Jewish Heritage Europe

Revisiting an old question: Are the old synagogues of eastern Europe worth saving?

In a compelling essay for Moment Magazine, Phyllis Myers,  a conservation policy and politics adviser to governments and private groups, returns to consider a question she first addressed some 25 years ago — a question that we at JHE feel has long been answered: … continue reading →

Inauguration of newly restored synagogue in Debrecen, Hungary

  Mazel tov! Just in time for Rosh Hashana, a ceremony in Debrecen, Hungary on Sunday celebrated the re-opening of the city’s 104-year-old Kápolnás street synagogue, after a fullscale renovation financed as part of a  more than €1.41 million grant from the European Union’s … continue reading →

Restoration work in Jewish cemetery in Hungary

  The Jewish Cemetery in Rácalmás, Hungary has undergone restoration work with state funding, continuing work begun last year. According to an August 27 government press release,  restoration work to the lower part of the cemetery was carried out with  … 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 →

Budapest Festival Orchestra holds concerts in Hungarian empty synagogues

Three synagogues in the Hungarian provinces — in Mád, Keszthely and Albertirsa — served as the venue for special free concerts last month by the Budapest Festival Orchestra. The concerts were part of a community concert series project “in order to raise … continue reading →