Tucked away in the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains in today’s western Ukraine is evidence of some of Europe’s most astonishing Jewish cultural heritage. For hundreds of years, this area was home to dozens of Jewish communities dotted around every village and town in the area.
In addition to the nation-wide student seminars that Lo Tishkach rolled out in Ukraine earlier this year (see previous article), a teacher seminar took place in Kiev February 7-9, training Ukrainian primary and high school instructors to run Jewish heritage and Holocaust related projects inside and outside the classroom. The seminar consisted of a mix of lectures, workshops and applied training
Following protracted negotiations with the local authorities in Toledo, Spain (see previous articles here and here), on Sunday, April 3, 2011, a memorial was placed on the site of the historic Jewish cemetery in Toledo. Almost two years ago, bones were located in the grounds of a local school and were found to be from a Jewish cemetery probably dating from at least the 14th century. Jews were expelled from Spain in 1492 but previous to that point, Toledo was a major centre of Jewish life in Spain and home to many famous rabanim.
April 6, 2011 – During an international conference on Jewish cemeteries, Lo Tishkach presented its work on the documentation, protection and preservation of Jewish cemeteries and mass graves in Europe to an audience of Jewish heritage experts. The three-day event was co-organised by the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) and the Berlin cultural heritage authorities.
Lo Tishkach has published its latest report into the state of the Jewish cemeteries and Holocaust-era mass graves in the northern Ukrainian region of Chernihiv. The report outlines the current situation and location of 19 Jewish cemeteries and eleven mass grave sites. The report found one third of cemeteries to be properly demarcated and maintained, with another third partially demarcated and protected.
