Restoration project brings Novi Pazar’s Jewish past to life

Novi Pazar is one of the most ethnically diverse cities in Serbia and is home to Bosniaks, Serbs, Roma, Gorani and Albanians. 
Before World War II, the city was also home to a small but vibrant Jewish community. Most of Novi Pazar’s Jewish residents perished in Hitler’s death camps, almost completely wiping out the city’s Jewish community. As the years passed, very few traces of Jewish life in Novi Pazar remained. 
One of the only existing reminders of this community is the Jewish cemetery. After the war, it fell into disuse and decay. For decades it was used as a dump or a football pitch. 
Now, a private initiative is restoring the cemetery in partnership with the city. Members of the initiative and locals hope that the project will help the city remember how the Jewish community once contributed to Novi Pazar’s prosperity and peaceful diversity.