In 2015 we mark 70 years since the end of World War II, while also marking 25 years since the fall of
communism in Europe. Despite the passage of time, the impact of the Holocaust still resounds in
Europe in many ways. But there are also new Jewish realities; new forms of Jewishness, Jewish
practice, and religious and cultural expression. A generation after the fall of communism, the Jewish
revival in Eastern-Central Europe has become a Jewish presence that means much more than just
the numbers of Jews who live there.

American author, journalist, and the current Norman and Gerry Sue Arnold Distinguished Visiting Chair, Ruth Ellen Gruber has chronicled Jewish developments in Europe for more than 25 years. Her books include Virtually Jewish: Reinventing Jewish Culture in Europe; National Geographic Jewish Heritage Travel: A Guide to Eastern Europe; Letters from Europe (and Elsewhere), and Upon the Doorposts of Thy House: Jewish Life in East-Central Europe, Yesterday and Today. The recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, Poland’s Knight’s Cross of the Order of Merit and other awards and honors, she currently coordinates the web site www.jewish-heritage-europe.eu