News and Messages
Friends who want to add materials to the web site, are requested to send by email to Zvi. The materials will be checked and if found suitable, will enter the site
The memorial service will be held in the evening of the annual Holocaust Remembrance Day, on Wednesday, April 18, 2012, at 16:30, at the monument of the SLONIM community and surroundings, at the Kiryat Shaul Cemetery, Tel Aviv
17th century Slonim synagogue put up for sale for 50 thousand euros
17th century Slonim synagogue put up for sale for 50 thousand euros
The Slonim synagogue, built in 1642 in the Baroque style, was put up for sale. The building is a historical and cultural value
The initial price for the synagogue is 137,000 rubles, for this amount you can buy an unfinished cottage in the Grodno microdistrict Zaritsa
Now the synagogue is on the balance sheet of the department of culture of the Slonim district executive committee. According to
the terms of the sale, it is possible to reconstruct the building into a religious (religious) destination, an object of cultural, educational and entertainment purposes. Installment payment up to 1 year is possible. The lease term for the plot under the building is 50 years
Design estimates for reconstruction must be developed within 2 years. When restoring the building, it is necessary to preserve the artistic, stylistic and design features, and have time to put into operation - no later than 5 years from the date of conclusion of the contract. In the event of default, the seller may terminate the contract unilaterally without reimbursing the winner of the auction
The auction will take place a week later, on June 15, in Grodno at the address September 17, 39. Beginning at 12:00. The last day for applying for participation is June 10th
The Slonim Synagogue is the oldest building in the city and one of the oldest synagogues in Belarus. Before the Second World
War, about 17 thousand Jews lived in the city, but only 200 survived. After the war, the synagogue was used as a warehouse. For the past two decades it has been empty. During this time, the building began to fall apart and was often subjected to vandalism, but part of the interior decoration was still preserved
At the beginning of 2018, the building was among the four most important synagogues in Europe that need to be restored. In England, they presented a project to save the synagogues in Europe, created at the initiative of the Jewish Heritage Foundation, and were looking for funding
Last year, the head of the Association of Slonim Jews in Israel, Zvi Shefet, said that Slonim Jews will raise funds in Israel and other countries of the world to restore the synagogue, but, as a guest from Israel said, there should be some help from the Slonim authorities, writes "Radio Ratsya". i
You can also read about it in the Russian website, here: https://belaruspartisan.by/life/502587
Slonim Donation Project in London (June 2020)
Dear Zvi,
Many thanks for your message.
I attach the statement that we had sent out in English and Russian which explains our current approach – and I believe Hila has a version in Ivrit.
We are delighted to continue to have your and your Association’s support for our own efforts to preserve the Great Synagogue, and have the great pleasure of working with you and Hila. It means a lot to us.
We did sign a co-operation agreement with the Mayor and City of Slonim. However, the Mayor was changed, and we were ourselves surprised when we learnt that the City planned to auction the building. We had hoped that we could negotiate taking ownership of the Synagogue directly with the City.
Our plan is now to bid in the second round of the auction. We have appointed the Belarusian Voluntary Society for the Protection of Historical and Cultural Monuments who will carry out further investigations and develop a design for the overall project, which will include how much it will cost. We essentially want to create an educational museum space, a memorial, and a cultural venue for Slonim.
We are keeping in contact with Galina Levina who has given us important advice and guidance. We hugely value her experience and expertise, and are hoping that we can continue to benefit from her wisdom.
We already have a bank account for the Slonim project, and we can receive donations through our project website - https://slonimsynagogue.org/donate/. We have a number of donors - and hope that this will grow!
Please do pass on to us the names of anyone whom you think may be interested in the project and would like to get involved, either by making a donation themselves or spreading the word.
We are keen to build on what you achieved, and we take heart from your help and encouragement. We will most certainly continue to keep in close touch.
Best of wishes from London!