Deep Dive Report

DEEPDIVEREPORT

TESTINGPROGRAMMINGCONCEPTSINJEWISH CEMETERIESINEASTERNEUROPE 2022–2023

AREPORTBYDRRACHELLICHTENSTEIN,PROJECTOFFICERFORTHEFOUNDATIONFORJEWISHHERITAGE

TABLEOFCONTENTS

FOREWORD

TheDeepDiveprogrammethatDrRachelLichtensteinhasexpertlycoordinatedispartof anunprecedentedinitiativebytheEuropeanUniontopreserveandpromoteawarenessofthe hundredsofJewishcemeteriesacrosssevencountriesinEasternEuropebeingimplementedby threeconsortiumpartners–theFoundationforJewishHeritage,theEuropeanJewishCemeteries Initiative,andCentropa.

TheseJewishcemeterysitesprimarilyrepresent‘orphaned’heritage.Thecommunitiesthatthey onceservedweremostlyextinguishedduringtheHolocaust.Inmanyplaces,theJewishcemetery standsasthelastphysicalevidenceofoncethrivingJewishlife,andthevastmajorityaretoday inaparlousstatehavingsufferedyearsofneglectandininstancescompletedestruction.

Indeed,theveryexistenceoftheseJewishcommunitieshasbecomelargelymarginalisedand forgotten,whichiswhythisEUprojectisofsuchcriticalimportance.Notonlydoesitaddress thepreservationofcemeteriesbutitispreservationwithaspecialpurpose,toensurethatthe JewishlifeintownsandcitiesacrossEasternEuropeisrecalled,understood,commemorated andcelebrated.

Rachel’sbriefwastoworkwithlocalpartnerstodevelopinnovativeeducational/cultural programmesinonesignificantcemeteryineachofthesevencountries.Theideabehindthisis thattheycouldoperateasmodels,demonstratinghowJewishcemeteriescouldservecontemporarypurposes,drawingattentiontolocalJewishhistoryinacreativeway,anddemonstrating howJewishcemeteriescanplayapartintoday’ssocietyaslivingculturalheritage.

TheJewishexperienceinevitablytouchesuponwhatisnowconsideredfundamentalEuropean values–ofhumanrights,democracy,andtheruleoflaw.FindingwaystoengagewiththeJewish legacyinEuropehasaspecialimportancefortoday.

MichaelMail Chair,FoundationforJewishHeritage ChiefExecutive,FoundationforJewishHeritage

June2023

DameHelenHydeDBE

INTRODUCTION

MynameisDrRachelLichtenstein,IamaBritishauthor,academicandJewishHeritageprofessionalwhohasbeenontheInternationalAdvisoryBoardoftheFoundationforJewishHeritage forsomeyears.FromJune2022untilJune2023IworkedastheProjectOfficerforthisBritish basedorganisation,alongwithpartnersCentropa,andtheEuropeanJewishCemeteriesInitiative (ESJF),onthethirdroundofamajorEU-fundedprojecttopromoteinnovativepromotionaland educationalworkonJewishcemeteriesinEurope.

Thisvitalworkstartedin2018-2021withtwopilotprojects,whichmapped1,700cemeteries inCentralandEasternEurope,createdpublicoutreachprogrammesandseminarsonthelife andcontributionsofformerJewishcommunitiesintheseplaces,andresultedintheproduction ofmultiplepublicationsandhandbooks,exploring‘bestpractices’ofcemeterypreservation andsustainableheritagetourism,aswellasguidesonhowtouseJewishcemeteriesinthe classroom.Thethirdroundofthisprojecthasinvolvednumerousoutcomesincludingreports, educationprogrammes,internationalface-to-faceseminars,andonlinewebinarsalongside theDeepDiveprogramme(June2022toJune2023).

Myroleinthisprojecthasbeentosteerarangeofdifferentcreativeandeducationalactivities atsevensignificantJewishcemeteriesacrossEuropefortheDeepDiveprogramme.TheselectionoftheseburialsiteswasarrivedatincloseconsultationwithMichaelMail(theCEOofthe FoundationforJewishHeritage),FabianRuhle(EuropeanEducationDirectorofCentropa)and theproject’ssevenlocallybasedcountryco-ordinatorswhohavearangeofdifferentskillsets, experience,andlocalknowledge.CollectivelyweidentifiedarangeofdifferentJewishburial sites,whichforthemostpartwerebasedintheplaceswherethesecountryco-ordinatorswere alreadylocated.Thepurposewastoexploreavarietyofcemeteriesinthecontextofpilotprojects thattestouteducationalandtouristicactivitiesatthesesitestoencouragevisitorsfromlocal communitiesandfromabroad,andschoolgroups,tovisitandlearnmoreabouttheseplacesin engagingnewways.SomeofthesesitesarewellknownlargehistoricJewishcemeteries,based inmajorcapitalcities.Othersaresatelliteburialgrounds,chosenforvariousreasons,including theirecologicalorhistoricvalue,orduetothepartnershipswithlocalteachersorcommunities alreadydevelopedinthoseplaces.

ThesevencemeteriesexploredduringtheDeepDiveprogrammeare:

■ TblisiJewishcemetery(Georgia)

■ SzombathelyJewishcemetery(Hungary)

■ Suderv sJewishcemetery(Lithuania)

■ Chi inău(Kishinev)Jewishcemetery(Moldova)

■ RemahCemetery,alsoknownasTheOldJewishCemeteryofKrakow(Poland), aswellastheNewJewishCemeteryinKrakow

■ TheJewishOrthodoxcemetery(Radvani,BanskáBystrica,Slovakia)

■ ZbarazhJewishcemetery(Ukraine)

“Ifthesekeepsilent,thestoneswillcryout.” unknownBiblicalsource

Someofthesehistoricburialgroundsdatebacktothesixteenthcentury,othersremainas poignantmemorialstothosewhoperishedintheHolocaust,aswellastangibleremnantsofthe nowlargelydisappearedJewishcommunitieswhohadoccupiedthesecitiesforcenturies.Afew ofthesecemeteriesarealreadyfrequentlyvisitedbyreligiouspilgrimswhoprayandpaytheir respectsatthegravesofreveredrabbisandotherimportantfiguresintheJewishworldburied there.Othersareregularlyvisitedbylocalschoolgroupsengagedinclean-upactivitiesaswell astourists,anddescendantsofthoseburiedtherewhovisitfromabroad.Othersaresemiabandonedorsocalled‘orphanedcemeteries’havinglosttheircommunitiesofusersandnot partofanytouristictrails.Somearewildandruinous,overgrownwithtrees,withdarkhistories, includingbeingthesiteofmassgravesofvictimsmurderedduringtheShoahornineteenth century pogroms.AllofthemarefilledwiththousandsofstoriesaboutJewishEuropeansettlementandlife,andwecanalllearnagreatdealbyengagingwiththem.

“Theprimaryaimofthisprojectwastodevelopaninnovativerangeofcreativeand educationalprojectsdemonstratinghowvisitorscanengagewiththesecemeterysites.” ProjectOfficer,DrRachelLichtenstein

TheaimoftheDeepDiveprogrammehasbeentodemonstratehowtheseJewishcemeteriescan beusedascultural,touristandheritagesites,aswellasplacesofsignificanceforeducational purposes,whilstalsopromotingEuropeanvaluesofcross-culturalunderstandingandinclusion, andhonouringandrememberingtheJewishcommunitieswhooncelivedintheseplaces.This pilotprojecthasshowcaseddifferentmodelsandwaysofexploringandusingthesesites.We havedevelopedandtestedarangeofdifferentinitiativesthatcouldserveascasestudiesforthe future.Exploringthepotentialofsuchsitesforinterpretation,localcommunityengagement, developingheritageskills,andforgeneraleducational,cultural,artistic,andtouristicpurposes, includingpotentialinclusioninmunicipaldevelopmentstrategies,benefitingfromwhathas alreadybeenachievedinothermajorcities,andtriallingtheapplicationofnewtypesofactivity includingtheuseofdigitaltechnologies.

Throughoutthisprojecteachburialground wastreatedwiththeutmostrespectandreverence,inrecognitionofboththedepartedthatrestthereandthesanctityoftheseplaces.Any activitiesweorganisedconformed,asfaraspossible,withreligiouscustomsandrequirements whenvisitingJewishcemeteries.Forexample,therewasnoeatingordrinkinginthecemeteries asthisisforbiddeninJewishlaw.WeensuredallvisitshappenedoutsideofJewishholidays,the SabbathorduringtheintermediarydaysofSukkotandPassover.Andwemadesureparticipants dressedappropriatelyanddidnotstanddirectlyonthegraves.

IntheJewishtraditionitisextremelyimportanttoremember,honourandvisitthegravesides ofthosewhohavepassedandoneofthecemeterycustomsistoleaveastoneonagrave,asa markerofthatvisit.Therefore,whentimewasspentfocusingonthegraveofindividuals,we encouragedgroupsparticipatingintheseworkshopstoplaceastoneonthatgrave–asa symbolicgestureofremembrance.Byadheringtothesecustomsandtraditions,participantsand schoolgroupslearnedaboutJewishcultureandlife,whilstensuringtheydidnotoffendanylocal Jewishcommunitymembers(wheretherewereanyleft)and/orotherJewishvisitorsorstakeholdersofthecemetery.

Ithasbeenmygreatpleasuretoworkonthisproject,withourpartnersCentropaandthe countryco-ordinators,whoknowtheseplacesintimately.Togetherwehavedevelopedarich varietyofprogrammesforallsortsofdifferentcommunitygroupsandvisitors.Theactivities

rangefromdigitalaudioguides,heritagetrailsandartisticinterventions,whichhaveallbedevelopedinpartnershipwithlocalpeople,organisations,andinstitutions,whilstremainingappropriate to,andmostcritically,respectfulofboththesesites,theircomplexhistoriesandreligiousfunctions,andtheparticipantsinvolved.

Cemeteriesbytheirverynaturearefullofstories,ofindividualsandcommunities,pastand sometimespresent.AsaJewish historian,creativenonfictionwriterandco-directoroftheCentre forPlaceWritingatManchesterMetropolitanUniversity,Istronglybelieveourrelationshipsto placesareenrichedanddeepenedwhenweengagewiththemdirectly.Weneedtohaveourfeet ontheground,andexploreplacesforourselves,thenlearnaboutthelayersofstoriesthatexist there,particularlyofthosewhocamebeforeus.Icannotthinkofamoreimportantandurgent projectthantheexplorationofJewishburialgroundsintheselocales,whicharesoresonantwith thestoriesofJewishcommunitiesnowlargelyabsentfromthesesites.Thesecemeteriesarepreciousandutterlyirreplaceable,bothtothewiderJewishdiasporaandthecommunitieswholive alongsidethemtoday.Myaimisforthisprojecttodemonstratethisfactinnew,exciting,and respectfulways,whichwillencourageotherstovisitandlearnabouttheseJewishcemeteries forthemselves.

In thefollowingpagesyouwillfindareportthatoutlinestherangeofactivitiesdevelopedfor theDeepDiveprogrammeforeachofthesevencountries.TheFoundationforJewishHeritage andIwouldliketothankourpartnersESJFandCentropafortheirtremendoussupportwiththis projectandthemanyindividualsandorganisationsacrossthesevencountrieswhocontributed totheDeepDiveprogrammewhoareallnamedintheindividualcountryreports.

DrRachelLichtenstein ProjectOfficer,FoundationForJewishHeritage

www.foundationforjewishheritage.com

DeepDiveprogramme:www.jewishcemeteries.eu/deep-dives/

LOCATIONS

Eachprojecthasbeendevelopedtotestarangeofinitiativesthatserveascasestudiesthat couldbereplicatedinthefuture.FurtherinformationontheDeepDiveprogrammecanbefreely downloadedfrom:https://www.jewishcemeteries.eu/deep-dives/.

Tblisi,Georgia

Ahistoricallyinformedteachers’packallowsteachersandschoolchildrentoexploreandlearn moreaboutJewishcemeteriesinGeorgiawhicharedifferenttootherJewishburialgrounds acrossEurope.

Szombathely,Hungary

AdocumentaryfilmtellsthestoryoftheSzombathelyJewishcemeteryandtheJewishcommunity ofthatcitypastandpresent,andincludesinterviewswithhistoricalexperts,theChairofthe Jewishcommunitytoday,theMayorandlocalschoolchildren.

Vilnius,Lithuania

Awriter-in-residenceworkedwithalocalhistoriantoexplorethehistoryofalocalJewish cemeterythendevelopedcreativewritingworkshopsforlocalschoolchildrenresultingin abookletoftheirwork,whichwaslaunchedattheSamuelBakCentreinVilnius.

Chi inău,Moldova

AnaudiowalktellsthestoryoftheChi inăuJewishcemeteryrevealingthestoriesofindividuals buriedthereaswellashistoricalinformation,andaguidetosymbolsonthegravesenabling visitorstoexplorethesiteinanimmersiveway.

Krakow,Poland

AphotographicprojectexploredthehistoryandbeautyofthehistoricRemahCemeteryandthe NewJewishCemeteryinKazimierzundertakenbyJewishStudiesstudentsfromtheJagellionan UniversityinKrakowinpartnershipwiththeGaliciaMuseum,witharesultingexhibitionatthe HighSynagogue.

BanskáBystrica,Slovakia

Aprojectthatexploredthehistory,biodiversity,andecologyofaJewishcemeterybyproducing apackforprimaryschoolchildrenwithactivities,quizzes,andotherinformationforfieldwork onsite.

Zbarazh,Ukraine

TheJewishcemeteryinthetownofZbarazhhasbeendigitallymappedandthestoriesofvarious personalitiesburiedtherehavebeenexploredindepthandmadeavailabletointernational audiences.

2.1

DEEPDIVE GEORGIA

2.1 DEEPDIVEGEORGIA:EDUCATIONPACKFORSCHOOLS

Introduction

TheideafortheDeepDiveinGeorgiawastodevelopateachers’packthatexploresGeorgian JewishhistoryandJewishcemeteriesinthecountry,whichareuniquelydifferenttootherburial groundsacrossEurope.Forexample,thetwentiethcenturySoviet-eraJewishtombstonesare similarinstyletoGeorgiangravestonesandoftenincludepicturesofthedeceased,andthe inscriptionsonthegravesareinbothHebrewandGeorgian.TheDeepDiveprogrammeoffered auniqueopportunitytodevelopthisprojectincollaborationwithhistoryexperts,designers, educators,andtheJewishcommunity.

“TeachersinGeorgiahavedemonstratedagreatinterestinhaving‘somethingintheir hands’tohelptheminterpretJewishcemeterieswhentheyvisitwithschoolgroups.There isnothinglikethisfreelyavailableforteachersandthisresourceismuchanticipated.”

TeoDalakishvili,CountryCo-ordinatorforGeorgia,2023

Aim

Thisprojectdevelopedoutofanurgentneed,asthereiscurrentlyagapinavailablematerial forsecondaryschoolsonJewishcemeteriesinGeorgiaandmostschoolteachershavelimited knowledgeofJewishhistory.Thedevelopmentofthiseducationpackaimedtobridgethisgap bycreatingfreelyavailableresourcesforschoolchildrenofsecondaryschoolageinGeorgia, enablingbothpupilsandteacherstoexploreandlearnaboutJewishcemeteries,andinturn Jewishcultureandlife,throughactivitiesandinformationinthepacksthatbothaskandanswer questionsaroundthesehistories.Thepackcanalsobeprintedtoenableschoolteacherstotake schoolgroupsonfieldtripstoJewishcemeteriesandengageinarangeofonsitelearningactivities thatincreasetheirunderstandingofJewishcemeteriesandhistory.

“DuringtheseminarsandeventswehaveheldinGeorgiaitisclearteachersareengagedin Jewishhistoryandeagertodosomethingoncemeteries,thisteachers’packwillgivethem thetoolstohelpthemteachtheirpupilsaboutJewishlifeandculture.”

CentropaLineManagerNinjaStehr,2023

Process

TheideafortheDeepDiveinGeorgiawasdevelopedinconversationwiththeFoundationfor JewishHeritage,LineManagerNinjaStehr(Centropa)andCountryCo-ordinatorTeoDalakishvili (whoisalsothelocalco-ordinatoratESJFEuropeanJewishCemeteriesInitiative,partnerswith CentropainprojectsfundedbytheGermanforeignoffice,andiswell-connectedtotheGeorgian Jewishcommunity).

WeworkedwithYuliaOreshina,AssociateProfessorattheGeorgianAmericanUniversityin Tbilisi,todevelopthecontentforthepack.YuliaisanexpertinGeorgianJewishculturalheritage withabackgroundinhistoryandculturalanthropology,whoteachescoursesconnectedto culturalmemorystudies,urbanstudies,andthesocialmeaningoftheHolocaust.Hermain researchinterestisthehistoryofthe20thcentury,memoryandcity,memoryandmuseum,and JewishlifeinSovietGeorgia.YuliaOreshinawascommissionedtowritethetextsfortheeducationpack,whichincludedanintroductiontoJewishcemeteriesinGeorgia,historicalinformation onJewishheritageanditspreservation,andcustomsandtraditionsofJewishdeathandburial. ShealsoresearchedpersonalstoriesofGeorgianJewishfigures,wroteaglossary,anddeveloped

aquizfortheschoolchildrenbasedonthisresearchalongsideotheractivities.Shealsoincluded thingstolookoutforatthecemeteryandincludedphotographsfromherowncollectionand visualsforthepack.TheGeorgiantextwasthentranslatedintoEnglishbyAnaTizliarishvili beforebeingsenttodesignerKetevanJavakhishvili.

Theeffectivenessofthepackwastestedbeforefinalisingproduction,withsecondaryschool groupsvisitingboththehistoricDampalocemeteryinTblisiandanothersatellitehistoricalburial groundinSurami(situatedabout20minutesoutsideofTblisi).

“Thisprojectisthefirstofitskind,uniqueforGeorgia,areallyimportantprojectthat hascreatedsomuchnewmaterialforschools.”

Georgianschoolteacher,2023

Outcome

ThepackisnowfreelyavailableinbothGeorgianandEnglish,inaPDFformat,fromboththe ‘PreservingJewishCemeteries’projectandCentropawebsites.Furthermore,it hasbeenprinted outandsenttomanyschoolsinGeorgiawhohaveexpressedaninterestinreceivingthepack, andhasalsobeendistributedtolibraries.Itcanbedownloadedandprintedoutbeforevisiting thesecemeteriesandiseasytoviewontabletsorsmartphones.Thecontentexpandsonexisting materialintheESJF‘JewishCemeteriesintheClassroom’guide,suchasthe‘readinganEpitaph’ and‘PracticalActivities’sectionsbuthasbeenadaptedspecificallytothe uniquenessofGeorgian Jewishcemeteries.ThepackisapproximatelythirtyA4pageslongandisrichlyillustratedwith relevantphotographsanddrawings.Itincludes:anintroductiontoJewishcemeteriesinGeorgia; historicalinformationonJewishheritageanditspreservation;activitiesincludingdrawingthe symbolsfromaJewishtombstoneandinterpretingepitaphsinGeorgianJewishcemeteries; customsandtraditionsofJewishdeathandburial;thingstolookoutforwhenvisitingJewish cemeteriesinGeorgia;somepersonalstoriesofGeorgianJewishfigures;aquizforstudentsto testtheirknowledge;withadditionalactivitiessuchasfindingtheoldesttombstone;aswellas furtherreading,usefullinksandaglossary.

“BydiscoveringJewishheritageinyourregion,youenrichyourknowledgeoflocal historyandofyourownarea,aswellasplayingaroleinpreservingGeorgia’sunique Jewishheritage.”

AssociateProfessorYuliaOreshinaoftheGeorgianAmericanUniversityinTbilisi,2023

“Passerby,donottreadonmygrave.Rememberyouareaguesthere,andIamathome.”

InscriptiononatombstoneinKutaisi’sJewishCemetery

2.2

DEEPDIVE HUNGARY

2.2 DEEPDIVEHUNGARY: DOCUMENTARYFILMONTHESZOMBATHELYJEWISHCEMETERY

Introduction

TheideaforHungarywastodevelopaprojectthatcementedalreadyestablishedlocalJewish andnon-JewishpartnersinSzombathely(thetenthlargestcityinHungarysituatedclosetothe Austrianborder)whohavebeenactivelyengagedinpreservingJewishmemorythere.Thisproject wasdevelopedinclosediscussionwithLineManagerMariaLieberman(Centropa)andCountry Co-ordinatorSaraSzilagyi.Wedecidedtocapturethetremendousworkalreadytakingplacein thecountryonfilm,andSzombathelywaschosenforthisprojectbecauseofitsrichJewish history,stillactivecommunity,andsuccessfulJewishheritageprojectswhichwereconducted byanextremelyactivenon-Jewishschoolteacherwhohasbeentakinglocalschoolchildrento theJewishcemetery(situatedoppositeherschool)andresearchingthehistoryoftheJewish community ofthatcity.

“Thepupilsdoclean-upworkinthecemeteryonavoluntarybasisandIamveryproudof themfordoingthis,itisareallyworthwhileactivity.Wehavelearntalotwhilsthereabout thehistoryofSzombathely’sJewishcommunity.”

Aim

Theaimwastoproduceashort,lively,documentaryfilmofaround15minutesthatexploresboth thepastandthepresentstoryofJewishlife inSzombathely,focusingontheJewishcemetery there,whichwasestablishedinthelate1820s.Thefilmaimedtocapturesomeofthestoriesof manyimportantpersonalitiesburiedtherewhoplayedadecisiveroleinthelifeofthecity,such asJakabKovács,thebuilderofalargehotel,andindustrialistLajosGeistandhowthegraves offamousSzombathelyJewishpeople,includingrabbisandheroesoftheFirstWorldWar,have beenrestoredwithfundsfromgrantsanddonations.Thefilmalsoaimedtorevealmoreabout theoriginsoftheJewishcommunityinSzombathelyandhowthecareofthegravestodayisan importanttaskforboththeJewishcommunitywhoremainandlocalschoolchildren.Oneof themainobjectivesofthisprojectwastosharethisfilmasanexampleofboththehistoryofa JewishcommunityinHungaryaswellasactsofresistance,andprovidesupporttonon-Jewish residentslivingtheretodaywhoaredevelopingdifferentwaysof tellingandsharingthestories oftheirformerJewishneighbourswiththenextgeneration.

“AswellasbeingasacredplacefortheJewishcommunity,thecemeteryhasculturaland artisticvalue,andisalsoimportantforthehistoryofthecity.”

TiborSpiegler,localhistorian

Process

ThefilmwasproducedbyateamfromSzombathelyTelevisiontoensurebroadcastqualityand directedbythePresidentoftheJewishcommunityJuditSugár.Thefilmfeaturessomeextraordinarydronefootageofthetownandcemetery;extensivearchivematerialonthehistoryofthe communityandthecemeteryandinterviewswiththeMayorofSzombathelyDr.AndrásNemény whotalksabouttheimportanceofthisfilmproject,ofsharingthesestoriesandpreservingboth theremnantsofJewishlifeandcultureinthemunicipality;footageoftheChairoftheJewish communityofSzombathelyJuditSugártalkingaboutthehistoryanddeporationoftheSzom-

LocalschoolteacherBeátaBaloghVárnainéfromZrínyiIlonaPrimarySchoolinSzombathely

bathely’sJewishcommunityduringWWII;aninterviewwithlocalschoolteacherBeátaBalogh VárnainéfromZrínyiIlonaPrimarySchoolandherstudents,andhistoriansandtourguides LaszloMayerandTiborSpieglerbringingsomeofthestoriesoftheindividualpeoplewhoare buriedinthecemeteryvividlytolifewhilststandingnexttothegraves.

“ThelocalJewswhopassedawayareburiedinthiscemeteryandtheveryfewwho survivedsinceWWIIhavesincedied,sothereisno-onelefttolookafterthegraves, sowecomeandlookafterthem.”

PupilfromZrínyiIlonaPrimarySchoolinSzombathely

Outcome

Thisprojectbothconsolidatesandbuildsonpreviousworkinthiscityandsuccessfullypresents thestoryoftheJewishcommunityofSzombathelypastandpresent.DuetoJudit’sextensive connectionsinthecityandpreviousresearchconducted,itwaspossibletoproduceahighqualityoutcomeforthisproject.Thenearly15-minutedocumentaryisinHungarianbutsubtitledinEnglishandhasbeenproducedbythestaffofSzombathelyTelevisionincollaboration withtheFoundationforJewishHeritage.ThisfilmwillbesharedwidelyinHungary(onSzombathely Televisionandotherplaces)andwillalsobehostedonCentropa’sandthe‘PreservingJewish Cemeteries’websiteforEU3.ThefilmexploresthefateofHungarianandCentralEuropean Jewrythroughthehistoryofjustonetown.

“ItisagreathonourforourcommunitytobeabletoparticipateintheDeepDiveprogramme.Thisisaninternationalprojectthatspanssevencountries,andwhatmakes itspecialforusisthatwearetheonlyHungariancemeteryparticipating.”

JuditSugár-President,JewishCommunityofSzombathely

2.3

DEEPDIVE LITHUANIA

2.3 LITHUANIADEEPDIVE:WRITERINRESIDENCEPROGRAMMEANDEXHIBITION

Introduction

ForLithuania,wewantedtoexploretheideaofworkingincollaborationwithalocalinstitution, aJewishhistorian,andawriterorpoettoencourageschoolchildrentodeveloptheircreative writingskillsbasedontheirvisitstoaJewishcemetery.Weoriginallyselectedthe500-year-old VilnaJewishcemetery,oftencalledthe‘old’Jewishcemetery,inthecapitalcityofVilniusbutdecided onthesmallerbutequallyfascinating‘Suderv sžydųkapin s’(Suderv sJewishcemetery),whichis located6kmoutsideoftheoldtown.Thiscemeteryisnowtherestingplacetomanyimportantand famousJewishpersonalitiesincludingthemausoleumoftheGaonofVilna.Manyofthesegraves were movedfromotherJewishcemeteriesinthecity.TheSuderv sJewishcemeterybringstogetherthe storiesofalltheJewishcemeteriesinVilniusandtellstherichhistoryoftheJewishpeopleinthatcity.

“Thisactivityallowedustofreeourcreativity,practicecreativewritingandexpress ourideas.Weenjoyedthisexperience.Itletuscreateourowncharacter.Thankyou!!”

MarijaGabrielaityt ,pupilfromVilniusSolomoAleichemoORTJewishschool,Vilnius

Aim

Thisprojectaimedtoworkwithlocalschoolchildrentobringtolifethestoriesofsomeofthe individualsburiedinthisVilniusJewishcemeterythroughvisitswithhistoricguideswiththis knowledge.Thislearningexperiencewouldbefollowedbycreativewritingworkshopswitha professionalwriterwhowouldencouragethestudentstocreatenewstoriesandpoemsinspired bythesevisits.TheobjectivewastolearnaboutthehistoryoftheJewishcemeteryandthecommunity,andthendevelopcreativeresponsesintheformofstoriesandpoemsresultinginthe publicationofthestudents’work.

“ThistypeofcreativeworkisimportanttolinkoursharedJewishculturalheritageand educatingusontheimportanceofcreativityandthecreativeprocessforretainingculture. Ithankyouforthisopportunity.”

JokūbasDavidavičius,pupilfromVilniusSolomoAleichemoORTJewishschool,Vilnius

Process

ThisprojectwasdevelopedinconsultationwithLineManagerKatjaGrosse-SommerandCountry Co-ordinatorGintareLiorancaiteinpartnershipwiththeSamuelBakMuseum(formerTolerance Centre),abranchoftheVilnaGaonMuseumofJewishHistoryinVilnius.Weworkedcloselywith DrSimonasStrelcovas,theDirectoroftheSamuelBakCentre,whogenerouslygaveusspaceto runtheworkshopsintheMuseumandputusindirecttouchwiththeperfectwriterforthisproject,themultilingualLithuaniannovelistandplaywrightAnetaAnra.Sheistheauthorofthedocumentarynovel“Jehudit:Theworldcouldbesobeautiful”(2021)whichwasawardedtheGrigory KanovichRepublicanPrizeandiscurrentlybeingtranslatedintoEnglish,PolishandFrench.She isalsoacuratorattheVilnaGaonStateMuseum.StudentsoftheVilniusSolomoAleichemoORT Jewishschool(aged17-18years),whowerestudyingJewishhistoryandliteraturewereselected totakepartintheproject.TheyvisitedtheSuderv sJewishcemeterywheretheymetwithlocal guideandhistorianMariusGaladauskaswhotoldthegroupsaboutthehistoryofJewishlifein Vilnaandsome ofthestoriesofthepeopleburiedthere.Duringthesesitevisits,thepupilsalso gainedinformationaboutthesymbolsonthegravestonesandwereencouragedtotakenotes, photographsandmakedrawings.ThesevisitsweredocumentedbyphotographerGabrielKhiterer. Followingthetripstothecemetery,thesegroupscametotheSamuelBakMuseumforcreative

writingworkshopswithAnetawhoencouragedthemtodeveloptheirlearningandexperiences intopoemsandshortstories.Shefollowedupwithanothervisittotheschoolmeetingthegroups.

“IwasdelightedtotakepartintheDeepDiveprogrammeforLithuania.Thepupilswere socreative,attentiveandcurious.Fortheworkshopsatthemuseumtheycreated‘OneDay intheLife’storiesofinventedcharactersbasedontheirvisitstothecemeteryandinthe museumtheircreativewritingprojectswereenhancedbyselectinganemotionorcolour fromthepaintingstoaddtotheirstories.Someofthemalsoconductedhistoricalresearch. Theirstoriesincludedoneoftwofamousindividualsburiedatthecemetery-theGaonof VilniusandDoctorCemachShabad.Itwasagreatexperienceformeasawritertosee howtheyimaginativelycreatedpoemsandstoriesduringthisproject.”

AnetaAnra,Lithuanianwriterandcurator

“TheworkshopswithAnetahelpedusdevelopourimaginationandcreativityinsteadof beingimmersedintechnology.Sheencouragedustoproduceimagesinourmind,based onstoriesfromourvisittotheJewishcemeteryandthemuseum.”

KonstantinasKrivulinas,pupilfromVilniusSolomoAleichemoORTJewishschool,Vilnius

Outcome

Followingworkshopswiththewriter,thepupilsdevelopedtheirideasintopoemsandpieces ofcreativewritinginmanyforms(flashfiction,nonfiction,shortstories)basedontheirvisits, undertheinstructionandsupportofthewriter.Thisworkhasbeendevelopedincollaboration withthestudentsandthewriterintoasmallpublication,whichincludesphotographsofthe workshopsandcemeteryvisits,aswellasdrawingsbythestudents.Thisbookwaslaunchedat aspecialpubliceventattheMuseuminJune2023,wherethepupilsandthewriterreadtheir worktoaninvitedaudienceincludinglocaldignitaries,membersoftheJewishcommunityand parentsandpupils.

“Ithasbeenwonderfultoseelocalpupilsengagingwiththestoriesandhistoryofthe JewishcemeteryinVilniustodevelopsucharichrangeofcreativewritingprojectsunder theguidanceofawardwinningwriterAnetaAnra.”

DrRachelLichtenstein,ProjectOfficerFoundationforJewishHeritage

“TheLithuanianDeepDiveofferedacreativeapproachforyoungpeopletoengagewith JewishhistoryinVilnius.Itspositiveresonancewithstudentsshowsthatinnovative waysoflearningshouldcontinuetohaveaplaceinLithuaniaandbeyond.”

KatjaGrosse-Sommer,CentropaLineManagerLithuania

“Thisprojectenabledstudentstoseethecemeteryfromadifferentangle,bycombining historyandliterature.”

GintareLiorancaite,CountryCo-ordinatorDeepDiveLithuania

“Itisveryimportantforthemuseumtoinvolveyoungpeopleinitsactivities…thisproject providesanopportunityforstudentstounderstandwhichpersonalitiesandtheirworks determinedthecourseofourcommonhistory.”

Dr.SimonasStrelcovas,DirectoroftheVilnaGaonJewishHistoryMuseuminVilnius

2.4

DEEPDIVE MOLDOVA

2.4

DEEPDIVEMOLDOVA:AUDIOWALKONTHECHI IN Ă UJEWISHCEMETERY

Introduction

TheJewishCemeteryinMoldova’scapitalcityofChi inăuislocatedjustoutsidethecitycentre andcontainsover25,000gravesmakingthishugesitebothincrediblyrich,andalsoproblematic forvisitorstoexplore.Therenovationofthelong-neglectedcemeterybeganinlate2018but entireareasarestillbadlydamagedorbarelyaccessible.Gravesandpathsarecoveredbythick vegetation,andvisitorscanseemanybrokenorfallentombstones.Thisprojectbuildsonthe TransHistoryAudiowalkonJewishlifeofChi inăudevelopedbyCentropaandMaghid(Jewish HeritageandEducationCentreinMoldova)tocreateamoreimmersivevisitorexperiencefor thosewishingtoexplorethisextraordinarycemeterysite,directingthemtoplacesofinterest whichareaccessible.

“TheEU3‘PreservingJewishCemeteriesProgramme’bringstogetherdifferentkindsof stakeholders,Jewishandnon-Jewish,amongthemeducatorsofallfields,students,politicians,andJewishcommunityrepresentatives.TheyallworknotonlytopreservetheJewish cemeteriesintheirregion,butalsotoeducatethepublicaboutthemeaningofthecemetery andwhatitcantellusaboutthehistoryofthelocalJewishcommunitythere.Expanding thisknowledgeisrelevantforallEuropeansocietiesandcountries.”

Centropa Aim

TheaimistoproduceastandaloneAudioWalkof10-12minutes,availableinRomanian,English andRussian,thatspecificallyexploresthehistoryofandstoriesaboutindividualsburiedinthe Chi inău(Kishinev)JewishCemeteryinMoldova.Theobjectivehasbeentocreateadeeperand moreimmersiveexperienceforvisitorstotheChi inăuJewishCemetery,thatcanbelistenedto bothonsiteandfromanywherearoundtheworld.Thispilotprojectaimstodemonstratehow suchanaudioguidecanencouragevisitors,tourists,schoolgroupsetc.toexploreandexperienceaJewishcemeteryandhowmakingsuchadigitaltoolfreelyavailableinthreedifferent languagesmightexpandthetouristandvisitorfootfall.

“TheDeepDiveprogramwithinthe‘EU3:PreservingJewishCemeteries’projectgaveusthe opportunitytoexpandourexistingChi inăuAudioWalkthroughmorepersonalstoriesof peopleburiedatthecemetery,peoplewhosestorieswouldhaveotherwisebeenforgotten, andtomakethemaccessibleonourwebsiteforthegeneralpublic.”

JohannaBlender,Centropa

Process

WorkinginconsultationwithLinemanagerJohannaBlender(Centropa)andCountryCo-ordinator IonUngureanu(fromMoldovanNGOEcovision)wedevelopedtheideaforthisAudioWalk.Wewere delightedwhenDrIrinaShikhovaofMaghid,ahighlyregardedexpertontheJewishhistoryof Moldova(andrecentlyappointeddirectorofTheJewishMuseumofChi inău)agreedtoresearch andproducenewcontentfortheproject.Thisincludesbriefinformationonthecemetery(size, numberofgraves,currentstate,thewallmadeofabandonedtombstonesandthederelictBeit Tahara),historicaleventssuchasthe1903pogrom,andsomelivelynewanecdotesonindividuals buriedinthecemeterywhichincludethestoriesof:Shraibman,awell-knownYiddishwriter; Tsirelson,aChiefRabbiofKishinevandBessarabia;Voliovich,adirectorofYiddishisttheater

inKishinevintheSovietperiod;andLevin,avividlifestoryofanordinaryindividual.Furthermore,additionalcontentwasdevelopedbyIrinaonJewishepitaphandtombstonesymbols includingaudioinstructionsonwhichgravestovisit.Allthisnewcontentwasthentranslated intoRussian,English,andRomanian,thencopy-editedandproofreadbeforebeingprofessionallyrecordedinthelocalradiostationEcoFminKishinevtobroadcastqualitystandards.Some ofthestorieswerenarratedbyprofessionalactors,otherswerenarratedbystudentsfromthe LiceulTeatralschoolofperformingartsinChi inău.Followingeditorialchanges,thenewmaterial wasinterwovenwiththepreviousCentropaAudioWalktomakeonecontinuousMP3fileof 10-12minuteslong.TheAudioWalkwasthentestedbyschoolgroupsinthecemetery.

“Notwallsbutpeople’sactionspreserveJewishcemeteriesandtheDeepDiveprogramme hasenabledustocreateanothersuchactionbydevelopingthisfantasticaudiowalkwhich allowsvisitorstoexploreandunderstandtheremainsoftheJewishHeritageinMoldova.” IonUngureanu,CountryCo-ordinator,Moldova

Outcome

ThisAudioWalkhasbeenproducedtoanextremelyhighqualityandisfreelydownloadablein acompressedMP3formatfromboththe‘PreservingJewishCemeteries’andCentropawebsites forEU3enablingvisitorsfrommanycountriestofreelyexploreandlearn aboutTheChi inău (Kishinev)JewishCemetery.

2.5

DEEPDIVE POLAND

2.5 DEEPDIVEPOLAND:

PHOTOGRAPHICPROJECTINCOLLABORATIONWITHTHEGALICIAMUSEUM ANDEXHIBITIONATTHEHIGHSYNAGOGUEINKRAKOW

Introduction

FortheDeepDiveprogrammeinPoland,wedevelopedaninnovativeandcollaborativephotographicandhistoryprogrammebasedinKrakow.WefocusedontwoJewishcemeteriesforthis project,bothbasedintheformerJewishquarterofKazimierz,theRemahCemetery,ahistoric necropoliswithtombstonesdatingbacktothesixteenthcenturyandtheNewJewishCemetery. TheRemah,alsoknownastheOldJewishCemeteryofKrakow,isoneoftheoldestexistingJewish cemeteriesinPoland,locatedintheheartofthepopulartouristdistrictofKazimierznexttothe sixteenthcenturyRemahSynagogue.Becauseofthiscentrallocation,itshistoricsignificance, andthemanynotablegravesinsideoffamousrabbis,itisoneofthemostwellvisitedJewish cemeteriesinEurope,whichisoneofthereasonsitwaschosenforthisproject.ThelesserknownNewJewishCemeteryisawildersite,locatedontheothersideoftheoldtowninside gatedwalls.Thisburialgroundstretchesoveracresofground,andisaquietwildspaceshaded byathickcanopyoftreeschosenbecauseofitsstarkdifferencetotheothersite.

“InsidethegatedwallstheburialgroundoftheNewCemeterystretchedoveracresof ground,aquietwildspaceshadedbyathickcanopyoftrees.Theairwasfilledwiththe soundofbirdsongandthesmellofwildgarlic.Manyofthegraveswereconcealedbeneath athickcoveringofivy,whichgavetheplaceanotherworldlyfeel.”

DrRachelLichtenstein,FoundationforJewishHeritageProjectOfficer

Aim

OneofthepurposesofthePolishDeepDiveprojectwastotryandencouragenewwaysof engagingandlookingattheseburialsites,andthemethodchosenforthispurposewasphotography.Theinnovativepartofthisideawastoworkonaninterdisciplinaryprojectinvolving localuniversitystudentsfromtheInstituteofJewishStudiesattheJagiellonianUniversitywho werethentrainedinphotographicandartistictechniquesandencouragedtodevelopartistic ratherthanacademicoutcomesaftervisitingthesecemeterysites-tolookatfamiliarplaces andexplorewellknownhistoriesinnewways.Thisprojectbuildsonandreferstopreviousphotographicprojectsconductedatthesefamouscemeteries,particularlythepublicationsbyProf. LeszekHońdoonboththeRemahCemeteryandtheNewJewishCemeteryaswellasaprevious exhibitionheldattheGaliciaJewishMuseumin2017ofphotographsoftheRemahCemetery byAndrzejGrzybkowski.

“TheprojectDeepDivewasimportantfortheGaliciaJewishMuseum,andwewerehonoured andpleasedtobeinvited.Itgaveustheopportunitytoworkwithyoungpeople,share knowledgeandheartheirreactionstomaterialJewishheritageinKrakow.Theworkshops andvisittotheJewishcemeterieswereinspiringevents.Youngpeoplehadachanceto workontheirphotographsandcreatetheirownexhibition.”

Process

TheideafortheDeepDiveinPolandwasdevelopedinconversationwiththeFoundationfor JewishHeritage,LineManagerKatjaGrosse-Sommer(Centropa)andCountryCo-ordinator

DrKatarzynaSuszkiewicz,HeadofEducationDepartment,GaliciaMuseum

EwaArendarczyk(whoisalsoEducationAssistantattheGaliciaJewishMuseum)andtheHead oftheEducationDepartmentattheMuseumKatarzynaSuszkiewicz.TheMuseumhasbeen instrumentalinthedevelopmentandproductionofthisprojectandweareextremelygrateful fortheirco-operationandassistance,whichincludedhostingtheworkshops.Beforewecould begin,wehadtoreceivepermissiontotakestudentstothecemeterieswhicharebothunder thejurisdictionoftheJewishcommunityinKrakow.Letterswerewrittentothemunicipalitywhich containedinformationabouttheproject,itstimeframeandwhatwewantedtoaccomplish. Oncethispermissionwassecured,theGaliciaJewishMuseumcontactedtheJewishStudies DepartmentattheJagiellonianUniversityviaDr.EdithGawron,whoisanexpertonthehistory ofJewsinthe20thcenturyandthecontemporaryhistoryoftheJewishcommunityinPoland. Shearrangedforsomeofherstudentstotakepartintheproject.

InApril2023,afulldayworkshopwasarrangedatthemuseumwherethestudentsreceived traininginartisticandphotographictechniquesbeforevisitingbothcemeteriestotakephotographs.ThedaybeganwithapresentationIgavethestudentsonmyowncreativepracticeasan artist,andhowthishadbeeninspiredbyfieldtripstosynagoguesandcemeterysitesinPoland, whichiswheremyownfamilycamefrom.Followingthispresentation,thestudentsweregiven furtherinstructionfromlocalphotographerPiotrBanasik.Alongsideteachingthembasicphotographicmethods,suchasdepthoffieldetc.,heencouragedthestudentstolookinnewwaysat familiarandwelldocumentedplaces.Heproposedthattheyfocusonsmalldetailsoftheunique gravestonesandtombsintheseburialsites,alongsideelementsofthecarvediconographyover thesecenturies,oldheadstonesandotherelementsofthetangibleJewishheritagethatremains inandaroundthesecemeteries.Intheafternoon,weallvisitedbothsiteswherethestudents tookphotographs.Theseimageswerefurtherdevelopedandedited,captionsandreflections wereaddedintheformoftextpanelswhichwerethenprintedinpreparationtobeexhibited.

“ThelanguageofourJewishneighboursnolongerresoundsinthestreet.Itisourdutyto savetheseremains,thesetracesofthepresenceoftheJewishcommunity, sothatthenext generationdonotforgetabouttheircultureandpresenceinourneighbourhood.Thisproject helpskeepsthesehistoriesalive.”

WlodzimierzJedrzejewski,studentfromJewishStudiesDept,JagiellonianUniversity

Outcome

Acollaborativeandinterdisciplinaryphotographicexhibition,thatexaminedthehistoryand beautyofthesehistoricJewishcemeteries,withhistoricalcaptionsandinformationwrittenand producedbythestudents.TheexhibitionwasheldattheHighSynagoguein2023andthese imageshavealsobeenuploadedontoboththeEU3projectandCentropawebsites.

“TheDeepDiveprojectforPolandexploredtherichheritageofKrakow,allowingJewish historystudentstolearnphotographictechniquesandexamineasubjectinanewway.The exhibitionattheHighSynagoguewillenabletheirworktobeseenbyalargeinternational audienceasitcoincideswiththeJewishFestival.”

KatjaGross-Summer,LineManagerforPolishDeepDive(Centropa)

2.6

DEEPDIVE SLOVAKIA

2.6 DEEPDIVESLOVAKIA: ANECOLOGYANDHISTORYPROJECTINBANSKÁBYSTRICA

Introduction

ForSlovakia,theideawastodevelopanoutcomethatexploredthehistory,biodiversity,and ecologyofaJewishcemetery.WechosethecityofBanskáBystrica,whichisinthecentreof SlovakiaontheHronRiverforthispilot.BanskáBystricaisthesixthmostpopulouscityinthe countryandapopulartouristdestinationduetothesurroundingstunningcountryside.The cemeterywehavefocusedonismarkedonthemapastheJewishOrthodoxcemeteryStarý (zabudnutý)židovskýcintorín,locatedonBočnástreet,outsideofthecitycentre.Thecemetery isnotmaintained,thereisextensivegreenery,thegravesareovergrownandmanyofthegravestonesarefallen.Thissiteishistoricallyrichandhasagreatrangeofplants,birdandinsectlife makingitperfectforthisproject.Thecitywasalsoselectedbecausecountryco-ordinator,historian,andteacherDrJanaOdrobiňákováislocatedthere.Herextensiveknowledge,historical expertise,andconsiderablecontactshavemadethisambitiousandinnovativeprojectpossible. Weoriginallydiscussedtheideaofproducingadigitalapp,althoughtimeandbudgetconstraints meantthiswasnotpossible,soweadaptedtheprojectandthecontentproducedwasdeveloped intoafreelydownloadableteachers’packinstead,whichhasbeendesignedandpartlyresearched andproducedbymastersstudentsfromtheDepartmentofBiologyandEcologyatthelocal MatejBelUniversity.

“Itwasanamazingexperienceformetoseehowstudentsandteacherstookownership ofthisprojectcreatingcollaborativeoutcomesandproducingafantastictoolkit,which Ibelievewillbewidelyusedinthefuture.”

JanaTuranska,CentropaLineManager,Slovakia

Aim

Theaimistodevelopauniqueeducationalprojectforprimaryschoolpupilsintheregion,which focusesonboththehistory,ecology,andbiodiversityofaJewishcemeteryinSlovakia.Thisproject intendstodemonstratehowvisitstoJewishcemeteriescanprovideaninsightintoboththehistoricalpastandtheecologicalandcurrentconcernsofcommunitiestodayasneglectedrural sitessuchascemeteriesoftenbecomeplacesofrichbiodiversity,hometoarangeofplants, grasslands,wildlife,bugs,beetles,andbirdsthatliveintheseplacesalongsidebeing thesiteof Jewishburialandmemory.Thefocusoftheprojectwasaroundideasofcaringforourpastand ourfuture,andtocombatthenegativeeffectsofclimatechangebyprotectinghistoricandecologicallyimportantsites.

“Participatingintheprojectbroughtalotofnewexperiencetoallinvolvedincluding studentsandfutureteachers.”

DrAdamcová,deputyheadofDepartmentofBiologyandEcology, MatejBelaUniversityBanskáBystrica

Process

InconsultationwithLineManagerJanaTuranska(Centropa)andCountryCo-ordinatorDrJana Odrobiňáková,wecollaborativelydevelopedtheconceptforthisproject.Themaincontent providersofthepackwereDrAdamcováandDrGáperováfromtheDepartmentofBiologyand EcologyatthelocalMatejBelUniversitywhoprovidedtherelevantinformationontheecology

andbiodiversityofthecemeterywithDrJanaOdrobiňákováwhoisaJewishhistorian,collating thehistoricalinformation.Togethertheyresearchedandproducedthedidacticmaterialforthe project,whichincludedabriefhistoryoftheJewishcommunityandtheJewishcemeteryinthe cityofBanskáBystricaalongsideaherbariumindigitalform,andinformationandactivities. Photographsofthegravesandofwildlife,andfloraandfaunainthecemeteryweretakenby ZuzanaMartinkováandhavealsobeenincludedinthepack.Whenallthecontentwascompleted, translationsintoEnglishwerecarriedoutbymaster’sstudentsoftheDepartmentofBiologyand Ecology,whoaretrainingtobeteachers.Theyalsodevelopedmethodologicalmaterialatthe sametime,assistedbyateacherfromthedepartmentDrValeriánFranc,whoisarenowned expertonbugsandinsectsanddevelopedthedesignofthepack.Theworksheetswerethen testedinthecemetery.

“Inthepast,myworkfocusedonthehistoryoftheJewishcommunity,includingtheHolocaustinSlovakia.ItneveroccurredtomethatsucharareplaceastheJewishcemetery couldhavesomanydifferentdimensionsintheeducationofyoungpeople;thatitshistory canbeequallycomplementedbytheenvironmentinwhichitislocated.Iamextremely proudtohavebeenapartofthisinnovativeprojectthatconnectsthesocialandnatural sciencesinthefieldofeducationinthe21stcentury.”

DrJanaOdrobiňáková,DirectoroftheSchoolOfficeofCityBanskáBystrica,formerlyhistorian, educator,anddirectoroftheEducationalCenteroftheSNPMuseum

Outcome

AfreelydownloadablePDFformateducationpackhasbeenproducedwhichhasbeenspecifically designedtoappealtoprimaryschoolchildren(withbrightgraphicsandplentyofactivities)by Master’sstudentstrainingtobeteachers.Thepackexploresboththebiodiversityandhistory oftheJewishOrthodoxcemeteryinBanskáBystricaandincludesphotos,activitiesandother detailsabouttheplants,grasslands,wildlife,bugs,beetles,andbirdsthatliveintheseplaces alongsideinformationonthehistoryoftheJewishcommunityburiedthere.Thepackfocuses ontheJewishOrthodoxcemeteryinBanskáBystricawhichiscaredforbytheJewishreligious community,headedbyMr.Woltwhohaskindlygivenpermissionforaninformationboardabout theprojecttobeerectedatthefrontofthecemeterywithaQRcodelinkingtothepackforvisitors.

“Thishasbeensuchaninnovativeprojectinsomanyways.Firstly,exploringthebiodiversityandhistoryofaJewishcemeterysiteisauniquewayofallowingpupilsand othervisitorstoengagewiththishistoricburialground.ThefactthatMaster’sstudents fromthelocaluniversitywhoaretrainingtobeteachershavedevelopedthecontent anddesignedthepackforprimaryschoolchildrenaddsanotherlayeroflearningand professionaldevelopmenttothisexcitingproject.”

DrRachelLichtenstein,FoundationforJewishHeritageProjectOfficer

2.7

DEEPDIVE UKRAINE

2.7 DEEPDIVEUKRAINE:ONLINEMAPPINGPROJECT LIVINGSTORIES

Introduction

DuetotheongoingwarinUkraine,anonlineoutcomeforthisDeepDiveprojectwascollectively decidedtobethebestoptionaswewereunabletoconductactivitiesontheground.Theidea wassparkedbyreadinganarticlebycountryco-ordinatorAndriiKoshelnykabouttheworkof historianTetianaFedorivofthetownofZbarazhintheESJF‘CatalogueofBestPracticesforJewishCemeteryPreservation’.InthisarticleTetianarevealshowshelearntHebrewtounderstand theepitaphsinherlocalJewishcemetery,thenconductedresearchabouttheindividualsburied there,eventuallycreatinganarchiveof175individual matzevot.Furthermore,sheexpressed herambition‘tocreateamapofthecemeterytomakeiteasiertonavigate.’BeforeWWII,Zbarazh washometoapproximately3,000Jewishpeople,onethirdofthetown’sentirepopulation. Asoftoday,noJewsresideinZbarazh.TheprimarytangibleremnantoftheformerJewish presenceinZbarazhisthetown’s“new”Jewishcemetery.

“ThepurposeofthisworkistorevealunknownhistoriesoftheJewishcommunity inZbarazhforthetown’scurrentresidentsandinternationalvisitorstothiswebsite. The“new”Jewishcemetery,architecturalmonuments,andintangiblecultureareshared heritagethatwemustexplore,preserve,andshare.”

TetianaFedoriv Aim

Thisprojectaimsto createaninteractivedigital‘memorymap’ofacemeteryinwesternUkraine, oncehometoathrivingJewishcommunity,whichbringsthestoriesofindividualsburiedthere vividlytolifethroughacombinationofhistoricalresearchandphotographicimages.Theobjectivewastousethedigitalplatform‘MemoryMapper’(developedbyBritishresearchersincluding DrDuncanHayofUniversityCollegeLondonandDrRachelLichtensteinofManchesterMetropolitanUniversityin2020)togeolocateTetiana’sresearchandmakeitwidelyavailabletointernationalscholarsandthoseunabletovisitthesite.

“MemorymappingprojectinUkraineusespainstakingresearchbylocalhistorian: UK-basedresearchersarecreatingadigital‘memory’ofatowninwesternUkraineonce hometoathrivingJewishcommunity.”

JewishNews,2023

Process

TetianaworksinlocaltourisminthecitycouncilofZbarazhandwasdelightedwhenshewas approached byCountryCo-ordinatorAndriiKoshelnyktodevelopthisproject.BothAndriiand LineManagerAnnaDomnich(Centropa)haveprovidedtremendoussupportthroughoutwith translationandmanyotherissues,whichhaveofcoursebeencomplicatedduetotheongoing war.Giventhelimitationsofbudgetandtime,wedecidedtofocusontheLivingStoriesof15 individualsburiedinthiscemetery.Tetianadevelopedthesestoriesfromexaminingthetombstoneinscriptions,researching,andexploringbirthanddeathregisters,andbylookingatvarious otherwrittensources.Shetheneditedthisinformationandworkedwithphotographer Taras Kovalchuk todocumentthechosengravestonestouploadontothemap.Oncompletion,these storiesweresenttotranslatorNataliaValevskawhosenttheEnglishversionstoprojectofficer RachelLichtensteinforfurtherediting.Whenallthecontentforthesitewascompletedandready

toupload,thedeveloperDrDuncanHaycompletedtheGISworkandgeoreferencedthemapand aMemoryMapperinpreparationtouploadthecontent.Thiswascompletedduringatraining sessionviazoomwithTetiana(enabledbytranslators),meaningthatshewillbeabletocontinue touploadnewinformationontothebackendofthesiteafterthecompletionofthisproject. ThedigitalbasemapusedforthisprojectwasproducedbyOleksandrHarlan.

“Theideahasbeentousethisdigitalplatform,whichwasdevelopedintheUK,togeolocate Tetianna’stremendousresearchontheJewishcemeteryinherhometownofZbarazhmaking thisaccessibletoscholarsaroundtheworld.”

DrRachelLichtenstein,FoundationforJewishHeritageProjectOfficer

Outcome

AdigitalmemorymapoftheJewishcemeteryinthetownofZbarazhhasbeenproducedthat buildsontheworkofUkrainianhistorianTetianaFedoriv.Becauseofpreviousworkconducted bythecontent providerandthedeveloperDrDuncanHay,wewereabletocompletetheproject ontimeandtobudgetwithtremendousresults.Onthismapyouwillfindhistoricalinformation abouttheJewishcommunityofZbarazhandthelocalJewishcemeterythere,alongsidearchival research,photographs,andstoriesof15individualswhoareburiedthere.Toexplorethesite, clickononeofthecolouredshapesandinformationwillautomaticallypopupaboutthatgrave inbothEnglishandUkrainian.Tetianahopestoaddfurtherinformationtothemapinthefuture. TheFoundationforJewishHeritagewouldliketoexpressparticularthankstobothTetianaand Andriiwhohavebeenworkingonthisprojectinextremelydifficultcircumstancesduringthis pastyearinUkraine.

RACHELLICHTENSTEINBIOGRAPHY

DrRachelLichtensteinisaBritishartist,writerandcuratorwhoisinternationallyknownforher books,multi-mediaprojectsandartworksthatexamineplace,memory,andJewishidentity.She currentlycombineswritingandresearchwithapostasAssociateProfessorinCreativeWritingat ManchesterMetropolitanUniversityintheU.K.,whereshealsoco-directstheCentreforPlace Writing.SheholdsapositionasHonoraryResearchFellowattheUniversityofManchester’sCentre forJewishStudiesandisamemberoftheInternationalAdvisoryPanelfortheFoundationof JewishHeritageandtheCollectionsAdvisoryNetworkatLondon’sJewishMuseum.Lichtenstein wasawardedthefirstCreativeResearchFellowshipatLondon’sBritishLibrary.

RecentprojectsincludeprojectmanaginganarchivecollectioninLondon’soldestAshkenazi Synagogue,co-creatingdigital‘MemoryMaps’ofJewishLondonandManchester,andamultidisciplinaryresearchprojectonJewishsettlementontheCaribbeanIslandofBarbadosworking witharchaeologists,academics,andlocalpeople.ShehaspublishedwidelybothintheU.K.and internationally.Recentarticlesinclude:‘Beattie:TheBattleofCableStreet’ JewishMulticulturalism (RoyalLiteraryFund,2022);‘MemoryMapoftheJewishEastEnd’(HistoryWorkshopJournal, 2021);‘VanishedStreets:UnseenPhotographsofLostJewishLondon’(NationalLibraryofIsrael, 2020)and‘TheSearchfortheLostSynagogueofSpeightstown’(JournalofBarbadosMuseum& HistoricalSociety,2018).

Herpublicationsinclude Estuary:OutfromLondontotheSea,(Penguin,2016),longlistedfor theGordonBurnPrize, DiamondStreet (Penguin,2012), OnBrickLane (Penguin,2008),which wasshortlistedfortheOndaatjePrize. KeepingPace:OlderWomenoftheEastEnd (Women’s Library,2003), ALittleDustWhispered (2002)andthecultclassic Rodinsky’sRoom (Granta, 1999,co-authoredwithIainSinclair)whichwasdescribedbytheGuardianas‘anelegytothe lostworldoftheJewishEastEnd.’Thisbookhasnowbeentranslatedintofivelanguages,with alaunchin2019oftheFrenchtranslationattheJewishMuseuminParis.

Herworkhasreceivedextensivecoverageinthenationalprintandbroadcastmediaincluding allmajorbroadsheets,BBCLondonNews,BBCRadio4,and theBBCprogramme WhoDoYou ThinkYouAre? exploringtheactorDanielRadcliffe’sJewishheritage.Shehasalsocontributed toanthologiesandotherpublicationsandregularlyspeaksatevents,literaryfestivals,conferences,andotherinstitutionsinternationally.

Lichtensteintrainedasasculptorandherartworkhasbeenwidelyexhibited.Venuesinclude theWhitechapelGallery,BritishLibrary,BarbicanArtGallery(U.K.),WoodStreetGalleries(Pittsburgh)&theJerusalemTheatre(Israel).Heroralhistorycollectionscanbefoundinarchivesin Israel,Barbados,andtheU.K.ShehasbeenatourguideofLondon’sJewishEastEndforover thirtyyears.

THEFOUNDATIONFORJEWISHHERITAGE worksinternationallytoensurethatimportant Jewisharchitecturalsites,monumentsandplacesofculturalsignificanceindangerarepreserved andre-imaginedforasustainablefuture.

THEEUROPEANJEWISHCEMETERIESINITIATIVE(ESJF) providespracticalsolutions onhowtophysicallyprotecttheJewishcemeteriesofEurope.Theinitiative’spreservationwork aimstoconstructwallswithlockinggatesaroundvulnerablecemeteriesandlookafterthe cemeteries’generalupkeep.Bydoingthis,theESJFProjecthopestopreserveJewishmemory, especiallyinso-called‘priorityareas’suchastheformerSoviet-blocandSouth-EasternEurope.

CENTROPA isanon-profit,Jewishhistoricalinstitutededicatedtopreserving20thcenturyJewish familystoriesandphotosfromCentralandEasternEuropeandtheBalkans,anddisseminating thesestoriesandphotosthroughfilms,booksandexhibitions.Centropa’smainofficeisinVienna, butitalsohasofficesinBudapest,HamburgandWashingtonDC.

IMAGECREDITS

Imagesarereproducedbycourtesyofthefollowing: DrPaulDarby,frontcover,backcover,insidefrontcover,pp.5,14-15

YuliaOreshina,pp.8-9

DavitMirvelashvili,p.11,13

Allimagesonp.17arestillsfromthefilmproducedbythethestaffofSzombathelyTelevision anddirectedbyJuditSugár

JuditSugár,pp.18-19

GabrielKhiterer,pp.20-21,23,25

ChristianHerrmann,pp.26-27,30-31(bottomimage)

SvetlanaKostetkaia,p.29andremainingimagesp.31

PiotrBanasik,pp.32-33,35,37,insidebackcover

ZuzanaMartinková,pp.38-39,41,43

TarasKovalchuk,pp.44-45,47,49

CONTACTINFORMATION

DeepDiveprogramme

projectwebsite:www.jewishcemeteries.eu/deep-dives/ PreservingJewishCemeteries projectwebsite:www.jewishcemeteries.eu FoundationforJewishHeritage

e:info@foundationforjewishheritage.com www.foundationforjewishheritage.com

UKCharityRegistrationNumber1162111

ISBN978–3–00–075788–4

June2023

PRESERVINGJEWISHCEMETERIESisanEU-fundedpilotprojectsetupwiththe aimofpreservingJewishcemeteriesinCentralandEasternEurope.

ItisajointeffortbythreeleadingJewishheritageNGOs(FoundationforJewishHeritage, ESJFEuropeanJewishCemeteriesInitiative,andCentropa),takingplaceacrossseven Europeancountries:Georgia,Hungary,Lithuania,Moldova,Poland,Slovakia,andUkraine.

Buildingonthesuccessofworkcarriedoutduringtwoprevi ousEUpilotprojects,the consortiumaimstoraiseawarenessofJewishcemeteriesinlocalcommunities;spearheadeducationalprojectswiththegoalofincorporatingJewishcemeteriesintoschool curricula;andhelpempowerlocalactorstopreservetheirJewishcemeteries.

BasedonintensiveresearchandteachinginthesesevenEuropeancountries,weaimto createthebroadestpossibleeducationalworkonJewishcemeteriesinEurope.Theproject consistsofaser iesofactivitiessuchasseminars,webinars,youthandartuniversity competitions,andvariousformsofengagementwithlocalinstitutions&NGOs.

ISBN978–3–00–075788–4