Preservation

Preservation is an important part of honoring the proud Jewish life that once existed in Stolin.  That begins with passing on memories and researching history, and also extends to protecting the material artifacts that still remain.

Past letters, such as those written by religious leaders to the local administration, and records, such as censuses and tax documentation, can add to our understanding of the dynamics of life in the shtetl.  These few vital pieces of information must first be identified and then preserved, whether electronically or by other means, so what little that exists can be understood and passed on.

More ambitious projects, such as the preservation of the two Jewish cemeteries in Stolin can also be accomplished.  Little remains of the grave markers that once identified our ancestors because local residents used them for building materials.  Even more concerning are Belarusian Government regulations that allow cemetery land to be reclaimed and built upon.  Projects have begun all across the former Pale of Settlement to save Jewish cemeteries.  Led by organizations such as Restoration of Eastern European Jewish Cemeteries Project, Inc. several cemeteries in Belarus have already been restored.

Projects have also been proposed in the past which aimed to restore the Great Synagogue.  Unfortunately, the remains of the synagogue are in such disrepair that it is prohibitively expensive. Misha Chernyavsky and Krevo Castle, a local non-profit restoration organization, at different times in the past ten years proposed such projects.  Fundraising efforts for restoration would have to secure anywhere between $250,000 to $1,000,000 and even preservation of the ruins would be very costly.  Perhaps at some point in the future such an idea can be re-visited, but any such efforts would require the combined efforts of Stoliner descendants, residents of Stolin, Karlin-Stolin religious leaders and Belarusian Government officials.