In a momentous ceremony held on March 22, 2024, Madame Claude Bloch, the esteemed founder of the AEPJ, was adorned with the prestigious medal of the French Ministry of Tourism. This esteemed accolade serves as a testament to Madame Bloch’s unwavering dedication and pioneering efforts in preserving and promoting Jewish heritage across Europe.

The distinguished medal was bestowed upon Madame Bloch by none other than Frédéric Bierry, the President of the European Community of Alsace, and Nathalie Kaltenbach, President of Alsace Destination Tourisme. Their joint presentation underscored the significance of Madame Bloch’s contributions in elevating awareness and appreciation of Jewish heritage, initially in Alsace and subsequently across the European landscape.

This moment of recognition not only honours Madame Bloch’s individual achievements but also symbolizes a broader acknowledgment of the collaborative endeavours that have fuelled the expansion and diversification of cultural routes across Europe.

Girona, Spain – Last Tuesday, January 30th, Girona City Hall hosted a poignant observance of the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust, featuring active engagement from the AEPJ. Girona City Council, holding the Vice-presidency of the network, hosted and organized this significant event.

The event, held in the Girona City Council’s plenary hall, featured speakers including Marta Marín Dòmine, a renowned writer and expert in memory studies, and Victor Sorenssen, Director of the AEPJ. Lluc Salellas Vilar, Mayor of Girona and President of the Patronat Call de Girona, provided the concluding remarks. The speeches underscored the crucial role of memory, educational efforts, and the potential of such events to drive initiatives and projects related to Holocaust education.

In a significant stride towards inclusive education and heritage preservation, the kick-off meeting and conference of the European Pathways to Minority Religious Heritage (MIRETAGE) project commenced on Monday at the Centre for Religion Studies of the University of Groningen, the Netherlands. AEPJ proudly participates as an associate partner, actively contributing to the project’s mission and exploring collaborative avenues within the framework of the development of Jewish heritage routes.

The MIRETAGE project aims to foster inclusive education and heritage by developing innovative methods for adult education in heritage labs and heritage trails. Heritage labs bring together diverse communities of learners with cultural heritage associations engaged in public education. Collaboratively, these groups co-create heritage trails that interlink the memories, sites, and histories of minority communities with other heritage spaces.

Luxembourg, January 15, 2024 – In a momentous development, the Association du Patrimoine Luxembourgeois (Luxembourg Heritage Association) formally established its presence on December 10, 2023, coinciding with the Luxembourg Limoud event. We are pleased to announce that this esteemed organization is on track to soon become an integral part of the Routes de Judaïsme Rhénan

Key Leadership Team:

• President: Nathalie Bloch
• General Secretary: Laure Amoyel
• Treasurer: Alexandra Samzun

The inaugural event saw an inspiring welcome address from AEPJ President François Moyse. Following this, a compelling three-generation round table engaged in profound discussions on the intergenerational approach to heritage preservation, aiming to shed light on effective transmission methods.

François Moyse, AEPJ President, commented, “The collaboration with the Association du Patrimoine Luxembourgeois signifies a pivotal step towards the shared mission of preserving and celebrating our cultural heritage.

In a significant milestone for the exploration and preservation of Jewish heritage, the AEPJ associate and board member Kiriaty Foundation International is delighted to announce the publication of a groundbreaking book resulting from the six-year-long project dedicated to the Izmir Jewish Textiles. The culmination of this extensive endeavor is encapsulated in the meticulously crafted pages of “A Legacy Revealed – The Izmir Collection of Ceremonial Synagogue Textile.”

The rescue of the ritual Jewish textiles collection in Izmir was part of a large project for the preservation of Jewish heritage in Izmir initiated by Ms. Judith Kiriaty Matalon the president of the Kiriaty Foundation, and which included the restoration and preservation of a district of nine historic synagogues in the old city of Izmir.

On December 12, 2023, the seminar for the Izmir Jewish Heritage Project took place in the Turkish city of Izmir, where the results obtained and the development of the project from 2020 were presented. This seminar was part of the European-funded project, aiming to develop a new platform of civil society organizations led by İzmir Jewish Community Foundation to sustain the Jewish Heritage within the cultural wealth of İzmir, Turkiye.

In these two years, the project facilitated the establishment of a new platform strengthening Izmir Jewish Community Foundation’s networks and likewise promoted strategic collaboration between Izmir Jewish Community Foundation and other similar civil society organizations in the EU and in Turkiye. This collaboration involved participating in decision-making processes, such as developing city plans of İzmir, and preserving cultural heritage.

Wednesday afternoon kicked off the 2023 European Mayors Summit Against Antisemitism in Dortmund, Germany. The event is organised by the Combat Antisemitism Movement, in partnership with the city of Dortmund. AEPJ, for the first time, is a partner in this event, which this year has focused on fostering cultural diversity. Representing AEPJ were François Moyse, President; Uri Bar Ner, Board member; Victor Sorenssen, Director; and Luca Baraldi, consultant.

This highly-anticipated event brought together municipal leaders from more than 60 cities and 20 countries to address the concerning rise in antisemitism in Europe, particularly following the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7th.

Distinguished mayors and other high-level municipal representatives from a broad array of cities, including Paris, Odessa, Tallinn, Tirana, and many others, joined the event.