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Showing posts from May, 2015

JACOB JR, MY JEWISH WORLD. THE RASHI SYNAGOGUE IN WORMS/GERMANY

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The north façade of the entrance hall (centre). Right the former community house, left at the back the Rashi-House. Yom Shishi, Sivan 11, 5775. Friday, May 29, 2015. Shalom! World.     The Jews and the Jewish Quarter in Worms The famous Synagogue in Worms is documented as early as 1034 AD. It is the centre of the Jewish quarter which, in the second half of the  10th century, adjoined the north east curve of what was then the "inner" town wall between the Kammererstrasse and the Barengasse. Jews form Worms were regular visitors of the trade fair in Cologne from as early as 1000 AD. The Baroque Aron Ha-kodesh, 1960 reconstruction of the original of 1704 on the east wall of the men's section. It was apparently not until around 1030, however, after the arrival of a large number of Jews from southern  Europe, that  the first Jewish community was founded and the stone Synagogue was erected. The gravestone of Jakob ha-bachur of 1076/77

JACOB JR, MY JEWISH WORLD. JANUSZ KORCZAK. WARSZAWA/POLAND

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Monday, Sivan 7, 5775. May 25, 2015. Shalom! World. A great figure associated with Warszawa was Janusz Korczak, M. D, a doctor, teacher and writer, author of a novel approach to children. The Old Doctor, because that was his nickname among his puplis.  In 1912, a home for Jewish orphans, built thanks to the efforts of the "Help for Orphans" Society, started to operate. From the beginning, it was headed by Janusz Korczak, M.D. (Henry Goldsmith). After the creation of the Ghetto, the orphanage was moved to 33 Chlodna St., and later to 9 Sliska St. (now Swietokrzyski Park). From there, at the beginning of August 1942, the charges together with their teachers, were taken to the Umschlagplatz and deported to the Treblinka death camp. In the courtyard of the orphanage there is a monument commemorating Janusz Korczak, and Swietokrzyski Park features a statue of the Old Doctor with children.  Shalom! Aleichem. Suporte cultural:  SOUL avec L'Integrat

JACOB JR, MY JEWISH WORLD. JEWISH MUSEUM VIENNA/AUSTRIA

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Thrusday, Sivan 3, 5775. May 21, 2015. Shalom! World. O Museu Judaico de Vienna (Dorotheergasse 11) foi fundado em 1990 e inicialmente estava localizado nas dependências da Comunidade Judaica antes de se mudar para o Palácio Eskeles. Em 1996, ele foi reaberto pela segunda vez após sete meses de trabalhos na sua renovação, projetado pelos arquitetos Eichinger oder Knechtl. A mais importante intervenção arquitetônica foi o inclusão do domo que cobriria o antigo pátio e que culminaria na conexão do andar térreo com o segundo andar. O auditório é usado para concertos e apresentações além de conter a coleção de peças Judaicas de Max Berger. Berger, foi o último membro de sua família que sobreviveu ao Holocausto, iniciou acumulando objetos ritualísticos e outros itens em memória  a sua família, o que alcançou cerca de 10.000 objetos. Após a sua morte em 1988, sua coleção foi doada a cidade de Vienna para ser anexada ao Museu Judaico. As paredes do auditório são decoradas co

JACOB JR, MY JEWISH WORLD. CAFÉS: TO DRINK, TO EAT, TO READ, TO THINK AND OTHERS THINGS. MOMENT. KRAKOW/POLAND.

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Sunday, Iyar 28, 5775. May 17, 2015. Shalom! World. Moment Coffe and Lounge, ul. Estery 22. From locals to tourists, laptoppers to hipsters, they take all kind in Moment and seem to know how to please them all. Somewhat retro with low, loungy sofas insplashy fabrics, and a great menu of bargain breakfasts, italian appetisers, wraps, salads and a range of entrees. last night's club conquest. Thogh this would certainly be an ideal place for it. Moment and similiary-stlyled not-distant neighbour Nova Resto Bar (ul. Estery 18) have captured Kazimierz in their time-stopping tractor beam (no surprise then that it's the same owners). In fact, Moment's plethora of Plac Nowy seating, evening drink specials and variety of inaccurate vintage clocks lining the walls offer a handy excuse for missing your next day rendezvous with last night's club conquest. Though this would certainly be an ideal place for it. Shalom! Aleichem. Suporte cultural:  SOUL avec L&#

JACOB JR, MY JEWISH WORLD. THE WARSZAWA UPRISING. POLAND.

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Thrusday, Iyar 25, 5775. May 14, 2015. Shalom! World. The Warszawa Uprising broke out at 5:00 pm on Tuesday, August 1, 1944 (code named 'W-Hour' as in Wolnosc being Polish for freedom). It was one of the most fundamental yet dramatic events in the city's history. Anticipated for a few days, it lasted over 2 months. The insurgents wanted to liberate the capital city from the Hitler's occupation before the entry of the  Soviet Army and thus ensure Poland's sovereignty after the end of the war. Although numerous, the insurgent forces had to face a regular, fully militarized German army without relevant weaponry. Sadly, being denied any assistance from the allies, they were doomed to fail. The support they hoped for never came. Clashed between two mighty armies, the Soviets and the Germans, the Uprising slowly bled out.  The looming destiny of Warszawa, known as the 'Paris of the East' before the war, was fulfilled by Heinrich Himmler&#

JACOB JR, MY JEWISH WORLD. JEWISH CEMETERY IN OKAPOVA STREET. WARSZAWA/POLAND.

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Sunday, Iyar 21, 5775. May 10, 2015. Shalom! World. Jewish Cemetery in Okapova Street - Warszawa/Poland The turn of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries also marked the establishment of the Warszawa Jewish Commune and the estabilishment of the Jewish Cemetery in Okapova Street. Founded in 1806, it is one of the few currently operating Jewish cemeteries in Poland. Over 250.000 tombstones survived here, many of high artistic value. Many prominent figures were buried at the cemetery - the creator of Esperanto, Ludwik Zamenhof, a writer Isaac Leib Peretz, an actress Esther Rachel Kaminska, and numerous rabbis and tzaddikim. There are also mass graves from World War II and graves of residents of the Warszawa Ghetto, such as leaders of the Judenrat Adam Czermiakow and Professor Majer Balaban. In 2009, Marek Edelman was buried here - the last leader of the Warszawa Ghetto Uprising, but also an outstanding cardiologist, social activist and opposiotionist.  Sh

JACOB JR, MY JEWISH WORLD. POPPER SYNAGOGUE. KRAKOW/POLAND.

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Thursday, Iyar 18, 5775. May 7, 2015. Shalom! World. Popper Syangogue, ul Szeroka 16.  Today an arts studio used by local children, the Popper Synagogue is part of the rich oral history of Jewish Kazimierz. It was named after Wolf Popper, a finaciancier of the early 1600s, nicknamed 'the Stork' after his habit of standing on one leg while addressing people. This was Krakow's most lavish synagoguee, until its inevitable destruction at the hands of the nazis. Its modern-day use lends it a colourful, lively atmosphere - bright banners usually decorate the inner courtyard as you walk through the main entrance between a stretch of landmark restaurants on focal Szeroka. Shalom! Aleichem. Suporte cultural:  SOUL avec L'Integration d'Association avec Israel et dans le Monde/Fr .

JACOB JR, MY JEWISH WORLD. THE REMUH SYNAGOGUE AND CEMETERY, KRAKOW/POLAND.

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Monday, Iyar 15, 5775. May 4, 2015. Shalom! World. The smallest but most active Syangogue in Kazimierz, dating from 1553. Under normal circusntances, if you enter quietly, you may even be afforded a glimpse of a service.  Currently however, restoration works mean you'll need to make a appointment to see the interior or stroll through the cementery which was in use until 1800. This holy burial ground was spared by the vandalism of the nazis because many of the gravestones had been buried to avoid desecration during the 19th century occupation od Krakow by Austrian forces. Most famous is the tomb of the 16th century Rabbi Moses Isserles, better known as the Remuh. Ulica Szeroka 40. Shalom! Aleichem. Suporte cultural:  SOUL avec L'Integration d'Association avec Israel et dans le Monde/Fr .