Saving, protecting ans restoring jewish cemeteries in Belarus
17
JULY
2012
The Nazi’s in their fury to destroy the Jews were also determined to remove from this earth everything Jews held dear. Their homes were looted, synagogues burned, and cemeteries desecrated. Jewish cemetery stones were used for building roads, the walls and gates surrounding the Jewish cemeteries were removed, and this sacred land was left to ruin.
Because of the Holocaust the cemeteries, usually on the outskirts of the villages, remained unattended. Often they became garbage dumps or converted to soccer playing fields, playgrounds or land for commercial use.
If there had not been a Holocaust, these cemeteries would have been cared for and maintained by their families, forever respected as a resting place for those Jews that lived there and contributed so much to the culture and life of the village and the country. But their families were killed; they did not come back. Still, they deserve to have their name and their presence kept alive, not only for its own sake, but for Jews all over the world that will in the future want to return to their roots, to connect and remember.
Our goal is to help make this happen. We select cemeteries that have no perimeter structures remaining, “fields” with only a few if any standing stones, and install an iron fence around the cemetery, remove brush and trees, find and right grave stones, and attempt to restore the cemetery back to a place of dignity. While doing this, we integrate with the village and local schools to involve them in the restoration process. Most of the work is done by college students I bring with me from the United States, and upon completion of the project, they report that this hands on experience has changed their lives and enhanced their personal growth. To date, we have restored ten Jewish cemeteries in Belarus, with more planned.
| Speaker | Location |
|---|---|
|
Dr. Michael LOZMAN |
Ella Fitzgerald B |