We are excited to share that the Association of Descendants of Jewish Central Poland (ADJCP) will undertake the restoration of the Zychlin Jewish cemetery and we’re looking for descendants and volunteers to join us in Poland this July. Like many Jewish cemeteries in our shtetls, Zychlin’s is in tremendous need of clean-up and restoration. Dense vegetation covers most of the space, monuments and fencing are in disrepair, and signage is needed.
ADJCP has been working with the Matzevah Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to honoring Poland’s Jewish heritage through cemetery clean-up, restoration and commemoration projects. The Matzevah Foundation has a wealth of experience working in Jewish cemeteries. They handle getting permissions for restoration activities, adhering to requirements for work in Jewish cemeteries, bringing equipment to the project site, providing training for volunteers, and managing arrangements with the local community for ongoing maintenance.
The Matzevah Foundation is also coordinating with FODZ (the Foundation for the Protection of Jewish Heritage in Poland), the “owner” of the cemetery responsible for approving any projects or maintenance we do. FODZ will help with project formalities.
Zychlin’s Mayor, Grzegorz Ambroziak, and our local partners Bozena Gajewska and Anna Wrzesinska have also committed to coordinating local volunteers and providing other assistance.
As a sponsor of the project, ADJCP is eager to include descendants in the cemetery project. We’d like to invite you to travel to Zychlin in early July to assist. ADJCP will arrange for lodging and meals, but participants will pay for room and board, as well as the cost of their travel to Zychlin. We would particularly like to involve younger descendants in the project and are exploring the possibility of funding partial scholarships for young volunteers.
If you are interested in participating in the clean-up in July or in supporting the project financially, please contact us: info@adjcp.org.
ADJCP 