Jewish Heritage Europe

Portugal: Jewish interpretive center to open in town where “Rembrandt’s doctor” Ephraim Bueno was born

The town of Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo, in northern Portugal near the border with Spain, expects to open in April a long-planned Jewish  interpretive center, to highlight local Jewish history but also in hopes of drawing tourists. Dr. Ephraim Bueno … continue reading →

Poland: death of Krzysztof Kolibski, a Polish stonemason who carved Holocaust memorials

We are sad to learn of the death last week of Krzysztof Kolibski, a stone mason from Wąwolnica, Poland, who worked with Jewish cemetery preservation groups to carve matzevot and commemorative monuments in several Jewish cemeteries. “Rest in peace, my … continue reading →

UK: A former synagogue in Newcastle has been converted into apartments — but its history is remembered

What to do — and how to do it — with large and/or historic synagogues closed because of dwindling congregations remain key issues, which we have written about several times in the past. Conversion into housing is one solution — … continue reading →

January 27, 2020 — Holocaust Remembrance Day. Shoah memorials that personalize those who were murdered

January 27, the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1945, is marked in many countries as International Holocaust Remembrance Day. It is an occasion for commemorative ceremonies, educational programs, and other initiatives. Monuments and memorials are also dedicated or … continue reading →

Report: Bialystok Cemetery Restoration Project 2019

From August 5 to 19, 2019, nearly 30 volunteers from the US-based Bialystok Cemetery Restoration Project (BCRP) worked on the Bagnowka Jewish Cemetery in Białystok, Poland, joined by local Polish volunteers. The work coincided with that of the German-based Aktion … continue reading →