Prof. Sofer is a professor emeritus and economic geographer in the Department of Geography at Bar-Ilan University in town Ramat Gan in Israel. He is involved in the activities of the International Geographical Union as the chairman of the Israel National Committee for the IGU. He is also the former president of the Israel Geographical Association.

Thanks to the Erasmus+ grant scheme he visited the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Informatics CPU in Nitra from 14 to 20 June 2024. On June 17, 2024, he gave an interesting lecture in the CPU Hall on the topic „The Restructuring of the Rural Space in Israel“. 

RNDr. Hilda Kramáreková, PhD. and doc. RNDr. Lucia Petrikovičová, PhD. from the Department of Geography, Geoinformatics and Regional Development, in collaboration with doc. Mgr. Henrich Grežo, PhD., Head of the Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Informatics CPU in Nitra prepared a programme for Professor Michael Sofer related to the introduction of the Jewish community in Nitra.

PhDr. Milan Belej, PhD., the Head of the Department of Archival Documents Processing of the State Archives in Nitra, presented the system of archives in Slovakia and their tasks. Prof. Sofer also became familiar with important documents and publications related not only to the history of Nitra, but also to its Jewish inhabitants. An emotionally strong experience for him was the accidentally discovered information related to his relatives.

The next stop was a visit to the Jewish cemetery in Nitra. Ms. Katarína Potoková, a member of the Jewish religious community, in cooperation with Ms. Eva Andrášiková, a guide of the Tourist Information Centre, presented the history of some Nitra Jewish families and the story of the Nitra rabbi Ezechiel Baneth, whose grave became a pilgrimage site for Israelis.

The programme concluded with a visit to the Nitra Synagogue and a tour of the exhibition "Jewish Nitra", presenting the life of this community and its contribution to the life of the city.

Between 2020 and 2022, the CPU in Nitra was a partner of the international Horizon 2020 project "Social and innovative platform on cultural tourism and its potential towards deepening Europeanisation (SPOT). Bar-Illan University, represented by Professor Michael Sofer and his team, was part of the 15-member consortium of the project. His visit as part of the ERASMUS+ KA171 programme thus represents another example of the fact that even after the end of the project, communication between some members of the research teams is still intense and continues.

After arriving back to Israel, Professor Sofer thanked for the opportunity to stay in Nitra:

“Thanks a lot for the time spent in Nitra and other parts of Slovakia. I very much enjoyed my stay in Nitra. I received a warm and sympathetic escort. I learned new things and you sent me a great review of my Nitra experience. Thank you very much. I am looking forward to additional visits of representatives of both sides and hope to visit UKF again.“

Further cooperation between our universities at the level of preparation of publications and projects was agreed during his visit. In the coming years, this cooperation will be greatly facilitated by the possibilities of the Erasmus+.

Text and photo: RNDr. Hilda Kramáreková, PhD., Department of Geography, Geoinformatics and Regional Development

 

Published: July 19, 2024