Special Initiative

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World Monuments Fund
Subotica Synagogue, Subotica, Serbia
World Monuments Fund
Keneseth Eliyahoo Synagogue, Mumbai, India
World Monuments Fund
Zamość Renaissance Synagogue, Zamość, Poland

Jewish Heritage

Jewish culture encompasses a history of migration, and wherever Jewish people have made their homes, they have built monuments to their traditions and faith. Some are breathtaking examples of architectural and artistic achievement, others are modest buildings with the simplest of adornment. All of them are testaments to the rich heritage of the Jewish Diaspora.

Unfortunately, hundreds of synagogues and other Jewish cultural sites around the world are in danger of disappearing forever, threatened by conflict, abandonment, neglect, inappropriate reuse, public apathy, or a simple lack of resources. In many instances, these structures are the only surviving evidence of local Jewish life.

Launched in 1988, WMF’s Jewish Heritage Program (JHP) has led international efforts to preserve Jewish cultural heritage sites around the world, particularly in places where local resources and fundraising capacities are limited. Its four major objectives are:

  • To restore significant synagogues and other important Jewish heritage sites around the world
  • To strengthen the capacities of local Jewish communities to act as stewards for these sites
  • To raise public awareness of, and interest in, the preservation of Jewish cultural heritage sites
  • To attract funding to the cause of preserving Jewish heritage

CONSERVATION PROJECTS

Over the course of nearly 25 years, WMF’s Jewish Heritage Program has supported conservation work at more than 50 sites in over 25 countries, including France, Greece, Hungary, India, Lithuania, Morocco, and Poland, ranging in date from the fifteenth to the early twentieth century. To request assistance from WMF, please see our Request for Assistance page.

E-NEWSLETTER

Sign up for the Jewish Heritage Program’s semi-annual e-newsletter to receive updates about its ongoing activities.

DIG DEEPER

Watch a slideshow of before and after photos: Preservation of Five Synagogues

SUPPORT

Your gift ensures that Jewish heritage around the globe is preserved and celebrated. On our secure donation page select “Jewish Heritage Program” in the drop-down menu to support this important work.

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