Ilia Rodov, "Ars brevis, vita longa: On Preservation of Synagogue Art," Studia Hebraica 9-10 (2009-10), 91-111. (original) (raw)
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There are approximately ten historical synagogue buildings left in Ukraine today which continue, to varying extents, to preserve their original wall paintings and decoration. A number of these were only recently discovered. The attempts underway, beginning in the early 2000s, to preserve as well as uncover old paintings often produce the opposite effect, destroying authentic works. The cultural significance of these historical landmarks requires that they be included in a single international register, along with supervision and an agreed upon preservation program designed individually for each. Synagogue wall paintings will inevitably perish unless ways of transferring this heritage are sought that will move these works to a different and more reliable “medium of cultural memory”. Different, innovative approaches to museum preservation and ways of presenting these works to public view are called for. Among the tried and tested options are: reconstructing old synagogue interiors which contain wall or ceiling paintings; using motifs taken from the original paintings in new works being produced for the Jewish community; and work on exhibition projects, catalogues and two-dimensional reconstruction models. Kotlyar Eugeny, Sokolyuk Lyudmyla, Pavlova Tetiana. "Synagogue Decorations in Present-Day Ukraine: Practice in Preserving of Cultural and Artistic Heritage," Muzeológia a kultúrne dedičstvo 8, # 4 (2020): 111-136.
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World War II and the subsequent period of communist rule severely diminished the amount of historic Jewish architecture in Poland. It is estimated that in the mid-1990s there were about 321 synagogues and prayer houses in the country, all in various states of preservation. This article examines two case studies of synagogues that were salvaged by being transformed into Judaica museums. The first of these is the synagogue in Łańcut and the second concerns the complex of two synagogues and one prayer house in Włodawa. The article contains an analysis of both examples from the perspective of the following factors: the circumstances under which the institution was established, the place that the history and culture of Jews took in the Museum’s activity, the way that Judaica collections and exhibitions were constructed, the substantive, educational, and research activities that were undertaken, as well as the issue of what place these monuments occupy in the town’s landscape.
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The term “architecture of Judaism” is very diffi cult to defi ne, and in this form does not appear in the literature. Analyzing the context in which objects are created, and their designers, makes a kind of inexplicable phenomenon. Researchers are more of the opinion that Jews in the Diaspora did not develop any particular architectural form, they derived rather from existing patterns. At the same time these authors often use interchangeably the concept of culture and religion, making it even more diffi cult to defi ne the relevant terms. The aim of this article is to understand better the meaning of “architecture of Judaism” and, looking through the prism of culture and religion and the symbolism ingrained in them, to demonstrate certain universal patterns that are part of the constitutive phenomenon of architecture rooted in religion.
THE HİSTORY AND RESTORATİON OF THE LARGE HOLY (KAL KADOŞ HA GADOL) SYNAGOGUE İN EDİRNE
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Synagogues in Post‑Soviet Belarus and the Region: Overcoming Abandonment through Appropriation
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In Belarus there are entire categories of monuments recognised as cultural heritage and even included in the National List of Historical and Cultural Values, while at the same time excluded from the modern life and often abandoned. Along with rural manors and ancient mills, the former synagogues represent probably the largest group of such heritage objects. This is especially characteristic for the territory of Western Belarus, where their number is much higher. After the tragedy of the Holocaust these striking achievements of Jewish culture were nationalised and handed over to the local enterprises or executive authorities. Most of them were adapted to new, previously uncharacteristic functions, serving as residential buildings, warehouses, rural houses of culture, workshops, shops, etc. Their interiors were transformed in accordance with the needs and aesthetic tastes of the new owners. It turned out, however, that maintaining these facilities is rather difficult. Designed for a completely different function, they became expensive and inefficient in operation. The buildings deteriorated due to the poor economic situation, which did not allow investments in the old facilities. As a result, after the buildings were brought to deplorable condition, many of them were finally abandoned.