Jewish Heritage Europe

Lajos Erdélyi, Holocaust survivor and photographer who pioneered documentation of Jewish cemeteries in Romania, dies at 90

Photos of the Jewish cemetery in Gura Humorului, Romania, in the 1980 edition of Lajos Erdelyi's book

We mourn the death of Lajos Erdélyi, a Holocaust survivor from Transylvania who as a journalist and photographer was a pioneer in the post-Holocaust documentation of Jewish cemeteries in Romania. Erdélyi, who was 90, passed away Sunday night in Budapest. … continue reading →

Poland: Using WW2 Luftwaffe Aerial Photos to Document the History of the Bagnówka Jewish Cemetery in Białystok

Recently, the Bagnówka Cemetery Restoration Project (BCRP) acquired World War II Luftwaffe Aerial Images of the Bagnówka Jewish Cemetery in Białystok, Poland from the US National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). These images are part of more than 1.25 million … continue reading →

Photo essay: Trees and fruit for Tu B’Shevat

Monday marks Tu B’Shevat — the 15th of the Hebrew month of Shevat, which is known as “the New Year for Trees.” It is the time of year when the earliest-blooming trees in the land of Israel start to flower.  It is the … 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 →

Hungary: Tracing the history of Budapest’s Dohany Street synagogue through the online photo archive Fortepan

The twin-towered Dohany St Synagogue is a city landmark in downtown Budapest and a symbol of Hungarian Judaism, used for worship and also visited each year by scores of thousands of tourists. The elaborate, Moorish-style building was designed by the … continue reading →