The old Jewish Cemetery Sarajevo Bosnia Herzegovina
The restoration of the Jewish cemetery of Sarajevo, Bosnia, which was heavily damaged and subsequently mined during the long siege of Sarajevo, is the goal of an international effort now underway. A meeting on how to proceed on the project will take place in New York on March 15th, organized by the Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad. Representatives of the Bosnian government will present new information about the condition of the cemetery, which was de-mined last year. Representatives of American foundations have been invited to attend. The Sarajevo cemetery, located outside the town on Mount Trebevic, is one of the most famed Sephardic burial grounds in the world. Founded in 1630, when Rabbi Samuel Baruch rented the land, it is the oldest intact burial ground of any religious group in Sarajevo and is known for its age and beauty. Rabbi Baruch's gravestone existed until the recent fighting. Unfortunately, the fate of this grave and so many others is uncertain since access to the cemetery has been limited due to the danger, and a full assessment of the damage caused by the war has is still underway. During the siege of Sarajevo, the Jewish cemetery was in the front line of fighting and was used as an important artillery position by Bosnia Serbs. The damage to the cemetery and nearby buildings was mostly caused by returned fire from the city below. The Bosnian Serbs extensively mined the cemetery before their withdrawal. Last year, Yechiel Bar-Chaim, representative of the Joint Distribution Committee, reported that "undoubtably there was considerable destruction due to exchange of fire. But the cemetery is so extensively mined that one can only look from the outside which isn't very satisfactory." From below, you could see the extensive damage to the buildings surrounding the cemetery, including enormous holes in apartment buildings, etc. Jacobo Finci, head of Benevolencija, the local Jewish social services organization
Size: 5107px × 3398px
Location: Sarajevo Bosnia Herzegovina
Photo credit: © Petr Bonek / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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