The Sarajevo Jewish Tour, comprising visits to both Sephardim and Ashkenazi synagogues, Haggadah book at the National Museum, Jewish cemetery and Vraca Memorial Park, provides a very comprehensive insight into the Jewish role of the dynamic Sarajevo past. This 4 hour experience will help you to better rationalize the true meaning of the most known Sarajevo nickname: “Little Jerusalem” (Ladino: “Chico Yerushalaim”) and to become more familiar about the Jewish role during the vibrant historic events.
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Global Jewish Unity Day
Global Jewish Unity Day
In June of 2014, Jews from around the world united in solidarity of the families of Eyal Ifrah, Gil-ad Shaer and Naftali Fraeknel, three Israeli teens kidnapped and murdered by terrorists.
In their honor, the Jerusalem Unity Prize was created by Jerusalem Mayor, Nir Barkat. The award acknowledges the efforts of organizations and individuals in Israel and the Jewish world who actively work to advance unity throughout Jewish communities and Israeli society.
Since the creation of the prize 8 years ago, a Jewish Unity Day was added to the calendar. On May 25, over 500,000 students from 32 different countries will be participating in events celebrating Jewish Unity.
You can participate by finding a Unity Day event in your area!
Old Jewish cemetery of Sarajevo
The OId Jewish Cemetery in Sarajevon is located on the slopes of Trebević mountain, in the south-western part of the city. It’s the largest Jewish cemetery in Southeast Europe and was in use for approximately four hundred years from the beginning of the 16th or 17th century until 1966.
Though it was established by Sephardic Jews during the Ottoman period, it also became the burial ground for Ashkenazi Jews after they arrived in Sarajevo with the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the late 19th century. It contains more than 3850 tombstones and covers an area of 31,160 square meters. It has four monuments dedicated to the victims of fascism: a Sephardi one designed by Jahiel Finci and erected in 1952, two Ashkenazi ones, and one dedicated to the victims of Ustasha militants.
The Jewish Cemetery was on the front line during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and was used as an artillery position by Bosnian Serbs. It was thus severely damaged by bullets and fire caused by explosions. It was also heavily mined but was completely cleared in 1996.
Notable people buried in the cemetery include Rabbi Samuel Baruh (first rabbi of Sarajevo from 1630 to 1650; his grave is believed to be the oldest in the cemetery), Rabbi Isak Pardo (rabbi from 1781 to 1810), Rabbi Avraham Abinun (Grand Rabbi from 1856 to 1858), Moshe ben Rafael Attias (1845 – 1916), Laura Levi Papo LaBohoreta (writer of the early 20th century), and Isak Samokovlija.
Separate vault or “grave” for damaged books known as a Genizah, is located in the southeastern part of the cemetery, with the first burial taking place on 3 July 1916. It is assumed that some 14 chests of holy books were buried in the second burial ceremony, so currently exhumation of Geniza is under way to determine its content.
Image attribution: Julian Nyča, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Sarajevo Ashkenazi Synagogue
The Sarajevo Synagogue is Sarajevo’s primary and largest synagogue located on the south bank of the Miljacka river. It’s an Ashkenazi synagogue, designed by the famous architect, Karlo Parzik, and built in the year 1902. This was the first religious object to be built in Sarajevo in the Pseudo-Moorish style and today is the only functioning synagogue in Sarajevo.
It is believed that Paržik’s designs for this Sarajevo synagogue (which at that time, was the third largest temple in Europe) were based on the synagogue in Budapest. While the city’s other synagogue, a Sephardic synagogue, was mostly destroyed by the Nazis in 1941, the Ashkenazi synagogue escaped destruction. Prior to the Holocaust, the populations of Sephardi and Ashkenazi Jews peacefully co-existed with their Christian and Muslim neighbors in Sarajevo and elsewhere in Bosnia and Herzegovina, however, the Holocaust left fewer than 5,700 Jews in former Yugoslavia.
Image attribution:
Dans, CC BY-SA 4.0
Jewish Museum of Sarajevo
The Museum of the Jews of Bosnia and Herzegovina is part of the City Museum of Sarajevo, telling the story of the 400-year history of the Jewish people in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It’s situated in the oldest synagogue in Bosnia and Herzegovina, known as the Sephardim Il kal vjezu (the old temple) which was build in 1581. The rustic architecture of this old synagogue is admired by many locals and tourists who visit the museum!
The museum was opened 1966, on the 400th year anniversary of the Jewish arrival to Sarajevo. The museum’s main exhibition is located on the ground floor of the museum and is spread over two galleries which contain photographs, documents, paintings, maps, and other cultural and ritual objects.
Hotel Old Sarajevo
Hotel Old Sarajevo features elegant accommodation in the pedestrian zone of the old town of Sarajevo (Baščaršija). This heritage hotel perfectly combines traditional charm, modern design, and superior comfort. Ideal for sightseeing, the hotel is located in the culinary center of Sarajevo (Bravadžiluk street), a 10-meter walk from the famous City Hall (Vijećnica) and popular souvenir street (Kazandžiluk). Completely smoke-free, the hotel has a beautiful lounge area and 8 superior rooms, each with its own bathroom and shower. Guests enjoy a delightful breakfast of local delicacies and healthy choices. Outstanding service makes for a lovely stay in the heart of old Sarajevo.
Libris Boutique Hotel
Located in the old part of Sarajevo, Baščarsija, close to the City Hall (Vjecnica) and Spite House (Inat kuća), hotel Libris boutique is the ideal place for accommodation of groups and individual guests. The capacity of the hotel Libris boutique is more then enough for accommodation of groups and individual gueste. Hotel Libris boutique has capacity of 40 beds in: single use, double, triple and quadruple rooms and suite. Hotel Libris boutique provides a greate opportunity in terms of accommodation for organized group, individual guests, business people, excursions at reasonable prices.
Hotel Old Town
Hotel old town is located in the heart of the Old Town of Sarajevo, which with its quality of accommodation allows you a pleasant and unforgettable stay. It offers elegant, bright rooms with bathroom, air conditioning, TV, minibar, and free Wi-Fi throughout. In the immediate vicinity are many important sights from the distant and recent past. For business travelers, the proximity of all administrative centers allows the stay to be as successful as possible in business terms. Our friendly and professional staff is at your disposal and at your service to make your stay pleasant and unforgettable.
The Jewish Story of the Shida Kartli Region of Georgia
Shida Kartli is located in the eastern part of Georgia. This region is full of cultural monuments and beautiful nature. The areas which were inhabited by Jews were Kareli, Surami, and Gori; as well as a city near the city Mtskheta, which is located in Mtskheta-Mtianeti province of Georgia.
Mtskheta, located at the junctions of the rivers Mtkvari and Araks, is an old capital of Georgia. This is the place where Jews appeared and settled down. After their persecution from Jerusalem in 586 BC, they asked the head of Mtskheta for permission to let them inhabit the area, for which they would pay a relevant amount. They got a positive answer and they occupied the part of the banks of the river Aragvi named Zanavi. After a little while the Jewish moved to different villages and cities, which were trade centers. In “Conversion of Kartli” this community is dated as the year 169 BC.
In the Georgian Chronicles Georgian Jews are connected to the crucifixion of the Christ. Eliezeri, who was from Mtskheta, and Longinus traveled to Jerusalem and they brought the cloth of Christ with them. Sidonia hugged the cloth, fell on the ground and died, and because they could not get the cloth out of her arms they buried her with it. According to the legend, the gravestone located around Svetitskhoveli territory represents Sidonia’s grave. Sidonia is also connected to Saint Nino; Sidonia traveled around with Nino, along with 6 Israeli nuns and was the witness of her miracles. In the middle centuries’ documents, it is said that many Jews were victims of kidnapping and theft; the cruel behaviour caused Jews to leave the region.
Kareli, a town in Shida Kartli, Georgia, is located on the river Mtkvari. There was a time when the number of Jews living in Kareli was fairly vast but today that is not the case, on this day the Jewish population is very small; it only consists of 400 beings. Some say the word “Kareli” doesn’t mean the “The place with wind”, and its actual origin is an Herbew word, of men, but that is just an assumption. In old times Jews were accounted as the workers of Tsitsishvili; later as the state peasants. Jews in Kareli usually were merchants and lived ordinary lives, their appearances and rules corresponded with Kareli’s population. The sites you can find in this town are Kareli Synagogue, which was built in the 20th century and a Jewish graveyard.
Gori is a city in eastern Georgia, which serves as the regional capital of Shida Kartli and the center of the homonymous administrative district. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Mtkvari and Liakhvi. The name comes from a Georgian word gora, which means, “heap”, or “hill”. The city has an old history about the Jews which starts from the 17th century; at first they inhabited the area around Gori tower, since on Sundays a trade was held here and Jews were very involved in it. In the year 1866 there were 281 Jews living within the overall 5000 Gori population.
Jewish inhabitants were usually merchants and craftsmen. In the 20th century the economy of Jewish population grew. In 1915 there were 104 Jews in Gori (approximately 16-17 families); they inhabited the same area. In 1946, during World War II, a legally registered community was established; under which was this community a synagogue, which was located on 16 Cheloskicenev St. The main Rabbi was Mordechay Davarashvili; he helped Zionist Aliyah in Israel. After the death of Rabbi Mordechay every holy book owned by him was handed to a synagogue. In this city you can find sites such as one big synagogue and Jewish graveyard.
Surami is a mountain resort in Shida Kartli’s side of Khashuri Municipality. Until the year 1970, before the migration of Jews started, there were 580 Jewish families living in Surami. The first stage of migration started in the 70s and continued in the 80s and from the 90s to 2000s due to migration only 10 families were left in the city. Majority of Jews sold their houses and the former district of Jews was later named Jerusalem Street.
Georgia Gold
Georgia Gold offers accommodation with a restaurant, free private parking, a fitness centre and a bar. This 4-star hotel offers a 24-hour front desk, room service and free WiFi. The hotel features family rooms. At the hotel, every room comes with a wardrobe. At Georgia Gold every room includes a desk, a flat-screen TV and a private bathroom. Guests at the accommodation can enjoy a buffet breakfast. Gori Fortress is 2.2 km from Georgia Gold. The nearest airport is Tbilisi International Airport, 79 km from the hotel.
