  The introduction of a pipe organ into a synagogue sometimes sparked heated polemics. … continue reading →

France: The Synagogue in Schirmeck, under restoration, receives a heritage award

(JHE) — Mazel tov to the synagogue of Schirmeck, in the Bas-Rhin department of Alsace, which is one of the 10 recipients of the “Committed to Heritage” award, presented by the Ministry of Territorial Cohesion and Relations with Local Authorities, … continue reading →

Call for proposals: 42st Annual IAJGS International Conference on Jewish Genealogy. August 21-25 2022, Philadelphia

  The IAJGS has issued a Call for Proposals for the 42st Annual IAJGS International Conference on Jewish Genealogy, to be held in Philadelphia, PA, August 21-25, 2022. The deadline for submissions is November 21. Reflecting on the location of the … continue reading →

Poland: New online project by FODZ provides digital access to selected Jewish heritage sites in Poland

(JHE) — The Foundation for the Preservation of Jewish Heritage in Poland (FODZ) has launched a new web site and project aimed at fostering public awareness of synagogues, cemeteries and other Jewish built heritage via digital models and detailed virtual … continue reading →

France/Poland: a “Jewish house” in an open-air museum (skansen) in Alsace, France joins similar Jewish houses in the open-air museum in Sanok, Poland

The Ecomuseum of Alsace in Ungersheim — the largest open-air village museum (skansen) in France — has opened a new exhibit: a “Jewish house” aimed to evoke typical Jewish daily life in an Alsatian village in the years between World War … continue reading →