- August 10, 2024
- 8:53 pm
- Ukraine
Jewish Heritage Activists in Ukraine Launch Website Jewish Stones UA in Ukrainian and Englishthe purpose of which is to create an online archive of Jewish tombstones that were moved from their original locations in Jewish cemeteries in Western Ukraine.
The Jewish Stones UA project plays an important role in strengthening cultural ties between Ukraine and Israel. It helps preserve Jewish heritage, which has deep meaning for Israelis whose ancestors came from Ukraine. For Israel, where many Jews of Ukrainian descent live, this project represents an important step in maintaining cultural and historical ties with their historical homeland.
Currently, the site contains information about cemeteries in the cities of Dobromil, Zbarazh, Sokal and Rohatyn.
This project is a joint initiative of the Sholem Aleichem Jewish Cultural Society in Lviv and Jewish Heritage Rohatyn, with the support of volunteers. Its goal is to document the displaced tombstones and their locations.
Many Jewish cemeteries in Western Ukraine were partially or completely stripped of their headstones during the German occupation in World War II, and sometimes during the Soviet occupation after the war. These actions were not only intended to collect headstones for use in construction, but also were a form of cultural genocide to erase the visual signs of Jewish culture after Jewish communities were destroyed in the Holocaust. Today, many such cemeteries have few or no headstones left, even broken stones.
The databases on the site list the tombstones that have been found, but without information about where they were originally located in cemeteries. Some were found in cities and brought to the sites of destroyed cemeteries, while others were used to create memorials.
Cemeteries are considered sacred places in Jewish tradition, and in the modern era they can serve not only as places of remembrance and prayer, but also as sites of research to document and understand the lives and art of entire Jewish communities, serving as open-air museums of history. Some of this value is lost when headstones are removed from the graves they originally marked, especially when headstones are lost altogether. Finding displaced headstones and returning them to damaged cemeteries or installing them as part of memorials elsewhere can help restore some of this lost value.
The documentation for each stone contains a photograph and almost 30 characteristics, such as the name and dates of life of the deceased, epitaph and its translation, date and location of the stone, current location, dimensions, etc. Most of the data is available in English, Ukrainian and Hebrew.
Epitaphs and designs carved on Jewish tombstones can serve as an important source of genealogical information when searching for information about ancestors.
Users can view headstone data for each cemetery and use the site's Database Guide, which explains how to use the data search feature and provides sample features highlighting the various data formats.
Preserving Jewish cemeteries and tombstones not only helps to strengthen the understanding of Jewish history in Ukraine, but also promotes a deeper understanding of shared history and mutual connections. For Ukrainians, this is also important, as the project helps to preserve a part of their historical and cultural heritage.
The Jewish Stones UA project also plays a significant role in combating anti-Semitism and historical denial. Documenting and returning Jewish tombstones serves as a reminder of the importance of remembering tragic events of the past and helps combat prejudices and misconceptions.
Moreover, such a project can become an example for international cooperation in the field of cultural heritage preservation and historical justice. It demonstrates how historical heritage can be preserved and respected through joint efforts, thereby strengthening the ties between different cultures and peoples.
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