News

2010-07-27

Prisoners are cleaning the Jewish cemetery

Jewish cemetery in Radom

A monument-lapidary is being built in the Jewish cemetery in Radom by prisoners from the local jail as a part of the project, "Tikkun – Repair."

The lapidary will have the shape of a semi-circular wall, and gravestones found in the city will be fixed there. Prisoners have commenced landscaping work, cutting grass and trimming bushes.

Jail in Radom is one of the correctional institutions which are involved in the project "Tikkun – Repair". This project is a joint venture of the Polish and Israeli prison service. The Foundation for the Preservation of Jewish Heritage in Poland is the main project partner. Last December, the Foundation staged workshops dedicated to educating prison service and inmates about Jewish culture and tradition. Participants learned how to properly take care of Jewish cemeteries according to Jewish religious customs. Similar workshops were held in prisons in Krasnystaw, Grądy, Wonieck, Czerwony Bór, Łupków and Grodzisk Mazowiecki.

The Jewish cemetery was established in Radom in 1831. During the Second World War, Jews from the Radom ghettos were buried in this place. After the war, prisoners of Pionki labor camp were also buried there. From the 1950s, the condition of the cemetery deteriorated. Eventually the cemetery was almost completely destroyed, with only several tombstones remaining. In 1992, restoration of the cemetery began. In July 2008, the gravestones which had been found during the renovations of the city, were brought to the cemetery.

Five years ago the City Council in Radom initiated the idea of building a monument in the Jewish cemetery. In 2008, representatives of the Polish and Israeli prison service became involved in this project. The unveiling of the monument will take place in autumn this year.

Comments

...

News

Prisoners are cleaning the Jewish cemetery

Comments

Archive