Conference of European Rabbis Annual Review 2017-2018 (5777-5778) 35 www.rabbiscer.org Objectives and background Jewish cemeteries and mass graves provide a vivid focal point marking the destruction of the Jewish communities and for learning the lessons of the Holocaust. They stand as testimony to the history of Jewish community life across the European continent and are an important part of Europe’s diverse cultural heritage. Thousands of these sites lie unvisited and unprotected. Neglect, inappropriate commercial and industrial development, vandalism, theft and well-meaning but inexpert attempts at restoration are threatening to permanently erase what is often the only surviving reminder of the importance of Europe’s pre-war Jewish communities. Without concerted action, many may soon be lost forever. Lo Tishkach’s key objectives are: –  To develop and maintain a comprehensive database of European Jewish cemeteries & mass graves –  To survey and review the current physical state of these sites and facilitate solutions to current problems –  To engage young people, as part of data collection, in “learn-and-do” activity to contemporise the lessons of the Holocaust – To campaign for the preservation and protection of historic cultural sites and to work with the necessary national and international legal frameworks to ensure this Lo Tishkach’s database now stands at over 11,000 individual records of cemeteries and mass graves and when complete may well contain details on close to 20,000 sites. Since 2015, strategic planning and administration has taken place from CER headquarters in London. Database management continues in Belgium, because of the high numbers of available researchers skilled in Jewish history, ethics, religion and languages. Lo Tishkach was instrumental in developing a simple “traffic light” index classification of all cemeteries surveyed to focus supporters of preservation activities on the areas most in need. Over several years, we have worked with local and national communities, as well as international supporters such as the United States Commission for the Preservation of Americas Heritage Abroad. As a not-for-profit project, Lo Tishkach relies on the generous support of its sponsors to enable it to continue its work in preserving Jewish heritage in Europe. Partners Lo Tishkach owes its success to the generous assistance of several organisations. Alongside the CER itself, Lo Tishkach has as its founding partner the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, which works to secure compensation and restitution for survivors of the Holocaust and heirs of victims. Since 1951, the Claims Conference – working in partnership with the State of Israel – has negotiated for and distributed payments from Germany, Austria, other governments, and certain industry organisations, recovered unclaimed German Jewish property, and funded programmes to assist the neediest Jewish victims of Nazism. The mission of Genesis Philanthropy Group (GPG) is to develop and enhance Jewish identity among Russian-speaking Jews worldwide, with a particular emphasis on the former Soviet Union, North America and Israel. GPG is committed to supporting and launching projects, programming and institutions that are focused on ensuring that Jewish culture, heritage and values are preserved in Russian-speaking Jewish communities across the globe. There are also a number of operational partners. Education The project uses Jewish cemeteries – a physical legacy of formerly vibrant Jewish communities – as the focus of a practical activity to teach younger generations the lessons of the Holocaust.