Jewish Heritage Europe

Ukraine: War and Heritage (Updated)

The war launched by Russia in Ukraine a month ago has forced millions to flee from their homes and has seen towns and cities shelled and bombarded. Residential and commercial buildings as well as airports, industrial sites, and military installations … continue reading →

Purim 2022 — drinking is a part of the festivities, and (with Ukraine on our minds) we recall the 18th century wine-trader Ber Birkenthal (Ber of Bolechow) who plied his trade between Bolekhiv — now western Ukraine — and the Tokaj wine region of northern Hungary

Purim starts tonight. It’s a festival holiday in which imbibing alcohol …. plays a role. Read our Purim 2019 article, about Jews and the wine and liquor trade With Ukraine in our hearts, and on our minds, we focus today the … continue reading →

Poland/Ukraine: Three former synagogues in SE Poland offered for use as hubs to help refugees from Ukraine

The Foundation for the Preservation of Jewish Heritage in Poland (FODZ) has offered three former synagogues it owns in southeast Poland for use as hubs to aid refugees from Ukraine. The synagogue building are in the towns of Zamość, Łęczna, … continue reading →

Ukraine: Images of Jewish heritage, as we hold Ukraine in our thoughts

Our hearts go out to Ukraine! We can’t find the words, so we post here a gallery of Jewish heritage sites, in Kyiv and elsewhere in the country, from happier times…. Jewish presence goes back centuries. Today, following the Holocaust … continue reading →

Ukraine: Joint Hungarian-Ukrainian project will remove Soviet-era concrete shell and renovate former Great Synagogue of Beregszász/Berehove

A joint Ukrainian-Hungarian project will renovate the former Great Synagogue in Berehove/Beregszasz, Ukraine  and restore the original 19th century exterior appearance. The project will dismantle the Soviet-era  concrete shell built around the synagogue in 1969, when it was turned into … continue reading →