İzmir Jewish Heritage Project

Jun 1

The "Izmir Jewish Heritage Project," officially known as the "Cultural Wealth of İzmir - Sustaining Jewish Heritage," was launched on 1 August 2020. Led by the Izmir Jewish Community Foundation and funded by the European Commission, the project aimed to safeguard Jewish heritage as part of Izmir's broader cultural wealth. The Kentimiz Izmir Association served as a key partner. Over 41 months, a wide range of activities were undertaken to preserve the Jewish cultural heritage of Izmir and ensure its transmission to future generations.

As part of the project:

Restoration plans were developed for the Hevra and Foresteros synagogues, which were built in the 17th century but had since fallen into a dilapidated state. Located in the Havralar District of Izmir's Historic City Centre, these synagogues form part of a unique four-synagogue complex facing a shared courtyard, with no known parallels worldwide. Efforts were made to secure recognition for this complex as a centre for cultural heritage, tourism, and intercultural dialogue, both in Turkey and internationally.
A new platform was established to strengthen communication networks at the local, national, and international levels. Activities were carried out to enhance the platform’s capacity for interaction, and a centre was set up to support its activities.
Four books were published on topics including Izmir Sephardic Stories, Izmir Sephardic Women, the Jewish Press in Izmir, and Traditional Synagogue Textiles.
A series of conferences, workshops, training programmes, and study visits were organised.
Additionally, efforts were made to build institutional capacity and raise awareness of this heritage through the development of a corporate identity, a dedicated website, brochures, short films, and other initiatives.

To obtain additional information about the İzmir Jewish Heritage Project, please contact the project team via email at info@izmirjh.com.

You can also visit the official project website at izmirjh.com for more details.

The main goal of this project was to create a new platform, led by the İzmir Jewish Community Foundation, aimed at sustaining Jewish heritage as part of the cultural wealth of İzmir, Türkiye. The project sought to achieve this by:

(a) Establishing a robust platform that strengthened the network of the İzmir Jewish Community Foundation, enhancing its ability to engage with and communicate effectively with its members and stakeholders.

(b) Promoting strategic collaboration between the İzmir Jewish Community Foundation, similar civil society organisations in the European Union and Türkiye, as well as local and national public authorities. This collaboration focused on monitoring public actions, advocating for the preservation of Jewish heritage, and participating in decision-making processes, including the development of İzmir's city plans.

In addition, the project aimed to provide individuals and communities with opportunities to analyse global transformations, contribute to intercultural dialogue, foster new forms of cooperation, deepen their understanding of diverse cultural heritages, and make meaningful contributions to economic and social development.