This groundbreaking program was opened by Prof. Wladyslaw Bartoszewski, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland, prisoner of Auschwitz, honored at Yad Vashem as Righteous Among Nations and an honorary citizen of Israel. Prof. Bartoszewski spoke about the importance of local initiatives in Polish-Jewish dialogue.

Participants at the conference were selected from people from all over Poland who have been dealing with preservation of Jewish memory in their towns for many years. During two days of programs, participants shared their experiences, defined the most important needs of their group and planned activities for the future. Forum’s guests participated, as well, in a series of meetings and workshops with the experts specializing in various issues of Polish-Jewish relevance, as well as members of Warsaw’s Jewish community. Participants were also given the opportunity to visit places associated with the history of the Jewish community in Warsaw. Among others, the leaders visited the building of the Museum of the History of Polish Jews that is planned to be open in 2014.