Jewish cemeteries and the Tree of Life. The Folkingestraat-Synagogue, Groningen, The Netherlands
"The small and the great are there, and the slave is free from his master" (Job 3, 19 in the RSV of the Bible). This is the main title of a significant book presented this afternoon in the so-called Folkingestraat-Synagogue of Groningen, The Netherlands. It is an in-depth treatment of the Jewish cemeteries of the province of Groningen. Many of these cemeteries have fallen into disuse and disrepair since World War II, when around 3000 Jews from here were deported and murdered in Germany and Poland, and only a few hundred returned of a once thriving community. Recently successful efforts are being made to preserve and restore this important heritage of the province for its inhabitants and for anyone wanting to trace their roots or to mourn the injustices of history. The book gives many photographs and discusses each of of the twenty-five identified cemeteries. Everything is illustrated not only by sombre photos of tombstones but also with the stories of the lives of the great and small now made equal in death.
The synagogue was built in 1906 on the foundations of an earlier house of prayer. Its primary architect was Tjeerd Kuipers (1852-1942), who was highly inspired by the so-called 'Moorish Style' then at its apex in Germany (see an earlier photo I posted of the Grand Mosque of Medan on Sumatra, Indonesia).
As I was listening to the presentations, I thought a photo of this great stained-glass window in the synagogue to be particularly relevant. It's the color of hope. More importantly - if you look at it carefully - you will see six trees heavy with fruit. This is a direct reference to the symbolism of the 'Tree of Life'. Highly important in Judaism and in particular in the Kabbalah, it returns in the official name of many synagogues: variations in as many transcriptions as nationalities of the Hebrew 'Etz Chayim' (e.g. in Proverbs 3, 18). It's also a name for the Folkingestraat-Synagogue.
(I've tried before to take a photo of this window but was never successful because the outside light was too bright. On this rainy Monday - a little mournful because of the topic of this afternoon - the light was just right, embellishing the Blue.
The book mentioned is: Han Lettinck and Robert Mulder, "Klein en groot zijn daar gelijk". De Joodse begraafplaatsen in de provincie Groningen, eds. Simone Mooij-Valk and Lies Ast-Boiten, Groningen: Profiel, 2009, ISBN 9789052944722.)
Jewish cemeteries and the Tree of Life. The Folkingestraat-Synagogue, Groningen, The Netherlands
"The small and the great are there, and the slave is free from his master" (Job 3, 19 in the RSV of the Bible). This is the main title of a significant book presented this afternoon in the so-called Folkingestraat-Synagogue of Groningen, The Netherlands. It is an in-depth treatment of the Jewish cemeteries of the province of Groningen. Many of these cemeteries have fallen into disuse and disrepair since World War II, when around 3000 Jews from here were deported and murdered in Germany and Poland, and only a few hundred returned of a once thriving community. Recently successful efforts are being made to preserve and restore this important heritage of the province for its inhabitants and for anyone wanting to trace their roots or to mourn the injustices of history. The book gives many photographs and discusses each of of the twenty-five identified cemeteries. Everything is illustrated not only by sombre photos of tombstones but also with the stories of the lives of the great and small now made equal in death.
The synagogue was built in 1906 on the foundations of an earlier house of prayer. Its primary architect was Tjeerd Kuipers (1852-1942), who was highly inspired by the so-called 'Moorish Style' then at its apex in Germany (see an earlier photo I posted of the Grand Mosque of Medan on Sumatra, Indonesia).
As I was listening to the presentations, I thought a photo of this great stained-glass window in the synagogue to be particularly relevant. It's the color of hope. More importantly - if you look at it carefully - you will see six trees heavy with fruit. This is a direct reference to the symbolism of the 'Tree of Life'. Highly important in Judaism and in particular in the Kabbalah, it returns in the official name of many synagogues: variations in as many transcriptions as nationalities of the Hebrew 'Etz Chayim' (e.g. in Proverbs 3, 18). It's also a name for the Folkingestraat-Synagogue.
(I've tried before to take a photo of this window but was never successful because the outside light was too bright. On this rainy Monday - a little mournful because of the topic of this afternoon - the light was just right, embellishing the Blue.
The book mentioned is: Han Lettinck and Robert Mulder, "Klein en groot zijn daar gelijk". De Joodse begraafplaatsen in de provincie Groningen, eds. Simone Mooij-Valk and Lies Ast-Boiten, Groningen: Profiel, 2009, ISBN 9789052944722.)