In May, Forum was invited to join Glenn Kurtz, a longtime Friend of the Forum and author of “Three Minutes in Poland: Discovering a Lost World in a 1938 Family Film”, Bianca Stigter, director of “Three Minutes – A Lengthening,” and a group of Jewish descendants from Nasielsk in what was the culmination of over a decade of efforts to preserve and commemorate the Jewish history of Nasielsk. Starting with the Polish premiere of “Three Minutes – A Lengthening” at the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews, the visit continued with the official unveiling ceremony of the ‘Gate of Memory’ at the Jewish cemetery in Nasielsk, and artistic and educational program prepared by Nasielsk students, including participants of the School of Dialogue program, and their teachers.

Bianca Stigter’s documentary transforms a 3 minute color film found by Glenn in his family home, which was shot in 1938 Nasielsk in Poland by David Kurtz, Glenn’s grandfather, into a moving homage to Jewish life in Poland before the Holocaust.

David Kurtz, who was born in Nasielsk, emigrated to the U.S., and returned to visit his birthplace where he captured three minutes of life of Nasielsk Jewish community. The footage, which had almost rotten just before it was discovered and restored, is the only remaining moving image of the once vibrant community. The finding of the footage and the process of reconstructing the stories of Nasielskiers seen in it are the subject of an acclaimed book published by Glenn Kurtz in 2014.

photos by Forum for Dialogue, P. Stankiewicz

After the film’s official premiere at the POLIN Museum, Glenn, Bianca, and descendants of Nasielsk Jewish families traveled to Nasielsk to witness the unveiling of the ‘Gate of Memory’ monument at the local Jewish cemetery. This moving ceremony, crowning ten years of efforts to bring back the memory of town’s Jewish community, gathered representatives of local authorities, members of Polish/Jewish organizations, and residents of Nasielsk, School of Dialogue students among them.

The ceremony was followed by “Three Minutes – A Lengthening” screening at the “Niwa,” a cinema that dates back to the pre-war times. After the screening and a Q&A session with Glenn and Bianca, School of Dialogue students took their guests on a guided tour of town’s Jewish heritage and shared the findings of their research. The visit ended with a hospitality evening hosted by Polish Friends of the Forum.

photos by K. Pietrzak-Kret, M. Usiekniewicz