Cities Embracing Jewish Heritage 2026: 41 Initiatives Across 15 Countries
From small towns to major European capitals, this year’s Cities Embracing Jewish Heritage programme demonstrates the breadth of local commitment to Jewish culture. Bringing together 41 initiatives across 15 countries, the programme connects municipalities, Jewish communities and cultural organisations through concerts, exhibitions, heritage walks, workshops and public discussions. Inspired by the European Days of Jewish Culture’s theme of Love, these activities celebrate Jewish heritage as part of Europe’s shared history and contemporary cultural life, with events continuing into December.
| Albania
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Roskovec: From Memory to Dialogue — a public “Tree of Dialogue” inviting messages of peace, hope and solidarity. |
| Kobersdorf: A public lecture on resistance in Austria during the Nazi period.
Lackenbach: A presentation and guided tour exploring the town’s historic Jewish cemetery. Rechnitz: What Remained — photographs, letters and testimonies tracing the history of the local Jewish community. |
Austria
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| Bulgaria
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Kyustendil: An event marking the Dimitar Peshev House Museum’s 24th anniversary, honouring his role in preventing the deportation of thousands of Jews.
Vidin: Love for Music — an exhibition and concert exploring the Vladigerov family’s Jewish musical heritage. |
| Diemeringen: Activities highlighting the synagogue, Jewish cemetery and Stolpersteine.
Herrlisheim: The Jewish Families exhibition and a musical event dedicated to poet Claude Vigée. Montpellier: Heritage tours, lectures, exhibitions and theatre exploring Jewish history and intercultural dialogue. Thann: A film and cemetery interpretation marking the synagogue’s 160th anniversary. |
France
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| Germany
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Düren district: A guided visit to Villa Buth, a lecture on Jewish dietary laws and an introduction to Jewish cuisine.
Göttingen: A recital by Eva Kirchner and Julia Bartha exploring love, memory and Jewish musical heritage. Magdeburg: Recipes That Tell Stories — a bilingual Jewish family cookbook and community launch. Munich: Jews on the Pitch, Jews in the Stands — a reading and discussion about Jewish experiences, antisemitism and solidarity in football. |
| Miskolc: The fourth Cholent Festival, featuring traditional dishes, concerts and family activities in the synagogue courtyard.
Pécs: Jewish Cultural Days combining the Dr András Stark Memorial Conference with an afternoon devoted to Jewish gastronomy. |
Hungary
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| Italy
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Carpi: Carpi 1629: A Covenant of Love — an exhibition exploring Jewish marriage through a seventeenth-century ketubah.
Cittanova: The Love That Unites — music, dialogue and remembrance, including the presentation of a charter against antisemitism. Nicotera: Guided tours exploring the historic Jewish quarter and its community. |
| Jurbarkas: Indestructible Love in Jewish Culture — an exhibition of pre-Holocaust documents and an educational lecture.
Švėkšna, Šilutė municipality: Love for Heritage — storytelling, guided tours and two new mosaics enriching the town’s Jewish heritage trail. |
Lithuania
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| Poland
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Chrzanów: Silver House of Love — digital reconstructions, an educational game and a lecture exploring Jewish wedding traditions.
Częstochowa: Love That Takes Root — a Jewish heritage walk concluding at Samuel Willenberg Square. Łęczna: Love That Remains… Tales of Legacy — intergenerational discussions, creative workshops and a public “Love Letters” installation. Płońsk: An exhibition about Paula Ben-Gurion and friendship-themed workshops introducing children to Jewish culture. |
| Lisbon: A Journey Through Medieval Lisboa — three guided tours exploring the city’s medieval Jewish heritage. | Portugal
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| Romania
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Iași: Iași LOVE: Learn about Our ValuEs — an open-air exhibition and heritage walk exploring the Jewish community and the city’s contribution to Yiddish theatre. |
| Ljubljana: A four-day festival featuring exhibitions, music, theatre, literature, gastronomy and educational activities.
Murska Sobota: His Path — a lecture and museum presentation interpreting a rare eighteenth-century Jewish tombstone. |
Slovenia
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| Spain
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Barcelona: Sea of Sepharad — Judeo-Spanish love songs performed by Ofer Ronen and Lala Tamar as Duo Andalus.
Lucena: Sephardic September — a heritage tour, music concert and cooking demonstration. Madrid: A Love of Books — a tribute to Alberto Manguel at Centro Sefarad-Israel. Tarazona: A Sephardic baking workshop exploring Rosh Hashanah recipes and traditions. Uncastillo: Jewish Heritage Days featuring lectures, workshops and a candlelit tour with music and local performances. |
| Chernivtsi: A Jewish culture festival featuring ensembles and individual artists from across Ukraine.
Drohobych: Open Doors in the Synagogue — an exhibition, a lecture on Ephraim Moses Lilien, a dance workshop and a Yiddish concert. Lviv: Jewish Tango, celebrating the musical heritage of pre-war Galicia, and Love. Law. Life., exploring Hersch Lauterpacht’s legacy. Vinnytsia: Love. Three Dimensions: History, Culture and Food — a museum visit, cooking workshop and concert. Zaporizhzhia: Flavours of Love — culinary workshops, storytelling and family activities exploring the Jewish autumn holidays. |
Ukraine
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| United Kingdom
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London: A guided walk exploring the East End’s Jewish heritage, solidarity and resistance to fascism, marking the Battle of Cable Street’s 90th anniversary. |
