03 May 2007
Jews in the Netherlands and of Dutch origin soon will be able to pay virtual visits to deceased loved ones and ancestors, the JTA news agency reports. The Nederlands Israëlitisch Kerkgenootschap (NIK), the umbrella organization of the country’s Jewish community, has decided to publish the texts on Jewish tombstones from before 1940 on the internet. Tombstones are currently being photographed. The initiative is in cooperation with the Israeli Akevot Foundation, which focuses on the history of Dutch Jews. In addition to Hebrew and translated texts from the grave markers, the database will contain personal, genealogical and historical information. Many cemetery registers and books were lost during World War II. The NIK and the Akevot Foundation aim to fill the existing gaps with the new database, according to the report.
