EASTERN EUROPE – Are the old synagogues worth saving?

EASTERN EUROPE – Are the old synagogues worth saving?

 

In 1989, Phyllis Myers traveled to Poland as Eastern Europe was emerging from Communist rule. The Jewish Heritage Council of the World Monuments Fund asked her to bring back information about the conditions of Jewish heritage, and to answer the question: Should the remaining synagogues and other buildings be restored? Why?

In this blog post, Jewish Heritage Europe revisits the question “Are the old synagogues of Eastern Europe worth saving” – and of course answers it, like Myers, with a resounding Yes.

The question seems commonplace today, given the extraordinary efforts in the past 25 years by growing numbers of people in and beyond Poland–scholars, foundations, officials, educators, conservators, museum professionals, travel companies, journalists, preservationists–whose impact on the revival of Jewish life and culture has surpassed what could have been imagined in 1989. While many difficult questions of funding, governance, ownership, priorities, and use remain in a country with so few Jews, the answer is, clearly, yes.

 

Read the full blog post and Myers’ article here.

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

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