Paris, 20 November 2025 – The AEPJ participated, with a strong institutional delegation, in the Mayors Summit Against Antisemitism, held at the Hôtel de Ville of Paris under the auspices of Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo and organised by the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM), CRIF and the European Jewish Congress (EJC). The AEPJ was represented by its President François Moyse, Treasurer Patrick Bikard, Director Victor Sorenssen, Sonja Viličić, Project Lead of Cities Embracing Jewish Heritage, and Uri Bar-Ner, representative of the Kiriaty Foundation, member of the AEPJ and partner in the project Cities embracing Jewish Heritage.

The Summit brought together mayors, municipal leaders, policymakers, researchers and civil society organisations from across Europe and beyond for a full day of high-level dialogue.

This week, the AEPJ successfully completed the full series of online training sessions of the European Routes of Jewish Heritage Incubator 2025: Interpreting Architecture, Fostering Dialogue for Peace. With four rich, in-depth lectures exploring themes at the intersection of Jewish heritage, architecture, memory, education and digital innovation, participants from across Europe took part in a powerful shared learning process that now sets the stage for next week’s in-person programme in Bologna and Forlì.

The Incubator opened with a keynote by Jeremy Leigh (Hebrew Union College – Jerusalem), who invited participants to critically reflect on the relationship between Jewish heritage interpretation and the fight against antisemitism. His session examined how, despite decades of preservation work, material heritage alone cannot shift attitudes unless narratives themselves are intentionally reshaped.

On 29–30 October, the European Association for the Preservation and Promotion of Jewish Culture and Heritage (AEPJ) took part in the seminar “Malta in the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe”, a landmark gathering that brought together heritage experts, cultural operators and institutional representatives to strengthen the visibility of the Cultural Routes programme in Malta.

Organised under Malta’s Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (May–November 2025), the seminar fostered rich exchanges and new synergies among European cultural stakeholders. For the AEPJ, it was a valuable occasion to showcase its flagship initiatives — including the European Jewish Routes, the European Days of Jewish Culture, and Cities Embracing Jewish Heritage — while exploring new ways to collaborate within Malta’s vibrant cultural scene.

From 22 to 24 October 2025, the 14th Annual Advisory Forum on the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe is being held in Cappadocia, Türkiye, under the theme “Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe and Landscapes: Advancing Heritage Protection through Cultural and Sustainable Tourism.” The event gathers representatives of the 49 certified Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe, governmental authorities from the 43 member States of the Enlarged Partial Agreement (EPA), as well as cultural heritage experts, academics, and practitioners from across the continent.

Organised by the EPA in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Türkiye, the Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency, the European Institute of Cultural Routes, and with the support of the local authorities of the Cappadocia region, the Forum provides a unique platform for exchange and reflection on how Cultural Routes can contribute to the protection of Europe’s diverse landscapes through sustainable and inclusive tourism practices.

The 2025 edition of the European Routes of Jewish Heritage (ERJH) Incubator will take place from 19–21 November in Bologna, hosted by the University of Bologna and ATRIUM—Architecture of Totalitarian Regimes of the 20th Century in Europe’s Urban Memory. This seventh edition, supported by the European Union and the Council of Europe, will focus on how interpreting Jewish architectural heritage can foster dialogue for peace and counter hate speech, xenophobia and antisemitism.

Through both online and in-person sessions, participants will explore architecture’s role as a vessel for memory and resistance. The program includes lectures and workshops led by international experts such as Jeremy Leigh, Shelley Hornstein, Jack Shepherd and Alessia Mariotti, addressing themes from digital memory to sustainable heritage governance.

As this year’s European Days of Jewish Culture (EDJC) carry into October, we would like to take a moment highlight the successes garnered by two countries so far.

Firstly, the inauguration of the EDJC in Soncino held special symbolic weight, as the town is renowned as one of Italy’s most important centres of Hebrew printing during the Renaissance. Hosting the opening here highlighted the theme of Jewish heritage as a “people of the book.” The event featured the presence of EDJC manager, Alina Marincean, and of AEPJ General Secretary and President of UCEI, Noemi Di Segni, who emphasized the cultural and historical significance of Soncino’s legacy.

Equally notable was Mantova, home to an impressive Jewish book collection, carefully curated and exhibited by the dedicated staff of the Library of Mantova, further enriching Italy’s celebration of Jewish heritage.

As the 2025 edition of the European Days of Jewish Culture (EDJC) continues to unfold, participation across Europe confirms the strength of our network and its shared commitment to celebrating Jewish heritage.

This year’s edition has already seen remarkable engagement, with 734 submitted activities across 381 cities in 25 countries. Italy, France, and Lithuania lead the list of most active nations, followed closely by Spain, Germany, Hungary, and others — a testament to the dedication of local organisers and communities.

Alina Marincean, newly appointed Manager of the EDJC, took part in several activities in Italy and Stockholm to identify best practices and foster exchange among organisers. Under her leadership and based on information she is gathering on this year’s experiences, the AEPJ will develop a strategic plan for 2026, focusing on programme innovation, partnerships and revamped communication efforts, including a new website.

On February 27th, we took a major step forward with the first online information session for Cities Embracing Jewish Heritage! This inspiring meeting brought together 15 municipality representatives from 7 European countries, eager to explore how they can engage with Jewish heritage, foster inclusivity, and combat antisemitism through cultural initiatives.

During the session, participants were introduced to AEPJ, CAM, and the European Days of Jewish Culture, as well as the new Cities Embracing Jewish Heritage project, designed specifically to support municipalities and governmental institutions in celebrating and preserving their local Jewish history. The discussion was dynamic and full of ideas, with municipalities sharing potential event concepts and expressing enthusiasm about their role in this collective mission.

We are thrilled to have launched this initiative and are confident that this is just the beginning of a project that will continue to grow and make a lasting impact across Europe.

On January 19th and February 2nd the MiDorLeDor Alsace/Baden group held its third and fourth meetings in Offenburg and Strasbourg. The program, led by Françoise Elkouby, President of the Routes of Judaïsme Rhénan, and Christiane Walesch-Schneller, founder of the Blaues Haus in Breisach, involved about 30 participants from Germany and France.

The event in Offenburg began with a guided tour introducing the town’s Jewish history, including a specific activity at the medieval mikveh. This provided an opportunity to discuss the significance of the ritual of purification in Judaism, as well as the historical context of the medieval period.

On the other hand, Francine Mayran (Strasbourg) and Sandra Butch (Freiburg) presented their original and innovative approaches to transmitting the history of the Shoah to younger generations in school classes in both France and Germany, using methods such as the memory suitcase and graphic novels.