The Forum for Dialogue Among Nations has continued its annual partnership with the American Jewish Committee (AJC) in maintaining an exceptional exchange program focusing on Polish-Jewish relations, with the support of the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The program entered its consecutive year as AJC representatives from branches in Atlanta, Cincinnati, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles and Worchester arrived in Poland and stayed from the 7th until the 14thof July. During their stay in Poland, AJC guests participated in meetings with representatives of the academic world, publicists and representatives of the Polish Jewish community, and also visited places and institutions associated with Polish-Jewish history. During the meeting with Marcin Swiecicki, a Polish MP, they visited the building of the Polish Parliament. Another highlight of the visit was an informal gathering with the Polish alumni of the Polish Jewish Exchange Program.

While in Poland, the AJC delegation travelled to Warsaw, Lublin, Rzeszow, Tarnow, and Krakow. Visit to the site of former extermination camp in Belzec and the guided sightseeing of Museum and Memorial Auschwitz-Birkenau formed indispensable elements of their itinerary. A central topic of discussion during the visit were Polish perceptions of Jews today, phenomenon of the revival of Jewish culture in Poland, Polish post-communist transition to democracy and the future of the Polish Jewish community.

The visit turned out to be a true learning experience for all its participants. We are looking forward to the study visit of Polish participants of the Polish-Jewish Exchange Program to the USA, which is scheduled for the fall of 2013.