First Virtual Belarusian Jewish museum launches
'Without walls' online space dedicated to preserving and reimagining Belarusian Jewish history and culture
The Belarusian-Jewish Cultural Heritage Centre (BJCH) has launched the first public version of a virtual museum dedicated to the history of its Jewish community.
Before World War II, Belarus had a thriving Jewish population of an estimated 800,000 to 1 million people, making up around 14% to 15% of the total population, and more than 50% in cities like Minsk.
An estimated 80% to 90% of Belarusian Jews (between 500,000 and 800,000 people) were murdered by Nazi Germany during the occupation between 1941 and 1943.
Dedicated to preserving and sharing the stories of the community, the site has organised itself into three main areas covering searchable keyword topics including architecture, antisemitism, communism, deportation, ghetto, chasidism, Holocaust, Israel, migration, pogrom and shtetl.
It features an online exhibition space: featuring interactive digital exhibitions, including virtual reconstructions of synagogues; a powerful digital collection of photographs, documents, objects, memories, and other personal records from public and private archives and collections in several countries; a cultural hub offering a dedicated virtual space to bring together culture, art, and heritage.
BJCH founder Maya Katznelson, chief curator and project lead told Jewish Heritage Europe: “The museum is a response to the challenge of working with Belarusian Jewish heritage, much of which has been destroyed, forgotten, or scattered around the world.”
She added: “Through immersive exhibitions, a growing digital collection, and contemporary cultural projects, we are bringing together different ways of exploring, preserving, and reimagining this shared heritage.”
Describing the museum as an “evolving project” with plans to include an educational centre, shop and expanded interactive resources and exhi bitions, Katznelson said: “It is designed to evolve, with new stories, collections, and projects gradually becoming part of it, through collaboration and participation.”
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