MISSION
The mission of the Foundation for Jewish Heritage is to preserve the Jewish people’s architectural heritage against threats of destruction. This is achieved through:
Research – creating an inventory of Jewish heritage sites, and identifying those at risk.
Advocacy – making the case for Jewish cultural heritage and promoting interest in specific sites
Expertise – providing professional advice and guidance to create sustainable solutions for vulnerable sites working with local partners, while nurturing expertise in Jewish heritage preservation
Resources – securing funding for Jewish heritage sites at risk to ensure these are preserved, given a contemporary purpose, and saved for the future
ACTIVITIES
The Foundation for Jewish Heritage has several projects dedicated to the safeguarding of Jewish heritage in Europe. Some examples of their activities include:
HISTORIC SYNAGOGUES OF EUROPE
The Foundation commissioned research, undertaken by the Center for Jewish Art of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, to create an inventory of the historic synagogues across the whole of Europe, categorising each synagogue building according to its significance and condition.The research identified over 3,300 sites, of which under a quarter are today functioning synagogues. This mapping was undertaken to ensure the Foundation can be comprehensive and strategic in its approach to its preservation agenda, able to identify which are today the most important synagogue sites most at risk, and it is now working to help save a prioritised number.
ADVOCACY
The Network of Jewish Heritage Cities convened a consortium from five countries to successfully bid for European Union funding to create a network of cities and towns that have significant Jewish heritage as part of their cultural offer. The network will examine models and tackle issues relating to how Jewish heritage is being addressed across Europe. The foundation was also appointed the expert body to guide a research initiative undertaken by the Council of Europe Culture Committee to examine the state of Jewish heritage preservation in Europe today. Additionally, the conference ‘Urban Jewish Heritage: Presence and Absence’ took place in Krakow, Poland as part of the European Union’s European Year of Cultural Heritage in 2018. It considered the issues, challenges – and achievements – in the recognition, preservation, and presentation of Jewish heritage.
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