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EDUCATION

An important mission of BJPC’s is to educate younger generations about the history of Judaism and the Holocaust, with an emphasis on the people of Bardejov, Slovakia.

We do this by providing direct opportunities for students and adults within Bardejov to reconnect to the Jewish heritage of their town. Support for teachers helps ensure that young Bardejovers continue to learn about these elements of local history. Students in Bardejov also have the opportunity to participate in our annual Writing and Art contests, featured below.

Additionally, we offer opportunities for non-Bardejovers to learn about this exceptional story through heritage tours. Most recently we collaborated with MEOR/JRoots to bring a large cohort of young professionals from the USA to Bardejov. Future trips of a similar nature are planned and we are always looking to accommodate new groups who wish to enjoy an immersive learning experience.

PLEASE CONTACT US IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN ARRANGING A GROUP VISIT

J-ROOTS/MEOR HERITAGE TOUR TO BARDEJOV

In December 2018, we had the pleasure of welcoming a group of young professionals from JEC MEOR Manhattan for a beautiful tour of the Jewish heritage in Bardejov. They were the very first group of their kind to visit the town— American young adults who have no ancestry connection to the town. The tour was organized by JRoots, which have taken thousands of people on various Jewish Heritage journeys throughout the world, and we were honored to welcome their co-founder, Tzvi Sperber, as well as Rabbi Shmuel Lynn and Rabbi Yoni Spinka from MEOR.

The group was amazed by the tour. They were astonished by the knowledge and information that BJPC’s staff provided and by their passion for the Jewish cause. These young people showed great interest, and the dynamic rhythm of the tour and passionate explanations helped them forget the cold weather. Indeed, as expressed by JRoot leader Tzvi Sperber: “Bardejov gives a different aspect to both our Holocaust education and our possibility to delve deeper into Jewish heritage”.

The organizers of the tour expressed their will to return to Bardejov and extend their stay to explore other Jewish sites in Eastern Slovakia.

Here are a few comments from the group’s participants:

“The shuls we visited gave context to the destruction we witnessed in Poland, reminding us that life and light brimmed in these places now dark.”

“I have to be honest: when I learned we were going to Bardejov, Slovakia I was a little bit confused. I had never heard of the town, but from what I had seen of Tzvi I assumed there was some nugget of history that would be special. But I was completely blown away at what we saw. Seeing the shul, meeting Pavol (Hudak), and learning about the story there moved me to tears, both from joy and sadness. It’s too easy on a trip to Eastern Europe to lose faith in humanity, but it is people like Pavol and the rest of the committee members we met who tirelessly work to actualize the words “Never Forget” that help to remind us of the inextinguishable flame of human goodness. When I posted on social media about the experience a friend of mine from Texas messaged me saying that her family was from Bardejov; it really drove home that there are so many stories of the holocaust we have never heard of that are much closer to us than we could ever imagine. Visiting was a privilege I will never forget about”

“Though the town of Bardejov is not a typical destination on such Holocaust trips, it is a noteworthy example of the diversity of Jewish life in Eastern Europe that flourished for centuries before the Holocaust took place. As evidenced by the town’s Main Square and its several abandoned synagogues, Bardejov thrived in no small part because of its Jewish population. This legacy must be preserved and taught.”

PHOTO GALLERY FROM MICHAELA ZOLAKOVA

THE FORGOTTEN WINDOWS OF BIKUR CHOLIM

On September 20th, 2018, Bardejov Jewish Preservation Committee, in cooperation with the Youth Parliament of Bardejov and UZZNO, organized a unique event to clean the windows of the Chevra Bikur Cholim synagogue.

Local students gather inside the Bikur Cholim to begin the window cleaning project

The students brought different supplies to do the cleaning

Anna Hvizdova and student Jakub Boruv inside the Bikur Cholim

Even the hard to reach spots were taken care of by the students

Wall hangings were temporarily removed to clean behind them

The walls inside Bikur Cholim were swept

Mr. Cyril Bogol speaks about the Bikur Cholim

The students split up to tackle cleaning different areas of the synagogue at the same time

Benches and windows on the upstairs level were also cleaned

Students took care to clean every single window delicately but thoroughly

Students brought mops and brooms to get the job done

Every surface inside the synagogue was cleaned

Students cleaned every area of the Bikur Cholim

The exterior of the Bikur Cholim was also cleaned by the students

The yard outside Bikur Cholim was cleared of debris

The group of students who participated in the window cleaning activity

ESSAY AND ART CONTESTS

ESSAY CONTEST

In 2015, the Bardejov Jewish Preservation Committee initiated a yearly Essay Contest on topics related to the Holocaust for local Bardejov high school students. The contest encourages students to explore and learn about the Holocaust and its effects on society and Jewish heritage.

VIEW THE ESSAY CONTEST ARCHIVE

ART CONTEST

In 2018, we hosted our first yearly Art Contest for local Bardejov High School students, in conjunction with the Essay Contest which has been held yearly since 2015. The Art submissions are based on the same topics as the essays. The best interpretations of the theme, combined with the quality of the art piece, are considered by the committee of judges when choosing the winners.

VIEW THE ART CONTEST ARCHIVE

CONFERENCE HOSTED BY POLIN MUSEUM

In 2016, our Executive Director, Orit Stieglitz, and then Director of Operations in Slovakia, Peter Hudak, attended the Jewish Cultural Heritage Conference in Warsaw, Poland, hosted by the Polin Museum of Jewish Heritage.

Ms. Stieglitz was invited to Chair the session on the meaning and roles of restoration and preservation of Jewish heritage sites in Europe. The session discussed tangible Jewish heritage and covered a variety of heritage buildings and spaces that have been restored or are in the process of being restored, conservation in different countries, and the role of these projects in Jewish and non-Jewish communities today.

DUBAI: A TIME TO REMEMBER

Mr. Emil Fish and Dr. Shay Pilnik, director of the Emil A. and Jenny Fish Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Yeshiva University, partnered with the Crossroads of Civilization Museum in Dubai (the capital city of the Emirate of Dubai) on a special event commemorating International Holocaust Remembrance day on Jan. 27, 2022, watched by 100 guests in attendance and livestreamed to hundreds more from all over the world.

(l-r): Dr. Shay Pilnik, Yael Grafy, Emil Fish

RWANDA: HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL CEREMONY

On January 27th, the 78th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, dignitaries and survivors of the Genocide against the Tutsi gathered at the Kigali Genocide Memorial to commemorate the six million Jews murdered in the Holocaust, to honor all victims of Nazi persecution, and to remember all whose lives have been destroyed through genocide and identity-based violence.