We
can define Jewish heritage in many ways. Each facet of
Jewish heritage, in its own
way, has been challenged over time. In some ways, these
challenges have occurred due to the assimilation of the
Jewish people into larger, heterogeneous
societies. Also, in some horrible way, our heritage was
and is threatened by the brute
force of anti-Semitism and war. Governments have imposed
arbitrary rules and regulations on Jews for centuries,
and this too has forced many Jewish towns to hold more
tightly onto their traditions and heritage.
The institutions that had been so much a part of Jewish
life, especially in the Eastern Europe countries, have
mostly been destroyed or altered in some way over time; only a
small percentage of these institutions remain intact.
These are our cheders, our synagogues, our
cemeteries. How many synagogues were burned and
destroyed before and during World War II by the Nazis
and their collaborators? Why were so many of the countless
Jewish matzevot in our sacred graveyards been
vandalized, toppled or used as paving stones? Certainly
these and other Jewish institutions, as they once existed, were some of
the riches of our Jewish past.
Our heritage is not inviolate. It has changed over time
and will continue to do so. The question is always "What
can and will we do as individuals, as institutions, that
will contribute to the preservation of our Jewish
heritage?" Of course, we must not rely on others to work
towards this end. It is really up to each of us to do
our part, even if our contribution is a small one.
What can we
do then? Firstly, we can contribute financially, in whatever
amount is feasible for us, to an institution whose
mission you can most closely identify with. Secondly, we
can volunteer and help those, either individually or
institutionally, that are truly needy. Thirdly, we must
strive to pass down our Jewish heritage from one generation to the
next. No matter where each of us fall on the spectrum of
Judaic observance, whether we are traditional or not,
conservative or liberal, etc., we all share a common
history that was created not only by our own ancestors,
but by all our ancestors. As Jews, though we come from
the several tribes of Israel, we are all one family. We
must do what we can to pass down the stories of our
families from one generation to the next, and encourage
others to do the same. In this way our Jewish roots
become more firmly planted in all our minds, and this
can provide us with a great source of strength.
There are many ways to preserve Jewish heritage, though
the manner of doing so depends on the location and the
opportunity. In the United States, many old synagogues
have been restored; many sadly have been neglected and met the
wrecker's ball. Probably this is more so in Eastern
Europe, though some synagogues may have been converted to churches
or used in other public ways. Often there is only a
memorial plaque with an inscription that states that
a synagogue once stood there.
The overall condition of
the cemeteries of Eastern Europe is of major concern.
Many are in disarray, stones have been toppled, broken, moved to
other places away from the grave they represent. The
good news is that many cemeteries have been
restored--fences have been built around the grounds,
stones have been placed erect again or made part of a
cemetery memorial if the proper location could not be
determined. Unfortunately, many former Jewish cemeteries
are no more, having been razed or built over, buried
under apartment buildings, town pools and firehouses. Some
have become the site of industrial areas or are used for
grazing purposes. Through the efforts of various
organizations such as the
Poland Jewish
Cemeteries Restoration Project, there is hope that many
of our precious Jewish cemeteries will be restored and
protected. Time, as usual, is of the essence.
One of the main functions of the Museum of Family
History is to preserve and perpetuate the Jewish family
and its way of life. It is essential to educate the many
who have never experienced the beauty of Jewish tradition, and
to remind those who might have forgotten. How we will
define what a Jew is and how we value our collective
histories twenty, fifty or one-hundred years
from now will be up to all of us. How we honor and work
to preserve our Jewish heritage will be our legacy.
Within this exhibition, the Museum displays
a representative sample of the many ways that the Jewish
people have worked to honor and preserve their heritage.
This exhibition, like so many that stand within the virtual walls
of the Museum, is ever-evolving, and will be augmented
over time. If you feel you have material that would be
suitable for this important exhibition, please contact
the Museum of Family History at
postmaster@museumoffamilyhistory.com.
NEW JEWISH LIBRARY:
The Future
Vilnius Jewish Library
CEMETERY PRESERVATION IN EUROPE:
The Jewish Cemetery and Place of
Remembrance, Dobra, Poland
The Rededication Ceremony
in Wachock, Poland
Restoration of the Losice
Cemetery in Poland
The Town of Szczekociny,
Poland
GHETTO MEMORIALS:
Commemoration of the
Liquidation of the Lodz Ghetto
B'NAI B'RITH LODGE:
Reopening of B'nai B'rith
Lodge in Warszawa |