KAPLINSKY: ‘PRESERVE MY FAMILY’S SHUL’
NATASHA Kaplinsky says a “devastating” visit to her Belarusian ancestral home when filming BBC’s Who Do You Think You Are? inspired her to support the restoration of the local synagogue.
Just 200 of the 17,000 Jews who lived in Slonim survived the Holocaust. Since then, the town’s Great Synagogue, originally built in 1642, has been left to decay.
The Slonim shul has been selected by the Foundation for Jewish Heritage as one of the 19 high priority buildings in its restoration scheme.
A structural survey has been commissioned and foundation representatives have met the local mayor to discuss the project.
Ms Kaplinsky — who was awarded an OBE for services to Holocaust commemoration last year — says the building is “a testament to the Jews who once worshipped there.
“I was shocked to learn we had family in Slonim and many of them were killed during the Holocaust,” she added. “It is a magnificent building and you can still see some of the original artwork and paintings. At some point you have to make a decision about what is important to restore and protect.”
Michael Mail, chief executive of the Foundation for Jewish Heritage, visited Slonim last year, describing the synagogue as “majestic”.
Filming there for Who Do You Think You Are? in 2007, Ms Kaplinsky saw swastika graffiti, “a stark reminder of the significance buildings like this have to us. That is why the project is so important— to help Jews and others understand just how few small steps need to be taken before pure evil is able to infiltrate a society.”