In early June, I spent a few days in the southeastern tip of Poland, re-visiting Jewish heritage sites I had seen before in order to update my information, but also visiting places I had never been too. The village of Baligrod is part of the Chassidic Route itinerary sponsored by the Foundation for the Preservation of Jewish Heritage in Poland (FODZ). There is a Jewish cemetery on a hill overlooking the town — clearly marked by signposts from the village. The cemetery was restored in 2008, and the stones are in good condition — and there is even a trash can for visitors to deposite rubbish – but when I visited the grass and weeds were chest-high (totally obscuring some of the stones), in sore need of cutting. Someone had clearly visited a short while before I did, though, as there were paths tromped through the grass and someone had piled stones and pebbles on many of the gravestones.
I found many beautifully carved stones, with a variety of candlestick shapes, ranging from crude but delicate incised images to more elaborate styles, some featuring candlesticks flanked by birds.
Click image to enlarge.
All pictures (c) Ruth Ellen Gruber
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- Baligrod
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- Baligrod
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- Baligrod — crude but delicate image
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- Baligrod — crude but delicate image
