04.02.2023 | Redaktor

Cleaning the cemetery, 2022

In 2022, as in previous years, we regularly took care of the Brzesko new Jewish cemetery. From the beginning of May to the end of October, we organized cleaning the cemetery 6 different times. These events were attended by many people: teachers and students from three Brzesko schools took (all together oved 120 people from the Brzesko high school and primary schools #2 and #3), young people from Ukraine – refugees who are currently studying in Brzesko, members of the Association “Memory and Dialogue. Shared History”. Each time, the entire board of the Association – Anna Brzyska, Anna Kudła and Bogdan Brzyski – was involved in the work at the cemetery. Special thanks are due to the teachers (and members of our Association) Dorota Pstrąg, Magdalena Sowa and Bernadeta Styczeń for the involvement of large groups of students in cleaning the Jewish cemetery. We are also very grateful for the cooperation of the Brzesko City Hall – we can always count on the employees of Brzesko municipality in mowing the cemetery before the March of Remembrance and taking away the collected garbage and dry branches.

In 2022 we managed to:

mow the entire territory of the cemetery several times;

clean 4 mass graves;

wash and remove moss from many individual matzevot;

collect dry branches;

trim the regrowing self-seeders;

clear many matzevot from iwy which had been completely covering some graves;

wash all information boards.

In addition to that, in May both Brzesko ohels were repainted by Dariusz Jaworek and his associates. It became possible due to the financial support of the Friends of Jewish Heritage in Poland

Brzesko remembers about is former Jewish neighbours.

Ane here are some photos from 2022 illustrating our work at the cemetery:

May 11, group of youth from Ukraine.
May 31, students from Brzesko primary school #2.
Ohels before and after being repainted
August, the cemetery before being mowed and after the completion of work.
September, Brzesko high school students clean the mass graves.
September, employees of Brzesko municipality take away garbage and cut branches
October, exceptionally large group of Brzesko primary school students works at the cemetery

© Anna Brzyska, 2023