Jewish Heritage Europe

On Jewish gravestones and the stone-carvers who made them: a stone-carver’s thoughts on tradition and symbolism

In Ashkenazi Eastern Europe the carved epitaphs and wealth of carved decoration on Jewish gravestones can be richly sculptural as well as symbolic. Unfortunately, little is known about the stone-carvers who created these memorials. We crosspost here an (updated) article … continue reading →

Belarus: finding, recovering, fencing a devastated Jewish cemetery

  The devastated Jewish cemetery in  the small town of Lohishyn, Belarus has a new fence, largely thanks to a descendant from the town, working together with local people including a school teacher and the mayor. Mimi Kim Klausner, an … continue reading →

Vanished World 2019 Calendar available for download

The Vanished World 2019 calendar is now available for free download. Each year the German photographer Christian Herrmann, who documents abandoned Jewish heritage sites in Eastern Europe, creates a calendar from a selection of his images and offers it as … continue reading →

Book Review: Learning about Jewish Life (and Lives) from Jewish cemeteries. Review essay of Rudolf Klein’s new book

  Jewish cemeteries are often called Houses of the Living, and for good reason. The epitaphs and grave markers — be they simple matzevot or grand mausolea — represent, and tell the stories of, the people they memorialize. They speak … continue reading →