6th European Routes of Jewish Heritage Incubator
2024 Edition

The annual training meeting of the European Routes of Jewish Heritage (ERJH), explicitly designed for the network of Route managers, reached its sixth edition (the fifth face-to-face) in September, from Monday 23rd to Wednesday 25th. It was hosted by the University of Oxford and Waddesdon Manor, the developers of the Jewish Palaces, Villas and Country Houses Route, based on the four-year research project Jewish Country Houses – Objects, Networks, People (JCH).

On this occasion, the programme focused on the specificities of each member route of the ERJH, a topic that had been discussed in previous editions but never explored in such depth:

• Participants learned about the process of creation and development of the JCH, considering its conceptualisation, ongoing research, the construction of a network of facilities and regular dissemination activities. This was presented through contributions by professionals working on the JCH, combined with visits to three facilities in the United Kingdom that are part of the route. Together, participants analysed the JCH route as a case study, comparing it with other experiences within the ERJH network.
• The programme also included contributions from Jeremy Leigh, professor at the Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem and member of the scientific committee of the AEPJ, and Jack Shepherd, postdoctoral researcher at Mid Sweden University. They led the training process on the second day of the meeting. For the first time, the training sessions split the group into two smaller ones: one for Routes in the early stages of development (continuing the original objective of the Incubator), and another for more advanced Routes (in the Accelerator format). This innovation allowed for more personalised training, while facilitating exchange of experiences and knowledge accumulated by Route managers in their professional activity.
• Another important focus was the growing complexity of the ERJH community, which year after year brings together more diverse needs and interests. At the same time, the European Institute of the Cultural Routes, the Council of Europe body responsible for regulating the certification of Cultural Routes, has been intensifying its evaluation and monitoring of certified Routes. For these reasons, it became evident that clearer regulation of the ERJH network was needed, beyond simple membership in the AEPJ. Discussions during the event therefore addressed criteria of quality and membership, including the rights and duties of all ERJH members, and agreed on several key aspects for the future of the network.

The meeting confirmed that the AEPJ’s capacity for action is undergoing continuous growth, making the European Routes of Jewish Heritage a space for cooperation beyond the narrative connection of heritage. Likewise, the maturity of the Incubator programme was recognised as something that needs ongoing reflection, so it can continue to offer relevant proposals to members and strengthen the cohesion of the network.

The 2024 edition of the ERJH training meeting closed with a strong sense of community and a shared commitment to the future of the Routes.

The European Routes of Jewish Heritage Incubator event has been supported by the University of Oxford John Fell Fund, the Arts and Humanities Research Council (grant number AH/S0066567/1) and Waddesdon Manor, and with the collaboration of Gunnersbury Park and Museum and Strawberry Hill House.