Bardejov Holocaust Memorial
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The Bardejov Holocaust Memorial continues to serve as a tourist attraction, mainly for educational purposes, heritage and remembrance. In 2017, one thousand two hundred and ninety (1290) individuals visited the Bardejov Holocaust Memorial. People came privately, or as part of a group or a program. The majority of the visitors that came from Slovakia—seven hundred and seventy seven (777)—consisted of local tourists, elementary and high school students, and public officials. Two hundred and fifty four (254) visitors came from Israel and one hundred and thirty three (133) from Poland. From the USA there were forty five (45) visitors, thirty four (34) from the Czech Republic, seventeen (17) from Ukraine, ten (10) from Hungary and several individuals from Germany, Argentina, Denmark, Spain, UK, France and the Netherlands. The majority of visitors came during the summer months of June-September.
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Many high school students visited the Memorial in 2017 as part of an educational experience, which also included visiting other buildings of the Jewish suburbia. Thanks to the efforts of Pavol and Peter Hudak, the Memorial has become an important tool for educating younger generations about Bardejov's Jewish Heritage
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Since the opening of the newly restored old synagogue In July 2017, several cultural events have taken place there. The events, organized by local nonprofit organizations and by the City of Bardejov, include lectures, presentations, and classical music concerts.
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Righteous Among the Nations Ceremony
in Bratislava
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The Yad Vashem ceremony for awarding Righteous Among the Nations, will take place in Bratislava, on January 31, 2018. This year, four individuals from Bardejov will be awarded: Adam Bomba, Štefan Tarcala, Jozef Kisel and Vasil Kyjovský.
These are the first individuals from Bardejov to ever be awarded by Yad Vashem.
Yad Vashem contacted the BJPC for documents and information to verify the heroic acts of these individuals during the Holocaust.
The honorable ceremony—hosted by the Israeli embassy—is attended every year by the highest Slovakian state officials including the president and the prime minister. This year the event will be broadcast on National Slovak television.
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The Guttman Family of Bardejov
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A 26 year old `Bardejover' from New Jersey is extensively researching the Guttman family of Bardejov:
Mr. Joseph Guttman and his wife Rachel were the first Jewish residents of Bardejov in the 1700's. Joseph Guttman initiated the building of the Old Synagogue - a mission completed by his son-in law Izak Harpuder.
Many last names from Bardejov such as Guttmann, Harpuder, Rapaport, Fruchter, Hollander, Szamet, Feurlicht, Haas, Rosenfeld, Rosenwasser, Rotenberg, Feurer, Zeigler, Tennenbaum, Oster, Rottenberg, Goldberg, Rife, Eckstein, Levy, Lando/Landau, Ashkenazi, Neuman, Leowicz, Wald, Ratner, Sobel,Friedman, Weber, Riff and more, can be traced back to the Guttmans of Bardejov.
If you have genealogical information about the above mentioned last names that connect to the Guttman family, please let us know.
We will update you as we learn more details.
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Izak Harpuder, son-in law of Joseph Guttman, is credited with completing the construction of the Old Synagogue in 1836
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A Hebrew dedicatory plaque above the entrance to the main prayer hall in the Old Synagogue in Bardejov praises Joseph Guttman for starting the Synagogue's construction and his son-in law Izak Harpuder for finishing it. The date on the plaque indicates the building's completion on August 14, 1836
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Update about
B
eith Hamidrash Project
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We have previously reported about the remnants of two structures from different time periods found in the area which is currently occupied by Beith Hamidrash and its courtyard. These structures may have been the foundations of the oldest synagogue and the oldest Mikvah which once stood there. Thus, we applied for an archaeological permit from the Monuments Board of Slovakia (Prešov region), that would allow archaeological digging on site. At the same time we are also working with a construction engineer who will evaluate the building itself and will provide a static analysis of its structure. Once these two processes are complete, we will be able to prepare a full cost estimate and proceed with the restoration process. Your support for this project is most welcome and appreciated.
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Our mission is to preserve Bardejov’s Jewish Heritage, memorialize and honor Bardejov Holocaust victims, and conduct educational outreach to school and community groups to teach tolerance and diversity. The Bardejov Jewish Preservation Committee is not funded by any grants and depends solely on the support of generous individuals.
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TELL YOUR FRIENDS ABOUT BJPC:
If you have any friends, or know of someone who may be interested in our organization, please invite them to fill out our
mailing list request form
so that they can receive updates and information from us.
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150 S. Los Robles Ave., Suite 480, Pasadena CA 91105; 626.773.8804;
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