{"id":41248,"date":"2023-04-28T01:27:49","date_gmt":"2023-04-28T08:27:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/?p=41248"},"modified":"2023-04-26T13:58:36","modified_gmt":"2023-04-26T20:58:36","slug":"shul-heritage-sign-replaced","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/2023\/04\/28\/shul-heritage-sign-replaced\/","title":{"rendered":"Shul heritage sign replaced"},"content":{"rendered":"

The signage at the site of 1,700-year-old synagogue ruins in Albania was recently replace after a Canadian tourist informed the\u00a0<\/i>municipal government of the old signs<\/i>\u2019\u00a0<\/span>illegibility<\/i>. (photo from Dave Gordon)<\/i><\/p>\n

During a trip to Albania in September 2022, Toronto-based Jewish journalist Dave Gordon visited the city of Saranda with a couple of friends. They especially wanted to see the 1,700-year-old synagogue ruins.<\/p>\n

As Gordon describes it, the site is roughly the size of two side-by-side tennis courts. What remains are myriad roofless stone walls of just a couple feet tall, which once separated various rooms, including a study and two mikvaot<\/em> (Jewish ritual baths). A representative of Albania\u2019s culture ministry happened to be at the site when Gordon was there, handing him a leaflet with information about the site\u2019s history and background. It said Israeli archeologists unearthed floor mosaics \u2013 now buried with a foot of sand, to protect them from the elements \u2013 that displayed a menorah and a deer, regarded in Judaism as a symbol of beauty, majesty and God\u2019s mercy.<\/p>\n

Additionally, the literature said the synagogue likely crumbled after either an earthquake or a Slavic invasion, and was abandoned in the last quarter of the sixth century. In the 21st century, there was more deterioration \u2013 this time, with the printed panels describing what is on the site.<\/p>\n

Gordon was \u201cshocked and disappointed\u201d to see that the signage was in disrepair, faded by neglect. Two panels, each measuring some four feet wide by two feet deep, were blanched by the sun, so white that the lettering and imagery were illegible.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy face turned the same colour as these signs,\u201d Gordon told the Jewish Independent<\/em>, for which he has written many articles. \u201cThis is part of my heritage, my history and people, and it was like it was another Jewish landmark sadly disappearing from memory.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"photo<\/a>
The signage at the site of the synagogue ruins in Albania when Dave Gordon visited. (photo from Dave Gordon)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On Dec. 12, 2022, Gordon took action. He Googled the Saranda municipality offices\u2019 emails.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is shameful for two reasons: your tourists will not be able to obtain much knowledge about the important landmark, and it shows little care from your city\u2019s cultural department to maintain the signage,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is highly disrespectful, and I cannot understand why the two signs were permitted to deteriorate,\u201d he continued, adding that he hoped to bring others to Saranda and \u201cwould love for them to take photographs of the new signage and publicize this wonderful jewel of archeology.\u201d<\/p>\n

A representative from the municipal offices wrote back, two days later: \u201cFor the problem in question, we have reported the need for scientific reconceptualization, the preparation and installation of information panels, and we have contacted the Directorate of Cultural Heritage … a copy of your complaint will be sent to the responsible institution and we hope that very soon we will have a better presentation of this monument.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the beginning of January, Gordon followed up with an email, asking if the inquiry had landed in the right hands. To his great surprise, on Jan. 20, the Ministry of Culture of Albania sent him this reply: \u201cIn response to your email, we inform you that the new information boards have been installed to the Synagogue of Saranada…. Please find attached the photos of the new signage.\u201d<\/p>\n

Esmeralda Kodheli, the ministry\u2019s representative, added, \u201cThank you, too, for promoting our cultural and historical heritage.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cQuite amazing!\u201d Gordon told the JI<\/em>. \u201cTo print detailed signs and place them, inside of 30 working days \u2013 and during the Christmas season, no less. And who was I? Just some guy from Canada writing some emails.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"photo<\/a>
The site of the synagogue ruins in the city of Saranda. (photo from Dave Gordon)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Gordon said he felt \u201cdisbelief, delight and honoured, all at the same time,\u201d and felt like his \u201clittle bit of activism\u201d made a tangible difference, reminding him that anyone can enact change.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am pleased as anything that this amazing site of Jewish history now has dignity restored,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Dr. Ruki Kondaj, one of the friends who accompanied Gordon on his trip, is an Albanian-Canadian. He said about Gordon: \u201cHe\u2019s done great work through his lobbying to restore the signage, and I\u2019m so happy with his passion and determination. Together we discovered traces of Jewish history that tourists will know more about.\u201d<\/p>\n

Albania has various sites of Jewish interest, including the Solomon Museum in Berat, as well as an upcoming Holocaust museum in Tirana and a future Jewish history museum in Vlora, which also is home to \u201cJewish Street,\u201d marked by a plaque on a home in the city centre, marking the one-time bustling Jewish area. Albania refused to cooperate with the Nazis, deciding as a nation to save its Jews, and even welcoming Jewish refugees from neighbouring countries. For more on Albania\u2019s Jewish history, visit jewishindependent.ca\/albanias-many-legends<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Jonathan Wasserlauf<\/strong> is a freelance writer, and a political science major and law student based in Montreal.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The signage at the site of 1,700-year-old synagogue ruins in Albania was recently replace after a Canadian tourist informed the\u00a0municipal government of the old signs\u2019\u00a0illegibility. (photo from Dave Gordon) During a trip to Albania in September 2022, Toronto-based Jewish journalist Dave Gordon visited the city of Saranda with a couple of friends. They especially wanted […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":41255,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[6299,21783,224,9962,4242,22293,2112],"class_list":["post-41248","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world","tag-activism","tag-albania","tag-archeology","tag-dave-gordon","tag-history","tag-saranda","tag-tourism"],"blocksy_meta":{"styles_descriptor":{"styles":{"desktop":"","tablet":"","mobile":""},"google_fonts":[],"version":8}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41248","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41248"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41248\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/41255"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41248"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41248"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=41248"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}