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European Day of Jewish Culture – September 7, 2008 – Information: http://www.jewisheritage.org/jh |
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EUROPEAN DAY OF JEWISH CULTURE - September 7, 2008
Launched in 1996 by the Rene Hirschler Lodge of Strasbourg, together with the tourist development agency of the Alsace, the European Day of Jewish Culture has now become an established feature of the European Jewish calendar, attracting around 200,000 visitors, when synagogues and historic Jewish sites are open to the public and communal organisations arrange associated events, often based on a theme which is chosen annually. The Day is usually held on the first Sunday in September (dependent on the dates of the Jewish holidays) and has become so popular that events may take place over a longer period, varying from a weekend to three weeks!
The Day is coordinated by the European Association for the Preservation and Promotion of Jewish Culture and Heritage (Association Europeene pour la Preservation et la Valorisation de la Culture et du Patrimoine Juifs – AEPJ). AEPJ consists of a partnership formed in 2000 between B’nai B’rith Europe, the European Council of Jewish Communities and the Res de Juderias de Espana (Spanish Jewry Network), resulting in the participation of 30 countries across Europe.
The success of the Day has led to the creation of the European Route of Jewish Heritage, set up to link notable sites in a Jewish Heritage Trail, stretching from North to South and from West to East Europe. It is included in the Council of Europe’s programme, ‘Europe: A Common Heritage’ and has been awarded the status of Major Cultural Route of the Council of Europe, one of only seven such routes.
For further details about the programmes of each country and for more information about the European Route of Jewish Heritage, visit the AEPJ website at http://www.jewisheritage.org
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