European Days of Jewish Culture Memory Exhibition

Memory is dual in several ways. It comprises both internal, personal recollections of what we have witnessed and collective, external commemoration of what no longer exists. It is timeless to an extent, surviving as it does over generations, preserved in writing long past the lives of those in whose minds it was first held. And yet it is also firmly rooted in time, described and defined by the moment in which it was created. Compare a communal register (pinkas) to a piece of ephemera: one is created as a lasting memory tool, the other as a fleeting testimony to a single moment, but both are inherently related to their original creators and the times in which they lived.

Libraries are repositories of memory—in commemorative, archival materials, books, and records of countless lives, knowledge, and thoughts. The National Library of Israel, with its archival collections and over five million books, defines itself as a central institution of national memory.

This exhibition is designed around archival materials, memoir and press excerpts, historical photos, communal registers, postcards, and other memories of eight European communities, each poster presenting a window into the story of a community through the points of connection offered by documentary heritage. We suggest that you view it as a series of postcards sent to you from the past. Consider: what documents preserve your own memory? What could you add to a poster about your community? This digital supplement presents additional materials and a deeper look at the stories hinted in the physical exhibit (which you can download in pdf form here).