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Inspired by the work of the Bardejov Jewish Preservation Committee and its commitment to preserving and remembering the Jews of Bardejov, the community of Raslavice, a village in the Bardejov region, took the initiative to clean the Jewish cemetery. The cemetery has been hidden for years in the underbrush and the restoration is part of an effort to safeguard the Jewish history of the village. They are cleaning the cemetery by removing the brush and brambles around the fence and on the tombstones at the behest of Mayor Marek Rakos and the Chief Officer Peter Pala. The mayor says that the intention is to preserve the village’s history and keep the Jewish memory alive. The community of Raslavice is also working to raise funds to restore the synagogue, which has been used as a storage/workshop. Giora Solar, the architect of the Bardejov Jewish Memorial, is acting as a consultant and assisting the leaders of the town in the restoration plans with guidance and direction. He is the son of Edita Atlas, a family who lived in Raslavice. The city took over the old synagogue to use as a cultural center for the village while they work on getting funds to restore the synagogue. In Slovakia, there are over 700 Jewish cemeteries owned by the Federation of Jewish Communities, but because there are only 3000 Jews in all of Slovakia, it is impossible to maintain the upkeep of each cemetery so the work of Raslavice is important to the preservation of Jewish history and the memory of those who lived there.
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