Preserving the Remnants of the Jewish Middle East Online

The Jewish communities of the Middle East—some of the oldest, and once some of the largest, in the Diaspora—have long shrunk to shadows of their former selves, when they haven’t disappeared completely. But they left behind numerous shrines and synagogues, some of which have great religious, historical, and aesthetic value. Unfortunately, these buildings have suffered from neglect, the depredations of hostile regimes, and the ravages of war. To stem the tide, an organization called Diarna has worked to create a digital museum of these sites, with the cooperation of Jewish and non-Jewish Westerners as well as local volunteers. Jason Guberman, one of Diarna’s founders, describes and displays their efforts in the video below. (Interview by Stacey Roman; 32 minutes.)