Shadows of a Forgotten World

Several years ago I read about an old Jewish prayer room that was discovered in the basement of a building in Lviv. Finally, thanks to my friend Sarah who obtained instructions on how to find it, I was able to see it in person. (Though only on our second attempt did we actually find a way inside. More about our adventure can be found in Sarah's blog post .) Tucked away in the corner of a not-so-easily-accessible courtyard is a small staircase that leads down into the basement room that housed the prayer room. The only remnant is the painted ceiling with two lions and the Ten Commandments. The history behind this prayer room  —  when it was established and why  —  is still unknown. But according to Jewish Family Search : "Most probably this was a private house owner's prayer room or a shtiebel for Jewish families living nearby." The room is found in a building that dates from 1911, in a neighborhood south of the city center (which by the way was not one of ...

I recently finished reading Daniel Mendelsohn's book  The Lost: The Search for Six of Six Million about his search for what happened to six of his relatives during the Holocaust. He searched specifically for the fates of relatives who lived in Bolekhiv, Ukraine, a place where his Jewish ancestors settled many centuries ago. His research took him all over the world, visiting places where the tragic events happened and meeting survivors who he hoped would be able to share with him specific details about these relatives and what happened to them. It was a very well written and engaging story, both his own journey and search, but also the story of his relatives. I highly recommend this memoir as a good source from which to learn what exactly happened to the Jews of one particular town in Galicia. It's these personal stories that really touch you, the people become no longer just part of a statistic of all the people who perished during the war, but people you feel you knew. Duri...

"If the real Jewish music of Transylvania is gone, this disc makes sure it will not be forgotten."  - See more  here .