Virtual Shtetl
THE VIRTUAL SHTETL
The Virtual Shtetl (Polish: Wirtualny Sztetl) is a novel multimedia project of the Museum of the History of Polish Jews and the Jewish Historical Institute Association devoted to the Jewish history of Poland.
Launched in June 2009, the Virtual Shtetl comprises the most comprehensive collection of articles and materials on the history of local Jewish communities, including information about the history and cultural legacy of Polish Jews after the end of World War II. The portal lists 2246 towns and villages throughout Poland and neighboring countries, almost 68 3000 contemporary and archival photographs, over 1000 audio and video recordings, as well as over 30 000 text pages.
Activity
The Virtual Shtetl is a social community portal based on Web 2.0 and unites thousands of users throughout the world.
The Virtual Shtetl is a historical platform which provides scholarly descriptions of the history of local Jewish communities in Poland, including contemporary and archival materials, such as documents, street maps, memorabilia, pictures and recordings. The portal bridges the old and novel solutions in education and teaching methodologies. It not only shows the history of Jewish towns and villages but it also highlights their contemporary context. It is a platform which aims to promote the knowledge and activities that nurture Jewish legacy. The portal is also a place for a critical exchange of views, where various educational activities are always supported and fostered. Furthermore, the portal is an excellent source of information about current projects that aim to restore the memory of the erstwhile Jewish community which comprised 3.5 million Polish Jews. The Virtual Shtetl also contributes to protecting and promoting the Jewish heritage in Poland. The portal is an example of an open museum without walls with unlimited access for everyone, going beyond and completing the traditional forms of cultural education. The website makes it possible for users to actively engage in creating an online exposition. Since the portal deals with an everyday life of Jews in Eastern and Central Europe, all registered users may get in contact via Internet with everyone who shares the same interest in the history and culture of Polish Jews.
Based on Web.2.0 solution, the portal operates as a social community portal, which engages portal users in co-creating the content of the portal. On the Virtual Shtetl, its users contribute to the historical narrative about Jewish towns through adding information in the category that they may edit. Among authors of the published texts there are academics, local activists and people who simply desire to share their knowledge about Jewish towns with others.
Furthermore, there are a great number of other portal sections which are constantly being enriched with new articles. The Journal section, for instance, comprises monographs on Jewish culture, the history of the Diaspora and modern Israel. Thanks to the News section, you can keep track of current events related to Jewish life throughout Poland. Last but not least, the portal is integrated with other social portals, such as Facebook, Youtube, Flickr.
The Education section continues to inspire those who desire to engage in educational activities related to Jewish heritage. Educational materials which can be downloaded from the portal are designed for teachers and students, who can use them during school classes. The Virtual Shtetl is available in eight language versions: Polish, English, German, Hebrew, Russian, Belarusian, Ukrainian and Lithuanian. Jewish history and Polish-Jewish relations have been portrayed on the portal thanks to the co-operation and contribution of private individuals, various institutions and organizations, such as Polin Internet portal and jewish.org.pl. The Virtual Shtetl has been inspired by other Internet projects, including izrael.badacz.org and Diapozytyw (Adam Mickiewicz Institute). The portal could not exist without the longtime cooperation with the Museum of the History of Polish Jews and the Jewish Historical Institute.
See also
- The Holocaust in Poland
- History of the Polish Jews
- Włodawa Synagogue at the List of active synagogues in Poland
Notes and references
