The project “Points of Reference: Co-Creating Wooden Matzevot with the Local Community,” implemented by the Zapomniane Foundation, focuses on uncovering and commemorating forgotten burial sites of Holocaust victims. Its aim is to engage local residents—especially young people—in the process of restoring the memory of former Jewish communities through the collective creation of wooden matzevot.
During workshops held in five localities, participants learn about local history, acquire woodworking skills, and use modern tools. They then collaboratively design and create inscriptions that are placed on the prepared markers.
The culmination of the project is the collective marking of forgotten graves with wooden matzevot, carried out in the presence of local residents and authorities. The project combines education, craftsmanship, and new technologies, creating a space for intergenerational dialogue and reshaping the local landscape of memory.
Its outcomes include not only the material commemoration of victims, but also the building of historical awareness, a sense of responsibility, and care for a difficult heritage—one that becomes part of the shared identity of the communities involved.