Visit and Seminar in Tallinn: Commemorating Jewish Heritage and Holocaust Memory in the Baltic Region

events Programme

In Tallinn, the EESTI JUUDI KOGUKOND MTU organisation organised two events: one dedicated to the commemoration of the Holocaust and the other – a seminar on the commemoration of Holocaust memorial sites in the Baltic countries and Poland.

The first part of the Tallinn events took place on September 18, 2025, at the historic site of the former Patarei Prison, a site of persecution during the Holocaust. Students, members of the Jewish community, local politicians, and residents of Tallinn participated in the outdoor event.

Participants visited memorials to Estonian and French Jews, where Avi Dobrysh, a researcher on the history of Estonian Jewry, presented the tragic history of the site. Alla Jakobson, a member of the Council of the Estonian Jewish Community, encouraged participants to engage with this difficult legacy and ensure it remains part of public memory.

The ceremony concluded with the lighting of candles and the laying of stones in memory of the victims.

This activity was prepared using the recently published "Jewish Tallinn" map (https://museum.jewish.ee/kulastamine/voldikkaart-juudi-tallinn/), which highlights Jewish heritage sites in the city, including Holocaust memorials. The map served both as an educational resource and a tool for community engagement.

On September 20, 2025, the Jewish Museum in Estonia hosted a seminar entitled "Online Resources for Commemoration and Remembrance of Jewish Life in the Baltic States and Poland."

The seminar focused on how digital tools can support commemoration and education about Jewish heritage and Holocaust sites in the region. The target audience included educators, museum professionals, students, and representatives of cultural institutions.

Speakers:

Joanna Król-Komla, Head of the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews (Poland)

Neringa Latvyte, Associate Professor, Vilnius University (Lithuania)

Ilya Lensky, Director of the “Jews in Latvia” Museum (Latvia)

Eneken Laanes, Professor, Tallinn University (Estonia)

The presentations introduced key online resources dedicated to Jewish heritage remembrance, such as the Virtual Shtetl by the POLIN Museum, the Holocaust Atlas of Lithuania, the Jewish Memorial Places Map in Latvia, and the Interactive Map of the Holocaust in Estonia.

The discussion emphasized differences in historical context and scope of Jewish heritage in the Baltic countries and Poland, as well as shared challenges in preserving memory through digital platforms. The seminar’s working languages were English and Estonian, with simultaneous interpretation.

The event attracted participants from Tallinn, Tartu, Kohtla-Järve, and Narva, including representatives of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Estonia, Tallinn City Council, Jewish community leaders, NGOs, and academia.

📸 Efraim Friedland