The grave of Sarajevo’s Rabbi Moshe Danon, a revered figure in the Jewish community, is not only a national monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina but also a significant symbol in Jewish spiritual and cultural heritage.
Located along the Mostar-Stolac road at Krajšina, at the entrance to Stolac, this site marks where Rabbi Danon passed away during his pilgrimage to Palestine in 1830.
Rabbi Moshe Danon became the Chief Rabbi of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1815. During the rule of the unjust Bosnian governor Ruždi Pasha, the Jewish community faced severe persecution. In 1820, after the murder of Ahmed, a Jewish convert to Islam, Ruždi Pasha imprisoned Rabbi Danon and ten of his closest associates, demanding a ransom that the Jewish community could not afford. As the threat of execution loomed, Sarajevo’s Muslim citizens, dissatisfied with Ruždi Pasha’s rule, revolted and freed the prisoners.
In gratitude and fulfillment of his vow, Rabbi Danon set out for Palestine but died near Stolac. His tombstone, resembling traditional Bosnian Jewish stećak-style monuments and the tablets of the Ten Commandments, marks his grave.
Today, Krajšina hosts a small Jewish cemetery with just three monuments, within a well-maintained and fenced area. At the entrance, a plaque reads:
GRAVE OF THE RIGHTEOUS RABBI MOSHE DANON
PILGRIMAGE SITE OF THE JEWS OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
Inside, the approach to Rabbi Danon’s grave is designed in the shape of a Menorah, with a Hebrew inscription praising his piety and righteousness. Additionally, the site includes a prayer house, or Havra, restored in 2004, providing a space for pilgrims to mourn and reflect.
Rabbi Danon’s grave became a pilgrimage site for Sephardic Jews from Bosnia and beyond, a tradition that continues to this day. The monument, though a part of Jewish culture, is also respected by Muslims, particularly the dervishes.
In 2003, the Commission for the Preservation of National Monuments declared Rabbi Danon’s grave and its surroundings a national monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
