Kick-off meeting of the Mi Dor Le Dor Europe project begins in Barcelona
Barcelona, May 29, 2024 – The AEPJ has successfully launched the Mi Dor Le Dor Europe (MDLDE), project funded by the European Union under the Citizenship, Equality, Rights and Values – Remembrance (CERV-2023-CITIZENS-REM) programme with a two-day kick-off meeting in Barcelona. This project, inspired by the successful Mi Dor Le Dor Poland and Mi Dor Le Dor Italy initiatives, aims to expand and adapt the innovative methodologies for Jewish heritage and culture education created by Taube Center for Jewish Life and Learning across various European countries, enriching the understanding and preservation of Jewish heritage. MDLDE seeks to engage participants from France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, and Ukraine, fostering a European awareness of Jewish contribution to the society, history, and culture, training Jewish heritage educators on methodologies and resources to display a better connection between the Jewish heritage mediation and the European Routes of Jewish Heritage, in line with the EU Strategy on combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life. The project’s objectives include developing comprehensive training programs, integrating national narratives with a broader European perspective, and building an international network of trainers equipped with the skills and knowledge to transmit Jewish heritage effectively.
From May 27-28, stakeholders and participants from across Europe gathered at Casa Adret, the oldest habitable house in Barcelona’s medieval Jewish quarter and the office of AEPJ, to engage in discussions, workshops, and lectures. The event began with a warm welcome and an introductory session by key project leaders, including Helise Lieberman, Marta Eichelberger-Jankowska, Michelle Nahum Sembira, and Valeria Milano, who outlined the scope and objectives of MDLDE. As a key topic for the project development, Victor Sorenssen, AEPJ director led a discussion on the connection between the MDLDE scope and actions and the EU Strategy on combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life, as the following stages of the project may contribute to its dissemination between Jewish heritage practitioners and educators.
Following, the first day featured a presentation by Centropa on Jewish memory education, followed by an insightful workshop on building narratives within complex historical frameworks. Participants explored the rich history of Barcelona’s medieval Jewish quarter, led by Daniel Voskoboynik, Federico Szarfer, and Víctor Sorenssen.
On the second day, the focus shifted to the use of documentary sources in constructing historical narratives. The morning session included a workshop at the Crown of Aragon Archive, where Alberto Torra, the Archive’s director, delivered a lecture on the importance of archives in interpreting Jewish history. This was followed by an afternoon lecture on Jewish heritage narratives by Marta Eichelberger-Jankowska at Centre Cívic Pati Llimona, as an introduction to the MDLDE methodologies, focusing especially on the key topics to build up the storytelling structure.
The meeting highlighted the collaborative spirit and shared commitment to enhancing Jewish heritage education across Europe. Key outcomes included the development of a European-wide training program, the integration of national narratives, and the establishment of an international network of trainers equipped to transmit Jewish heritage to diverse audiences.
Present at the meeting were representatives from all the project partners: AEPJ, Centro Sefarad Israel, Fondazione per i Beni Culturali Ebraici in Italia, Jewish Heritage Network, Brama Grodzka TNN, Taube Center for Jewish Life & Learning, Routes du Judaisme Rhénan, Centropa, and the Jewish Community of Athens.
The MDLDE project will continue its momentum with a third day of the kick-off meeting in Girona, focusing on the exploration of digital sources for Jewish heritage mediation. This session will be led by the Jewish Heritage Network, emphasizing the importance of digital tools in connecting heritage with educational purposes.
This kick-off meeting marks a significant step forward in the MDLDE project, promising to foster a deeper European awareness of Jewish history and culture while strengthening Jewish life across the continent.
