Historic Churches 2020

BCD SPECIAL REPORT ON HISTORIC CHURCHES 27 TH ANNUAL EDITION 37 was sold in 1983 and used for various purposes, but for the last 16 years it has been lying empty, its condition deteriorating to the extent that it became formally designated as at risk. The Foundation recently stepped in and bought the building with the widely supported idea of restoring it and creating a Welsh Jewish Heritage Centre that will present the special 250+ year history of the Jews of Wales and provide a new cultural venue for the town. There are also historic synagogues with active communities that have recognised that they can make a wider contribution to society going beyond simply being a place of worship for its congregants, like the remarkable Garnethill synagogue in Glasgow. Garnethill synagogue, situated in the city centre, is a stunning grade A listed Victorian ‘cathedral’ synagogue and the jewel of Scottish Jewry. It is currently in the process of becoming the base for a Scottish Jewish Heritage Centre, with the bulk of funding provided by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. The Centre will present the history and contribution of the Jewish community in Scotland, and explore issues of diversity and cross-cultural understanding. In addition, reflecting the important mid- 20th century history of Jewish refugees to the city, the project will also contain within it a dedicated Holocaust-era Study Centre that will be an important resource available to schools, colleges and universities throughout Scotland. The traditions of the ancient Jewish community of Turkey is now essentially Sephardic. This is a result of the Ottoman Empire absorbing a huge influx of Jews in the 15th and 16th centuries following their traumatic expulsion from Spain in 1492. This Sephardic Spanish influence can be seen most profoundly in the magnificent synagogues that were built, and nowhere more strikingly than in Izmir. The Etz Hayim synagogue is the most ancient of a cluster of nine beautiful Sephardi synagogues in the old quarter of a city of almost 4.5 million. The Foundation is supporting efforts led by the Israeli-based Kiriaty Foundation to save the Etz Hayim. The project forms part of a broader vision to restore all the historic synagogues of the city and create a ‘Jewish Cultural Quarter’ as a visitor destination with a museum at its heart. The Foundation’s work has entailed following the trail of the Sephardi Jews back to pre-expulsion Spain. The former synagogue in Hijar in Aragon dates from the medieval period, and is one of the very few pre-1492 synagogues to have survived. Recent archaeological research has revealed astonishing wall murals from that time not found anywhere else in the country. After the expulsion the synagogue was absorbed into the Catholic church and for the last 500 years its former role was a hidden history. Today the building is used for church services only once a year and the Mayor, along with local activists, would like to re-purpose the site as a Sephardic heritage educational and cultural centre documenting, memorialising and celebrating its medieval Jewish beginnings. The Council of Europe recently undertook research into the state of Jewish heritage preservation today across Europe, and the Foundation was appointed the expert body to assist this process. The Report approved by the Council’s Parliamentary Assembly highlights the issues and the challenges as well as the opportunities afforded by these sites and ends with a number of important recommendations. Its conclusions include the following comment - Jewish cultural heritage forms an integral part of the shared cultural heritage in Europe and therefore requires a common responsibility to preserve it. By ensuring the survival of Jewish historic sites, collective memory would also be preserved. Valuing and having a deeper understanding of Jewish culture and heritage, which reveal significant cross-cultural exchanges and mutual enrichment with other cultures, will also contribute to inter-cultural dialogue, promoting inclusiveness and social cohesion, and combating ignorance and prejudice. The Foundation for Jewish Heritage exists to play its role in saving Jewish history. We want to find solutions for these historic buildings that can bring them back into use, and in a way that serves educational purposes, for the benefit of the Jewish people and wider society. We are dealing with the past, but are future focused, taking buildings that had become meaningless and making them meaningful once more. Buildings are stories, and these stories – dramatic, tragic, profound and glorious – are vital for our world of today. MICHAEL MAIL is the chief executive of the Foundation for Jewish Heritage, www.foundationforjewishheritage.com . If you would like more information, please visit the Foundation website or contact Michael Mail on michaelmail@ foundationforjewishheritage.com . The Sephardi Etz Hayim synagogue in Izmir, Turkey has attracted the support of the Kiriaty Foundation who are restoring it as part of a larger project to create a ‘Jewish Cultural Quarter’ in the city. Medieval wall murals have recently been uncovered in the former Sephardi synagogue in Hijar, Aragon which are thought to be unique survivals in Spain.