On Sunday, September 6, 2026, the state capital of Mainz will open the new SchUM Visitor Center, the Sali-Levi-Haus, at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Old Jewish Cemetery on Judensand with a community festival and a diverse program of events. In the days that follow, numerous activities will offer visitors the chance to learn more about the new visitor center, the Judensand, and Mainz’s Jewish history. School groups are expressly invited to visit the visitor center from September 7 to 11 as part of specially bookable programs.

Before the Sali-Levi-Haus opens its doors to the public, a grand opening ceremony for invited guests will take place on September 6 at 11 a.m. Expected attendees include Mayor Nino Haase, Prof. Dr. Maria Böhmer, President of the German National Commission for UNESCO, Katharina Binz, Vice President of the Rhineland-Palatinate State Parliament, the Consul General of the United States of America, Brian Heath, as well as representatives from politics, Jewish community life, the SchUM cities, and participating institutions and project partners will gather for this occasion.

Starting at 1:00 p.m., all residents of Mainz and visitors to the city are invited to the public festival. Until 6:00 p.m., visitors can explore the new permanent exhibition and take part in guided tours of the Old Jewish Cemetery. Music, food, and drinks will be available along Mombacher Straße. The SchUMobil will also offer information and educational activities related to the three World Heritage cities of Speyer, Worms, and Mainz. Admission is free.

Between 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., the Mainz Local Board of Trustees of the German Foundation for Monument Protection, together with tour guides, invites visitors to take walking tours of the Old Jewish Cemetery. Topics will include the history of the Judensand, gravestone symbolism, Jewish burial and mourning rituals, and notable figures buried there.

In the evening, starting at 5:00 p.m., the official opening of the 9th Mainz SchUM Cultural Days will take place at the New Synagogue.

Program Around the New Visitor Center

Even after the opening Sunday, the week offers numerous opportunities to explore Jewish history and the present.

On Monday, September 7, at 5:30 p.m. in the Sali-Levi-Haus, author Dr. Susanne Urban will present her biography of Rabbi Sali Levi (1883–1941), after whom the new visitor center is named. Sali Levi took up his post as rabbi in Mainz in 1918 and was actively involved in the city’s political, civic, and social life far beyond his religious duties.

On Tuesday, September 8, at 4:00 p.m., Rabbi Aharon Ran Vernikovsky will lead a tour of the New Jewish Cemetery. At 6 p.m., the Mainz State Museum invites visitors to a public guided tour of the exhibition “Shalom on the Rhine: 1,000 Years of Judaism in Rhineland-Palatinate.”

A special opportunity to explore the new permanent exhibition will take place on Wednesday, September 9, at 3:30 p.m.: During a curator-led tour at the Sali Levi House, visitors will gain insights into the exhibition’s concept and content.

On Thursday, September 10, a children’s tour of “Shalom on the Rhine” begins at 2:00 p.m. at the State Museum. At 3:30 p.m., Dr. Kathrin Nessel, head of the City of Mainz’s Department of Historic Preservation, will lead a tour of the Old Jewish Cemetery.

During the opening week, from September 6 through 10, the sound installation “The Magenza Protocols” by Mainz’s 2026 SchUM Artist-in-Residence will also be on display at Dr.-Siegmund-Salfeld-Platz. From September 8 to 10, the SchUMobil will also be there, offering educational activities for families.

New Learning Venue for School Classes

From September 7 to 11, special programs for school groups will be available upon prior request. The new Sali-Levi-Haus, located directly adjacent to the UNESCO World Heritage Site, creates an extracurricular learning space where young people can explore Jewish history, the SchUM communities, and the significance of the Old Jewish Cemetery.
Teachers and schools are expressly invited to take advantage of the offerings during the opening week. Inquiries can be sent to judensandstadt.mainzde.

The Old Jewish Cemetery on the Judensand is one of the most significant testimonies to Jewish life in Europe. Since July 27, 2021, it has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site “SchUM Sites of Speyer, Worms, and Mainz,” together with the Jewish sites in Speyer and Worms. With the Sali Levi House, the World Heritage site now has a new central location for information, education, and community engagement.

The complete program for the opening week is available in the City of Mainz’s calendar of events and at https://www.mainz.de/angebote-entdecken/kultur/stadtgeschichte/magenza/besucherzentrum (opens in a new tab). Information about the visitor center and the UNESCO World Heritage site is available at judensand-mainz.de (opens in a new tab).