Walk & Learn application launched: Digital window into the past of Belgrade and its Jewish community

The digital platform Walk & Learn has been presented in the courtyard of the Sukkot Shalom Synagogue in Belgrade, in the presence of Israeli Ambassador to Serbia Avivit Bar-Ilan.

Walk & Learn is a project dedicated to preservation and revitalization of Serbian-Jewish cultural and historical heritage in Belgrade, through the use of augmented reality (AR) technology. The app was developed by Go Viral.

By connecting locations in Belgrade with stories about individuals who created history, the goal of the project is to inform, but also preserve memories and give them a contemporary expression; at the same time, the project is dedicated to the deep and lasting ties between the Serb and the Jewish peoples, that live on through the values ​​of memory, culture and mutual respect, organizers said.

Contributors to this project are well-known historians and publicists Cedomila Marinkovic and Davor Salom.

Israeli Ambassador Avivit Bar-Ilan told Telegraf that this is a very important project that presents key moments in the history of Serbia, and added she hopes that this project will spread not only in Belgrade, but throughout the country.

"This is a very exciting day for me personally but also as the ambassador of the state of Israel. My roots come from this country and therefore I attach a lot of importance to memorizing the rich history of the Jewish community that existed here before the Second World War. Unfortunately, I don't think people know enough about the very important history of how the Jewish people and the Serbian people collaborated, facing challenges during the Second World War, and this project, which is very innovative and dynamic, very accessible to the young generation, is of great importance to the young people here to know a very rich part of the history of this country. So I am very much grateful for this initiative and looking forward to not only five Jewish destinations, but to reach hundreds of destinations all over Serbia, that will share the very rich history of this country," said the ambassador.

President of the Jewish Community of Belgrade Aron Fuks said that this application is of great importance for the Jewish community, because "it saves from oblivion the people who were creative in this city for decades before the Second World War".

"For our community, which today is much smaller than it was, it is of great importance that an application serves to educate all fellow citizens who are interested in the history of our city, especially about those who are no longer here and have no one to speak on their behalf," said Fuks.

Aleksandar Nikolic, Honorary Consul of Serbia in Israel, said that the interest in the Holocaust is significant and understandable, but that t it is necessary to get acquainted with what previously existed and flourished to understand what disappeared during that period.

"Belgrade Jews were one of the pillars of economic, financial, cultural, academic, healthcare, artistic and sports development of the capital," said Nikolic, adding that the Jewish press, cultural and artistic societies and Sephardic cultural heritage are part of the overall cultural heritage of Serbia.

Davor Salom, an associate of the Jewish Historical Museum, said that the work on the project was an "emotional journey through time", through the common victories and sufferings of the Serbian and the Jewish peoples.

"Through this application, we repay the debt to those who believed that the greatest wealth is what we leave to others," said Salom. "The project revives the memory of notable figures such as Neti Munk and Hilda Dajc, as well as the Old Synagogue (Stara sinagoga) as a symbol of former Jewish life in Belgrade."

Before the presentation, the Braca Baruh Choir performed, in the presence of representatives of the Ministry of Culture, the Secretary for Culture of the City of Belgrade Jelena Medakovic, and other officials.

How it works

With a smartphone or tablet, users can scan objects and locations in Belgrade and activate AR content. This way they get access to visuals and narratives, stories about historical figures and events.

The content is available in Serbian and English.

The project coveres five important locations in Belgrade (addresses in Serbian):

Sukkot Shalom Sinagoga, Marsala Birjuzova 19

Jevrejska zajednica Beograda, Kralja Petra 71

Magazin 1907 Café, Kralja Petra 16

Jevrejski kulturni centar, Jevrejska 16

Stara Sinagoga, Visnjog Stevana 5

The Walk & Learn project is important, it was emphasized, for the sake of preserving the memory of the Jewish community which before the Second World War numbered about 30,000 people in Belgrade. Via digital tools, this memory and history is brought closer to the younger generations, in this way contributing to the culture of remembrance of the Holocaust.

Organizers point out that this allows Belgrade to be positioned as a city that uses technology to interpret cultural heritage, while also strengthening the ties between Israel and Serbia.

(Telegraf.rs)