In Romania, the rededication ceremony at the Jewish cemetery in Medieșu Aurit took place, marking the recent installation of a protective fence at the site. Alongside the ceremony, a lecture on the importance of preserving Jewish cemeteries for schoolchildren was held in Satu Mare.
At the event, participants were addressed by Her Excellency Angela Ganninger, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Federal Republic of Germany to Romania; Rafael Shaffer, Chief Rabbi of Romania; Adrian Besa, President of the Satu Mare Jewish сommunity; Eduard Kupferberg, Secretary General of the Federation of the Jewish Communities in Romania; Rudy Marcovici, Superintendent of all Jewish Cemeteries of Romania; Marian Torok, Mayor of Medieșu Aurit Commune; and ESJF CEO Philip Carmel.
Special thanks go to Nicoleta Kighel, Director of Colegiul Național „Doamna Stanca” Satu Mare, as well as Gabriela Silaghi and Josef Hölzli, Director of the Forumul Democrat al. Germanilor din Satu Mare, who joined us together with the students. The lecture and practical workshop for schoolchildren were conducted by Cecilia Hausmann and Alexandra Fishel.
ESJF’s work in Romania has recently become more active in Satu Mare county. Over the past two years, with the financial support of the German Federal Foreign Office, we have fenced four Jewish cemeteries in the region: two in Medieșu Aurit, one in Ardud, and one in Santău. In total, in just two years we have already fenced nine cemeteries in the country, with more planned for 2026.
We are deeply grateful for the support we receive from the Jewish community of Satu Mare, the city authorities, and our national coordinator, Shimon Lipovenko, in our efforts to raise awareness and share knowledge about the Jewish heritage of the region.