A Model to REDISCOVER Jewish Heritage in Europe

Background and starting point

Heritage is experiencing a renaissance during the last decades, not only in its classical sense but the popularity of “vintage” designs is also almost everywhere to be seen. On one hand, this revival connects more and more the “things” we experience around us to the notion of “Heritage”, while, on the other hand, the Heritage of our rich central European History is in many areas yet to be uncovered. One of these areas is the Jewish heritage of the Danube Region. The first challenge of the REDISCOVER Project was - in the original sense of the word - to “discover” the Jewish cultural heritage in each of the project partner cities with the help of local Jewish communities and the civil society. The discoveries made during the journey of REDISCOVER surpassed the goals “expose and exploit” described in the title of the project.

The REDISCOVER Community-sourced Jewish Cultural Heritage Valorisation Model

To achieve the above mentioned transformations a model was developed that consists of 4 different phases, whereby in each phase different actions and activities were carried out. (see the scheme below). Since all three SOs of the project are closely interrelated, the steps often contributed to the achievement of more than one SO. Even when this model suggests a linear timeline of the different phases to conceptualize and understand the whole process, in reality the different phases were sometimes implemented in parallel.

In each phase of the model different tools and methods have been applied. Phase 1 was focusing on Scoping & Engaging.

The implemented pilot projects are diverse in scope and nature and are ranging from jewish cookbooks, local maps of jewish cultural elements in the cities, guided tours, outdoor exhibitions and virtual tools.

Transferability and lessons learnt

The basic idea of European projects is to develop and transfer knowledge, methods and also models from one place in Europe to another. While the most pressing obstacle to achieve this goal is the fixation of a limited time-span (usually three years), during the last decades fruitful European Projects have developed, giving birth to a rich cultural added value and many great innovations. European Projects also have managed to influence and undermine new (urban) policies like, for example, the New Leipzig Charta (REF.) adopted in 2020. In its widest meaning, the REDISCOVER project was also aiming at integrating urban development through the activation of Jewish Heritage. The objective was to create and implement cultural and touristic pilot projects (products and services) and increase the awareness on JCH, on a local, regional and transnational level. The REDISCOVER project acts as a role model for European cities and regions with unexplored JCH that desire to enhance their local tourism strategy. For this purpose, the Community-sourced JCH Valorisation Model was developed. Through the Valorisation Model, the methodology of the REDISCOVER project can be transferred to different environments in Europe. It is important to stress “in Europe” because every Model has its limitations, determined by its context. The methods represented in the Valorisation Model worked well in this environment, but it is not granted that it would be the case in a different one. For instance, the strong involvement of the local Jewish communities and the local stakeholders is only possible if there is a – to a certain degree – organized form of civil society present. For example within the COMUS Project (Ref. Ripp / Stein) the partner cities in the countries in transition showed an overall lack of organised civil society, and this aspect needed to be developed in a first step. Another precondition in the REDISCOVER project was the existence and accessibility of historical material and artefacts connected to Jewish Heritage. This is – for sad reasons – probably not the case everywhere in Europe. Once the limitations are acknowledged, what can be transferred from the REDISCOVER project to other cities and regions? The main methodology described in the Valorisation Model can be transferred to other cities. Following the different phases, (together!) with the support of the local communities and the relevant stakeholders, along with innovative methods like Design Thinking, will ensure the successful development and implementation of products, services and activities. To describe the transfer potential in a more abstract way, the following principles may help:

The REDISCOVER Principles:

1. A thorough design of the local process (in a joint exercise) will prepare the ground for a successful project.
2. Following a conceptual model with different phases will enable a transparent, democratic and structured way of working.
3. A strong facilitator (key actor) on the ground is an absolute key to a successful project. In some cases external expertise can be brought in.
4. It is important not only to define visions, target groups etc. but also enter the muddy waters of concrete and specific projects that are implemented in the near future.
5. Quick and easy small activities with a high visibility can help to build the project ownership with the involved stakeholders and decision makers.
6. Activities that are targeting more than one sense are working well (e.g. the REDISCOVER Cooking books).
7. The real resource in European Projects are the people involved. To use this resource in the best way, professional methodologies and a strong facilitation are needed (e.g. REDISCOVER partnership with a general Lead Partner and work packages lead partners to structure the activities and responsibilities; peer learning process; Co-creation, etc.)

All these principles are of course absolutely pointless if there is a lack of mutual respect and trust between the participating persons and parties. Valuing the cultural differences (for Example in timing, approaches how to address problems, etc.) is the soil from which something fruitful can grow. The fantastic moments from the physical meetings at the beginning of the project, where lots of laughter was involved, built solid foundations, which enabled successful cooperation, despite all the restrictions related to the global pandemic. Without the possibility to meet during the second half of the project, it became challenging to understand the cultural plurality of the partnership, but we could overcome these difficulties thanks to virtual meetings (such as online partner meetings and online working group sessions).?

Diver deepter into the topic with the REDISCOVER Handbook.