On December 14th 2005 a representative of the Foundation, the Chief Rabbi of Poland, Rabbi Michael Schudrich, and a TV crew from Germany met with the authorities of Izbica (Lubelskie voivodeship).
During World War II c. five thousand people were shot at the Izbica Jewish cemetery – their bodies are buried in a mass grave at the necropolis. The Nazis had also damaged most of the matzevot – old Jewish tombstones were cut into blocks and used to build a building of a Gestapo prison in Izbica.
The Jewish cemetery in Izbica had until recently been seriously neglected, however during the last few months, thanks to the efforts of the Foundation, its condition has been greatly improved. Today the cemetery is looked after by a group of students from the M. Konopnicka Group of Schools in Izbica, who participate in the “To Bring Memory Back” program, which is coordinated by the Foundation (more information about the project called “Discovering traces of Izbica Past” can be found at Education).
At present the aim of the Foundation is to gather funds which will allow us to fence the cemetery, since only then the final cleanup of the area and proper commemoration of the mass graves will be possible. After completing the fence a lapidarium will be erected, in which the remains of the matzevot used to build the Gestapo prison will be built in. The authorities of Izbica and the chief of the local police have declared their full support for the Fundation’s project. Their attitude, together with the engagement of Izbica students allow to hope that after the renovation the Jewish cemetery will last for many years, cared for and respected by the local community.

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