Simchat Torah — Rejoicing in the Torah, the Jewish festival that celebrates the conclusion of the annual cycle of public Torah readings (and beginning of the new cycle), falls on Thursday-Friday, Oct. 16-17. To mark the occasion, here are some images of the Aron ha Kodesh, … continue reading →
A local cultural association, Alma Finalis, has launched an appeal for funds to restore the centuries-old Jewish cemetery in Finale Emilia, Italy. It hopes to raise €19,500 for the project. “The restoration is urgent; the stones will be soon … continue reading →
At Sukkot, a time of reflection and renewal, we wanted to share with our readers this beautiful ancient image from the Jewish catacombs in Venosa, Italy — believed to date from the 6th century C.E. The picture was taken by … continue reading →
A number of cemetery clean-ups and other initiatives and developments have taken place in Poland in recent weeks — and also some vandalism. We have reported on some of them, but here are notes about others. Virtual Shtetl has also … continue reading →
Good news from Lithuania. Restoration work has been completed on the interior of the sanctuary of the so-called Red Synagogue in Joniškis (Yanishok), Lithuania, one of two side-by-side 19th century synagogues in the town that form one of Lithuania’s most important … continue reading →
