Jewish Heritage Europe

Tips for cleaning/restoring gravestones

On its web site, the Association for Gravestone Studies in the United States has posted helpful information on cleaning, clearing, re-setting and maintaining gravestones and cemeteries. Though an international organization, the Association is largely directed to the study of historic … continue reading →

How to mark the Kristallnacht anniversary? With glorious synagogues!

This weekend marks the 75th anniversary of Kristallnacht, the night of Nov. 9-10 1938 when the Nazis launched coordinated violent attacks on Jews, Jewish property and Jewish places of worship all over Germany and German-occupied territory. More than 1,000 synagogues … continue reading →

Progress Report: Restoration Work on Lithuanian Synagogues

Faina Kukliansky, the Chair of the Jewish Community in Lithuania, has sent us a progress report on efforts to preserve and restore several synagogues, including three of the 14 wooden synagogues remaining in the country. The Jewish Community working with … continue reading →

Fate of ruined synagogue in Constanța, Romania, in balance

  The Romanian news site Info Sud-Est runs a strongly worded article on the disastrous condition of the Ashkenazic Great Synagogue in the Romanian port of Constanța, including a sharp indictment of  local officials and popular opinion that have allowed … continue reading →

The impact of returning to the shtetl

With Jewish genealogy a growth industry, and travel to eastern European eased, more and more people are “returning” (actually going for the first time) to the shtetls that their ancestors were often happy — or forced — to leave. The … continue reading →