About us

The European Association for the Preservation and Promotion of Jewish Culture and Heritage (AEPJ), an NGO created in 2004, is a network of European institutions, including public bodies, private foundations, federations of Jewish communities and NGO’s, that serves as a platform to develop cultural initiatives and educational programs to European Jewish sites. The AEPJ network acts as a channel for intercultural dialogue and promoting better knowledge and understanding of European history, creating awareness of cultural diversity and strengthening European citizens’ cultural identity.

The AEPJ serves as an organisational umbrella to welcome, promote, train and help develop unique Jewish cultural and heritage projects of excellence around Europe. A community, a network and a meeting point of professionals working in the field of Jewish Heritage. The AEPJ helps organisations develop their programs, offers training in the field of Jewish cultural tourism and exchange of good practices and promotes the development of transnational programs.

With a heritage approach in line with the Council of Europe, with its integrated and cross-disciplinary approach to cultural heritage and diversity, the AEPJ promotes fundamental European values ​​of human rights, cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue seeking to bring the Jewish heritage closer to all European citizens, involving them in the production, circulation and conservation of Jewish culture and heritage.

To do this, the AEPJ develops two main projects:

The European Days of Jewish Culture

The fundamental objective of this European-wide event, which has been organised since 1999, is to highlight the diversity and richness of Judaism and its local, regional and national historical importance, with the firm intention of promoting dialogue, recognition and exchange through conferences, concerts, performances, guided tours and other activities, which take place simultaneously throughout the continent.

The European Days of Jewish Culture festival is held every year around a central theme that serves as inspiration for all the activities that take place in a decentralised, pluralistic and open way from the first Sunday in September. The AEPJ has coordinated this event at European level since its beginnings, giving cohesion, visibility and relevance to the activities organised. In addition, the AEPJ offers training, resources and support to any organisation, institution or individual who wishes to organise an activity that allows Jewish culture to be shared with the whole of society.

This project has been extensively reinforced by the collaboration with the National Library of Israel, which has acted as a means to develop all kinds of exhibition and educational materials, which have given an important added value to the festival while facilitating its celebration throughout the continent.

The European Routes of Jewish Heritage

Cultural route certified by the Institute of Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe

The European Routes of Jewish Heritage is a project that invites you to travel and to discover the rich and diverse Jewish heritage of Europe, by bringing people and places together in networks of shared history and heritage, providing a wealth of leisure and educational activities for all citizens across Europe, while being a key resource for responsible tourism and sustainable development.

The certification “Cultural Route of the Council of Europe”, which was awarded to AEPJ in 2004, is a guarantee of excellence. The network implements innovative activities and projects pertaining to five main priority fields of action: co-operation in research and development; enhancement of memory, history and European heritage; cultural and educational exchanges for young Europeans; contemporary cultural and artistic practice; cultural tourism and sustainable cultural development.

Board of administration 2022

François Moyse

Position: Chairman, representative of Bnai Brith Europe
Categories: Board of Administration

Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg

Currently, the President of AEPJ and is one of the founders of the European Days of Jewish Culture. Has worked on the project since the beginning. Has been formerly chairperson of the European Union of Jewish Students, Director of B’nai B’rith Europe and President of the Jewish community of Luxembourg.

François Moyse

Chairman, representative of Bnai Brith Europe

Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg Currently, the President of AEPJ...

Claude Bloch

Position: Honorary President
Categories: Board of Administration

Strasbourg, France

Claude Bloch is one of the founders of the AEPJ, and is presently its Honorary President. She has dedicated many years of her life to the promotion of Jewish culture in Europe. She was particularly engaged in developing the Jewish Heritage in Alsace and setting up the European Day of Jewish Culture. Likewise, Claude played a crucial role in fostering lasting relations with the Council of Europe and establishing fruitful cooperation with this Institution.

Claude Bloch

Honorary President

Strasbourg, France Claude Bloch is one of the founders of...

Marta Madrenas

Position: Vice-Chairman, Patronat Call de Girona
Categories: Board of Administration

Girona, Spain.

Marta Madrenas is a Spanish politician and lawyer. Since 2016 she has been the mayor of Girona and since 17 January 2018 she has been a member of the Parliament of Catalonia in the XII legislature for the electoral coalition Junts per Catalunya.

Marta Madrenas

Vice-Chairman, Patronat Call de Girona

Girona, Spain. Marta Madrenas is a Spanish politician and lawyer....

Assumpció Hosta

Position: General Secretary
Categories: Board of Administration

Catalonia, Spain

Since 1987 working for the restoration of the Jewish neighbourhood of Girona in Spain. Director of the Patronat Call de Girona since 1992, founder member of the Red de Juderías de España in 1995, having the responsibility of Secretary-General until 2016. Founder member on the AEPJ association and current Secretary-General.

Assumpció Hosta

General Secretary

Catalonia, Spain Since 1987 working for the restoration of the...

Patrick Bikard

Position: Treasurer
Categories: Board of Administration

Patrick Bikard retired from Vesuvius plc, where he had been a member of the Executive Committee since 2008, on 31 December 2022. His last position at Vesuvius was President, Operations & Technology.

Patrick joined Vesuvius from Faurecia, where he was Executive Vice President, Operations since 2002. Before that, he had spent 7 years at Alstom as President “Traction & Equipment” of the Transport Sector and Chief Industrial Processes Officer of the Power Sector, and 9 years at Renault, his last position being Director Production & Supply Chain of the Douai plant.

He is a graduate from Ecole Polytechnique, Ecole des Mines de Paris and Cedep (INSEAD).

Patrick is a French citizen. He is currently based in Brussels. He is 67 years old and has a large family

Patrick Bikard

Treasurer

Patrick Bikard retired from Vesuvius plc, where he had been...

Noemi Di Segni

Position: Italian UCEI President
Categories: Board of Administration

Roma, Italy

Since July 2016 the president of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities has been Noemi Di Segni. Born in Jerusalem but Roman by adoption, married with three children, former Councillor for the Budget of the UCEI Council, Di Segni is in charge of the International Activities Office of the National Council of Accountants.

Noemi Di Segni

Italian UCEI President

Roma, Italy Since July 2016 the president of the Union...

Annie Sacerdoti

Position: Representative of UCEI
Categories: Board of Administration

Milan, Italy

Annie Sacerdoti, journalist, author of the first “Guide to Jewish Italy” and a series of regional Italian Jewish Itineraries and Italian Jewish Museums. Member of the Board of AEPJ from the beginning, she was in the team of the first European Day of Jewish Culture. She is Vice President of Fondazione Beni Culturali ebraici in Italia (UCEI).

Annie Sacerdoti

Representative of UCEI

Milan, Italy Annie Sacerdoti, journalist, author of the first “Guide...

Thierry Koch

Position: Chairperson of JECPJ-France
Categories: Board of Administration

Strasbourg, France

Member of the Board since 2018. Representative of JECPJ-France as Chairman of this French association. JECPJ-France coordinates all involved cities and Jewish cultural associations in their participation in the EDJC and also aims at networking the French regional routes of Jewish heritage now being developed in France. Also an active member of the steering committee in charge of organizing the EDJC in Alsace, a French region with an outstanding Jewish heritage.

Thierry Koch

Chairperson of JECPJ-France

Strasbourg, France Member of the Board since 2018. Representative of...

Claudia De Benedetti

Position: Director of the Jewish Museums of Casale Monferrato
Categories: Board of Administration

Società Immobiliare Agricola Settentrionale, Torino, Italy, CEO

Fideuram – Intesa San Paolo Private Banking, Milano, Italy, Executive Board Member

ANU International Board of Trustees Member, Tel Aviv, Israel

Maccabi World Union Board of Trustees Member, Ramat Gan, Israel

World Zionist Organization, Extended Executive Member, Jerusalem, Israel

Jewish Agency Sochnut Italy, Honoray President, Jerusalem, Israel

UCEI Unione delle Comunità Ebraiche Italiane, Board of Arbitrators – Collegio dei Probiviri – President, Roma, Italy

Jewish Museum and Synagogue of Casale Monferrato, Executive Director, Italy

MEIS – Museum of the Italian Jewry and Shoah, Scientific Committee Member, Ferrara, Italy

Claudia De Benedetti

Director of the Jewish Museums of Casale Monferrato

Società Immobiliare Agricola Settentrionale, Torino, Italy, CEO Fideuram – Intesa...

Itsik Moshe

Position: Chairman of Israeli House
Categories: Board of Administration

Itsik Moshe became a member of AEPJ board of administration in 2022.

As part of his academic studies at the University of Tel Aviv, he received two bachelor’s degrees in sciences of education and technologies. In 2020 he was awarded 2 international certificates, Certificate of Appreciation from Georgian-American University and Doctor Honoris Causa from the University of Georgia.

In 1989, during the Soviet regime he established the first mission of WUJS in the capital of Georgia, Tbilisi, and after that in other countries of the Soviet Union.

In 1990, he was elected as the first representative of the Jewish Agency in the Soviet Union; he opened 5 Jewish Agency Representation Centers in South Caucasus and Central Asia. In 1994 he achieved the highest professional role and became the director of the central mission of Jewish Agency located in Moscow.

Since 1996 Mr. Moshe has been serving as the President of the Israel-Georgia Chamber of Business and today he is the chairman of the Trade and Investments Commission of the ICC Georgia.

In 2013 he founded Israeli House, which represents the organization of Israeli Hasbara.

At the same time, he is the Chairman of the Association of Friends of the Museum of Prehistory located in the Upper Galilee.

In 2021 he was elected as a Vice President of the European Alliance for Israel (EAI)

Itsik Moshe

Chairman of Israeli House

Itsik Moshe became a member of AEPJ board of administration...

Peninah Zilberman

Position: CEO of the Tarbut Sighet Foundation
Categories: Board of Administration

Born in Israel to survivor parents from Sighet Maramures and Bucharest, Romania; Peninah served the Toronto Jewish Community for over 40 years, Principal at Jewish Schools, Holocaust Museum Director and Adath Israel Synagogue Sisterhood President.

In 2014 Peninah initiated the “70th Anniversary Commemoration to the Sighet Deportations” followed by “All Generations Gatherings” in 2015, 2017 and 2019 attracting over 1000 participants, from all over the world.

“Fundatia Tarbut Sighet- Cultura si Educatie Iudaica” (FTS) was established in October 2014. FTS mission is to assist All Generations with their Genealogy research and organizing “Family Roots/Routes Journeys”; at the same time FTS provides Jewish cultural programs with Pre & Post Holocaust themes for the regional high schools and the Cultural Centers across Romania.

Ms. Zilberman is an active member of the Jewish Federation of Romanian Jewish Communities.

Peninah Zilberman

CEO of the Tarbut Sighet Foundation

Born in Israel to survivor parents from Sighet Maramures and...

Judith Kiriaty Matalon

Position: President of the Kiriaty Foundation
Categories: Board of Administration

President and chairperson, leading since 1982 the MORDECHAI KIRIATY FOUNDATION, a philanthropic non-profit N.G.O., that has encouraged and supported humanitarians educational and cultural institutions. The Foundation has initiated two major ventures and supports them: the PEACE ACADEMY which focuses on teaching peace studies in Israel, and the IZMIR PROJECT which focuses on preservation of the historic synagogues in Izmir-Turkey, and establishing there a Jewish Museum.

Judith Kiriaty Matalon

President of the Kiriaty Foundation

President and chairperson, leading since 1982 the MORDECHAI KIRIATY FOUNDATION,...

Juli Alegre

Position: Responsible of the Patronat Intercomarcal de Turisme “Terres de Lleida”
Categories: Board of Administration

Juli Alegre

Responsible of the Patronat Intercomarcal de Turisme “Terres de Lleida”

Our team

Victor Sorenssen

Position: AEPJ Director
Categories: Office

Victor Sorenssen is director of the AEPJ since 2017. He has studied Political Science at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, where he did a stage at the Observatory of European Policies. He has been director of the Comunidad Israelita de Barcelona and founder of the Jewish Cultural platform Mozaika, where he has helped develop projects such as Sefer Barcelona, the Jewish Book Festival or the Salam-Shalom initiative.

Victor Sorenssen

AEPJ Director

Victor Sorenssen is director of the AEPJ since 2017. He...

Federico Szarfer Barenblit

Position: European Days of Jewish Culture Project Manager
Categories: Office

Federico Szarfer, based in Barcelona, works at the AEPJ as project manager of the European Days of Jewish Culture and other EU funding projects. He conceives his work as the design and creation of experiences for cultural institutions, television, theatre and events. His passion is sharing Jewish culture as a pluralistic, current and meaningful heritage that can engage anyone. He is the founder and member of the Jewish Cultural Platform Mozaika in Barcelona.

Federico Szarfer Barenblit

European Days of Jewish Culture Project Manager

Federico Szarfer, based in Barcelona, works at the AEPJ as...

Marc Francesch Camps

Position: European Routes of Jewish Heritage Project Manager
Categories: Office

Marc Francesch Camps, based in Girona, is the European Routes of Jewish Heritage project manager since June 2022. Cultural consultant focused on the analysis and planning of cultural systems, heritage and museums and professor at the Open University of Catalunya (UOC) Master’s in Cultural Management. He strongly believes in the role of Jewish culture and heritage in contributing to contemporary challenges, within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda on issues such as quality education, reducing inequalities, creating opportunities, among others.

Marc Francesch Camps

European Routes of Jewish Heritage Project Manager

Marc Francesch Camps, based in Girona, is the European Routes of Jewish...

The AEPJ is formed by 32 organisations

Annual reports

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