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Jewish Life in the Western Balkans

JL;DR SUMMARY Jewish communities in the Western Balkans, including Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia, valiantly preserve their rich cultural and religious heritage despite historical adversities such as the Holocaust and the Yugoslav Wars. A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.

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Tags

HolocaustJewish CommunityAshkenaziSephardiSarajevo HaggadahWestern BalkansYugoslav WarsLa BenevolencijaDubrovnik SynagogueSplit Synagogue

Places mentioned

Sarajevo, Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnia and Herzegovina
"Eighty years after the shoah and 30 years since the breakup of the former Yugoslavia and the tumultuous wars that followed, the Jewish community of the western Balkans proudly holds on to its traditions."
Banja Luka, Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnia and Herzegovina
"While most of Bosnias Jews live in Sarajevo, smaller communities are scattered in cities such as Banja Luka, Doboj, Tuzla, Zenica and Mostar."
Doboj, Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnia and Herzegovina
"While most of Bosnias Jews live in Sarajevo, smaller communities are scattered in cities such as Banja Luka, Doboj, Tuzla, Zenica and Mostar."
Tuzla, Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnia and Herzegovina
"While most of Bosnias Jews live in Sarajevo, smaller communities are scattered in cities such as Banja Luka, Doboj, Tuzla, Zenica and Mostar."
Zenica, Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnia and Herzegovina
"While most of Bosnias Jews live in Sarajevo, smaller communities are scattered in cities such as Banja Luka, Doboj, Tuzla, Zenica and Mostar."
Mostar, Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnia and Herzegovina
"Smaller communities are scattered in cities such as Banja Luka, Doboj, Tuzla, Zenica and Mostar."
Dubrovnik, Dubrovnik-Neretva, Croatia
"With approximately 700 Jews in mountainous Bosnia and Herzegovina and about 175 in Croatias Adriatic coastline cities of Dubrovnik and Split, these small communities continue to demonstrate their resilience."
Split, Split-Dalmatia, Croatia
"With approximately 700 Jews in mountainous Bosnia and Herzegovina and about 175 in Croatias Adriatic coastline cities of Dubrovnik and Split, these small communities continue to demonstrate their resilience."
Zagreb, Croatia
"Dubrovnik has no permanent rabbi, but the community receives support from religious leaders in Zagreb, the capital where the majority of Croatias 2,000 Jews reside."
Stolac, Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnia and Herzegovina
"Every year, Bosnian Jews visit the tomb of Rav Moshe Danon in Stolac, south of Mostar, to honor his yahrzeit."

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Cairo Item ID 62969
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Retrieved 2025-10-03 05:30:46 UTC
Curated 2025-10-03 08:30:49 UTC