Education, Heritage, Remembrance

Jewish Cemeteries in Europe

About this project

In this project with educational programs in seven countries – Ukraine, Poland, Croatia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Georgia, and Hungary – funded by the European Commission, Centropa took part as a partner. The goal was to introduce the Jewish cemetery and its history to local students and to encourage them to take an active role in preserving this heritage. In the framework of the project, we organized teacher training seminars and student competitions on local history in each country, collected lesson plans, and had publications on the preservation of the Jewish cemeteries and their possible use in education.

Why is it important?

Across Europe, especially when we visit smaller towns, a neglected Jewish cemetery overgrown with ivy is the last trace of a once flourishing Jewish community. In order to not let this heritage be forgotten, it is essential to protect the Jewish cemeteries for the stories related to them to be told. It is also imperative that the mainly non-Jewish local communities take responsibility for this heritage and actively work to preserve it. Education, sensitization, and involvement of the younger generations are important steps in this process.

Why is it special?

Due to the partnerships as well as the support of the European Commission, a large-scale project was born, and we managed to reach many teachers, students, local communities, and policymakers in the seven project countries. The European Jewish Cemeteries Initiative (ESJF) mapped 1700 Jewish cemeteries, Centropa provided workshops for over 250 teachers, and more than 98 student teams submitted entries to our competitions. Due to the innovative approach, both teachers and students showed a genuine interest in the Jewish cemeteries, and we have decided to continue the program one way or another.