| About the Foundation |
A Brief History
In 2001, Dr. Michael Lozman, founder
visited his father's village in Sopotskin,
Belarus, and recognized that the
restoration of the Jewish cemetery in
that village was vital to its
preservation. He returned a few weeks
later to start the restorative process.
During the following year, Lozman
approached Hillel at Dartmouth
College, and discussed the
educational advantages of having
college students participate in such a
meaningful project. Under his
guidance and direction, an organized
trip for the Dartmouth students
developed. He accompanied them in
the restoration of four Jewish
cemeteries in Belarus during the
following four consecutive summers.
Since then, he has expanded the
network, bringing other colleges along
and continuing to seed the importance
and value of this work. He hopes that
his work sets an example so that the
restorations can continue
independently throughout Eastern
Europe.
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Education and Culture
When college students participate in
the restoration of a Jewish cemetery,
the work they are doing leaves a
lasting imprint on their lives. They
become a part of history,and they
grow through their exposure to the
effects of the evils of the Holocaust.
Prior to the trip, they engage in formal
studies pertaining to Eastern
European culture and history, as well
as the Holocaust.
Term papers are often required and
submitted upon return from the
project. Some of the colleges have
offered college credit for satisfactory
completion of the required studies,
term papers, and trip participation. At
Siena College, a formal course has
been established to complement the
trip.
Before starting work on the cemetery,
the trip begins with a tour of Auschwitz
Concentration Camp in Poland . When
in Europe, students attend cultural
events relevant to the class material
and the project. Visiting museums,
memorials, and massacre sites are
always integrated into the schedule
and have proven to be of significant
value.
Students are requested to do at least
one overnight stay in a village where
the cemetery restoration will take
place. This is arranged prior to their
arrival and has turned out to be
extremely popular. One night often
turns out to be more at the request of
both the villager and the student.
Life-long friendships are formed, and
students are given a a representation
of Eastern European culture that a
book could never teach them.
In each village we visit, we arrange to
have older village residents, especially
those who lived through the Nazi era
and Holocaust survivors, to meet with
the students for a seminar and
discuss the events of that time.
The combination of all of these events
presents an extraordinary educational
opportunity for the students with
always the comment that "it has been
a life changing experience,"
About the Foundation
The Purpose of Our Work
Our purpose is to restore Jewish
cemeteries by the installation of iron
fences around the perimeter of the
cemeteries to preserve and protect
them for the future. Our work also
consists of finding and righting
gravestones, and the clearing of
debris that has been present after
seventy years of negligence due to the
absence of returning Jews. We dig
holes for the fence panels which have
been delivered to the cemetery by the
foundry, mix and pour cement , have
the fence panels welded, and then
paint the fence. We have had over 150
American college students participate
in our projects, and they all return
home with a new sense of purpose and
a life changing experience.
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Additional Benefits
Every attempt is made to integrate our
American students with the local
village residents and school children.
We organize athletic games with the
school children, typically soccer or
volleyball, and have found that this
activity becomes a popular start to the
students' stay in the village.
After the games and home-stays have
taken place, initial cultural barriers
dissipate, and warm, sincere, lasting
friendships develop. Many village
children volunteer to work alongside
our students through thick and thin.
Tears of goodbye, and the exchange
of addresses on both sides are
common upon departure.
On the last day of our project, we invite
the village to our dedication ceremony
at the newly restored cemetery.
Following the dedication, we sponsor a
banquet to which the teachers, village
officials and home stay parents are
invited to attend. When we depart it is
clear that we have made friends,
served as goodwill ambassadors, and
that our students have learned about
the culture and hospitality of the
villages, the cities, and the country. So
far, our restorations have all been in
Belarus, and our experiences there
have been wonderful.
Our purpose is to restore Jewish
cemeteries by the installation of iron
fences around the perimeter of the
cemeteries to preserve and protect
them for the future. Our work also
consists of finding and righting
gravestones, and the clearing of
debris that has been present after
seventy years of negligence due to the
absence of returning Jews. We dig
holes for the fence panels which have
been delivered to the cemetery by the
foundry, mix and pour cement , have
the fence panels welded, and then
paint the fence. We have had over 150
American college students participate
in our projects, and they all return
home with a new sense of purpose and
a life changing experience.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Additional Benefits
Every attempt is made to integrate our
American students with the local
village residents and school children.
We organize athletic games with the
school children, typically soccer or
volleyball, and have found that this
activity becomes a popular start to the
students' stay in the village.
After the games and home-stays have
taken place, initial cultural barriers
dissipate, and warm, sincere, lasting
friendships develop. Many village
children volunteer to work alongside
our students through thick and thin.
Tears of goodbye, and the exchange
of addresses on both sides are
common upon departure.
On the last day of our project, we invite
the village to our dedication ceremony
at the newly restored cemetery.
Following the dedication, we sponsor a
banquet to which the teachers, village
officials and home stay parents are
invited to attend. When we depart it is
clear that we have made friends,
served as goodwill ambassadors, and
that our students have learned about
the culture and hospitality of the
villages, the cities, and the country. So
far, our restorations have all been in
Belarus, and our experiences there
have been wonderful.
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