A bulldozer that entered the Jewish cemetery in Brzesko, Poland, as part of work to renovate a collapsed wall, drove over graves, smashed gravestones, and dug directly into graves without halachic supervision, Poland's Chief Rabbi Michael Schudrich and Meir Bulka of the organization J-nerations told The Jerusalem Post on Sunday. J-nerations works on several fronts to preserve Jewish heritage sites in the Diaspora, especially grave sites and cemeteries.
Brzesko cemetery is owned by the Jewish Religious Community of Krakow, which is therefore responsible for its maintenance.
A few weeks ago, Bulka said the Jewish Religious Community of Krakow went ahead with plans to repair the cemetery fence because it was "very old and in poor condition." Schudrich said the wall was built about 15 years ago, but was not constructed well and was at risk of falling.
Both confirmed to the Post that the bulldozer was sent to the cemetery without any prior coordination with the Committee for the Preservation of Jewish Cemeteries in Europe (CPJCE): the rabbinic organization founded to rescue, restore, and protect abandoned or threatened Jewish burial grounds across the continent in accordance with strict Jewish religious law.
The bulldozer entered through the main entrance and broke several tombstones while moving toward the wall. As a result, graves were compromised, and fragments of human bones were found scattered in the area.
Bulka provided the Post with pictures from the scene, which show a tractor next to several dug-up graves and fallen gravestones, as well as what appear to be bone fragments.
Jewish Community of Krakow apologizes
Schudrich said that as soon as he heard about the incident, he sent a colleague to check the site. When the colleague witnessed the destruction, construction work was immediately paused, the bones reburied, and the Jewish Community of Krakow ultimately apologized.
"They made several mistakes," Schudrich told the Post. "First, they went ahead without halakhic supervision. And second, they used a bulldozer."
He explained that with delicate work such as renovating Jewish cemeteries, any digging should be done carefully with hand shovels so as to avoid destruction of the area.
There are specific bodies in Poland, such as the Rabbinical Committee of Cemeteries, purpose-built to deal with issues like this, he added.
"There are 1400 Jewish cemeteries in Poland," Schudrich told the Post. "Cemeteries are a very important subject here. We do everything in our power to respect the dead, and at the same time also try to do right by the living."
In the past, there have been issues with Polish authorities carrying out work on cemeteries, but the Jewish community has since developed good communication with local Polish authorities, and the situation has improved.
"Once you engage with the local authorities and you show respect, they engage and show respect back."
Community chose not to work with Chief Rabbi
Regarding why the Jewish Community of Krakow carried out the work unsupervised, a source close to the matter told the Post that the president of the community has chosen not to work with the Chief Rabbi or centralized Jewish bodies for the last one to two years.
According to the Center for Jewish Art, the cemetery in Brzesko was established in the early 1800s. Alongside the gravestones, there are two ohels. The newest tombstone is dated 1960.
Among those buried in the Brzesko cemetery are Rabbi Aryeh Leib Lipschitz (Aryeh Dvei Ila'i); his son, Rabbi Meshulam Zalman Yehonatan; Rabbi Pinchas Templer of Dembitz-Briegel; Rabbi Pinchas Templer, son of Rabbi Mattityahu; Rabbi Menashe, son of Rabbi Menachem or Nachum Tzvi; and Rabbi Tuvia, son of Rabbi Meshulam Zalman.
The Post reached out to the President of the Jewish Religious Community of Krakow for comment.