Jewish Heritage Europe

Glorious synagogues to mark anniversaries: 25 years since the Wall came down (and 76 years since Kristallnacht)

  The Berlin Wall came down 25-years ago, on November 9, 1989 — a day that also marked the anniversary of Kristallnacht, the night of Nov. 9-10 1938 when the Nazis launched coordinated violent attacks on Jews, Jewish property and Jewish … continue reading →

Jewish cemetery notes from 4 countries…..

Jewish cemetery notes…. recent clean-ups, guided tours, vandalism…. VIENNA: About 60 volunteers staged a clean-up action at Vienna’s disused and overgrown Währinger Jewish cemetery on Nov. 2, All Souls’ Day, organized by the Green Party. The action was part of a regular … continue reading →

Simchat Torah! Celebrating the Torah with images of Arks

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 →

Summertime — time to volunteer to clean Jewish cemeteries

It’s summertime, and a number of volunteer initiatives to clean up Jewish cemeteries in various countries have been taking place. These initiatives — one-day efforts, or “work camps” that may last two or three weeks — are sponsored by a … continue reading →