KIRKUT OF TOMASZÓW

The idea to straighten up the Jewish cemetery in Tomaszów Mazowiecki arouse already during the course of the project “Spaces of Memory – remembering the Jewish Culture of Tomaszów”. Another project “Non/Memory. Theatre in Tomaszów Mazowiecki” bore fruits and resulted in social initiative “Kirkut of Tomaszów”. The owner of the cemetery: the Łódź Jewish Community gave its consent for cleaning and restoration works at the cemetery. The objective of the campaign was to recall the memory of Jewish tradition in Tomaszów, call attention to the areas endangered by destruction and to continue the initiative of Beniamin Yaari-Wald who, as a chairman of Association of Tomaszów’s Jews in Israel, carried out cleaning works at the Jewish cemetery in 1995.  

The campaign ”Kirkut of Tomaszów” took place between 3 -7 August 2015 from 4pm to 8pm and was of a social nature. We would like to thank everyone who contributed to the rehabilitation of Tomaszów’s Jewish cemetery: Polish and foreign volunteers, City Hall, Sports and Recreation Centre in Tomaszów Mazowiecki, company Eneris Surowce S.A. branch in Tomaszów Mazowiecki, company Zysiak J. Zakład Urządzania i Konserwacji Zieleni S.C in Tomaszów Mazowiecki and Proem Foundation.

The authors and coordinators of the project were Tomaszów’s citizens: Aleksandra Koselak and Krzysztof Karbowiak.

We would like to thank Dariusz Kwapisiewicz for taking photos and  filming the campaign “Kirkut of Tomaszów” voluntarily. We recommend visiting website: tvtomaszow.pl

MATZEVOT

On 23 September 2015 several matzevot (tombstones) found in Tomaszów Mazowiecki were brought back to the Tomaszów’s kirkut (cemetery). Unfortunately many of them were almost completely destroyed. We would like to thank Piotr Caryk and Rafał Wójciak for this precious finding and bringing back the tombstones to their appropriate place.