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Resolution 2309 (2019)
The preservation of the Jewish cultural heritage
1. Jewish cultural heritage reflects
the historical plurality of communities that have lived together
for thousands of years and which, in spite of persecution, have
benefitted from significant cross-cultural exchanges and mutual
enrichment. The Parliamentary Assembly emphasises that Jewish cultural
heritage, both tangible and intangible, forms an integral part of
the shared cultural heritage in Europe and therefore requires a
common responsibility to preserve it.
2. In this context, the Assembly recalls its Resolution 885 (1987) on
the Jewish contribution to European culture, Recommendation 1291 (1996) on Yiddish
culture, Resolution 1883
(2012) on Jewish cemeteries, and Resolution 1981 (2014) on Europe’s
endangered heritage.
3. Today, less than one quarter of historical synagogue buildings
in Europe still function as synagogues. Without a community of users,
the majority are neglected and are therefore especially vulnerable.
By ensuring the survival of such sites, collective memory would
also be preserved and the sites could continue to serve as “living
heritage”, capable of engaging and educating people, especially
the young, about their history and culture, strengthening their
identity and sense of belonging.
4. Accordingly, the Assembly recommends that the member States
of the Council of Europe:
4.1. concerning
strategy and policy design:
4.1.1. sign and ratify the Council
of Europe Framework Convention on the Value of Cultural Heritage
for Society (CETS No. 199, Faro Convention) and the European Landscape
Convention (ETS No. 176) if they have not yet done so, and include
Jewish cultural heritage equitably in national strategies which
take into account cultural heritage, in accordance with the principles
laid down in these conventions;
4.1.2. recognise the special vulnerability of Jewish heritage
as “orphaned” heritage, without a community of users, and take this
into account when shaping heritage policies and programmes;
4.1.3. include Jewish heritage as a distinct category in national
surveys on the state of heritage, develop action plans to ensure
that Jewish heritage receives an appropriate level of protection,
conservation and maintenance, and directly allocate resources to
those heritage sites most at risk;
4.1.4. value the potential of Jewish cultural heritage sites
for fostering intercultural dialogue as a means of promoting inclusiveness
and social cohesion, and combating ignorance and prejudice; and
undertake an assessment of the degree to which Jewish history and
the interaction of Jewish culture with other cultures are understood
within society, in order to establish a complete Jewish historical
record and so that Jewish history can be included in school and university
curricula and recognised within the world of museums;
4.1.5. recognise, interpret and communicate Jewish traditions,
customs, religious practices, language, food, music, arts and crafts
as a rich intangible cultural heritage;
4.2. concerning implementation at local level:
4.2.1. raise
awareness of the pressing need to preserve Jewish heritage, also
as an asset of local sustainable development, and foster local “ownership”
and engagement by encouraging partnerships with various stakeholders,
including local authorities, civil society groups and interested
Jewish community and heritage organisations;
4.2.2. develop mechanisms that can facilitate discussion, exchanges
and the sharing of knowledge, skills, experiences and best practice,
involving volunteers and professionals working in the field of Jewish
heritage preservation, with a view to advancing the sense of a shared
ethos and the standardisation of practices;
4.2.3. where required, develop policies to address legal ownership
questions in relation to Jewish communal buildings to help solve
disputes and to avoid that such questions adversely affect preservation
work;
4.2.4. in the event of development schemes that may endanger
Jewish sites, ensure that preservation measures are considered in
consultation with heritage agencies and Jewish heritage bodies such
as the Foundation for Jewish Heritage;
4.2.5. in addition to established conservation practices and
methodologies to be applied to Jewish heritage sites, provide training
to ensure that the specific value of Jewish heritage sites can be
recognised, appropriately assessed and correctly managed;
4.3. concerning educational value:
4.3.1. address the
challenges surrounding the context of Jewish heritage and the impact
of the Holocaust, in an honest and forthright way, through education,
as a means for achieving a form of societal healing while promoting
well-being and reconciliation;
4.3.2. develop educational programmes, especially for young people,
to enable them to better understand and appreciate the Jewish experience
and the historical diversity of the peoples of Europe and to promote
both respect for others and for democratic citizenship;
4.4. concerning co-operation at European level:
4.4.1. foster
the inclusion of Jewish heritage sites in the Jewish cultural route,
which is part of the Council of Europe Cultural Routes Programme,
with a view to co-operating and taking part in historical research
and education, youth exchanges, and the promotion of contemporary
cultural and artistic expression, as well as interacting with other
cultural routes promoting the sense of shared history and heritage;
4.4.2. promote and support co-operation and partnerships across
Europe, seeking to disseminate best practice in the domain of protection
and preservation of Jewish heritage.
5. The Assembly invites the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities
of the Council of Europe to take account of the present resolution
and promote co-operation between local and regional authorities
in this respect.
6. The Assembly invites the European Union to co-operate with
the Council of Europe with a view to supporting the implementation
of the Faro Convention, to develop guidance and financial incentives
for the protection and preservation of Jewish heritage sites and
to consider the setting up of a mechanism for monitoring the state
of Jewish heritage preservation and the introduction of an award
for outstanding volunteer work on the preservation of the Jewish
heritage.