The 38th conference on Jewish genealogy was organized by The International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies in Warsaw on August 5-10. Forum for Dialogue was featured at a pre-Conference panel organized by Glenn Kurtz “What Do We Really Think?: Stereotypes in the Polish-Jewish Landscape,” chaired a panel entitled “Leaders of Dialogue: Preservation of Jewish Memory in Poland by Non-Jewish Local Activists” featuring Artur Bara from Biłgoraj, Justyna Biernat from Tomaszów Mazowiecki, and Maciej Walasek from Nowy Sącz, and presented on School of Dialogue and Students as Custodians of Jewish Memory in Former Shtetls. The conference participants could also reach us at the Share FAIR and Resource Village, where we answered questions about the work we do, and also listened to incredible family stories.

A big thank you to the organizers, as well as all the Friends of the Forum and Leaders of Dialogue who attended the conference and our panels.

photo: Forum for Dialogue

“I’m so glad that I was privileged to visit Poland for the first time on a trip like this, where I learned so much about the other side of the story and had the opportunity to meet such a caring part of Polish society” said one of the participants of the American Jewish Committee (AJC) study visit to Poland organized in partnership with the Forum in July 2018. Emphasizing the educational aspect of the visit, she appreciated the opportunity to meet and bond with people in Poland who in various ways care about Jewish heritage and memory. The week-long stay was very intense, including meetings with important representatives of the Jewish community in Warsaw and Krakow as well as important representatives of Polish authorities and public figures, including Anna Azari, Ambassador of Israel to Poland, and Ryszard Schnepf, former Ambassador of Poland to the USA. The group had in-depth site visits to the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews in Warsaw, the Grodzka Gate – NN Theater in Lublin, the Belzec Museum and memorial, the Ulma Family Museum of Poles Saving Jews in Markowa, and the Memorial And Museum Auschwitz-Birkenau, as well as guided tours of Warsaw and Krakow Jewish sites. The AJC delegates also met with Polish alumni of the Polish/Jewish Exchange Program and had a moving Shabbat dinner at the Krakow JCC.

We would like to thank Polish Friends of the Forum for supporting the AJC group’s visit to Poland.

photo: M.Piekarska

“It is our duty to remember our Jewish neighbors. It is a duty we can’t relinquish nor hand over. It is not only a moral obligation, but a matter of identity as well. Without it, we won’t fully understand who we are … Five hundred families vanished without a trace. These were Dębica families of countless generations. This was one-quarter of the town’s population. Let us recall a few of those families of those sacred martyrs. They were killed, but they are not unnamed; they had their lives taken from them, but we will make sure never to forget their names” said Ireneusz Socha, a Leader of Dialogue from Dębica, during the 76th anniversary of the first liquidation action in the local ghetto, just before asking the members of the audience to read out names of Dębica Jewish families who perished in the Holocaust.

Together with the mayor of the town, and the Jewish Community of Krakow, the local Leader co-organized a very moving Dębica Jewish Community Memorial Day. The program of the ceremony included three commemorations, first at the site of the former Dębica ghetto, at the monument for Dębica’s Righteous, and finally at the site of a mass grave in the Wolica forest near the town. The speakers included the representatives of local authorities, including the Mayor of Dębica, leaders of the Krakow Jewish community, and importantly descendants of Dębica Jews from Israel and the United States who came for the occasion. The ceremony concluded at the building of a synagogue where a up and coming jazz saxophonist and a Dębica local Bartłomiej Prucnal performed pieces adapted for the venue and the occasion.

photo: J.Więcław

Located within the walls of a baroque monastery complex in Lubiąż in Lower Silesia, the Slot Art Festival is one of the largest alternative culture festivals in Poland dating back to the 1980s. Today, it features performances by artists and musicians, workshops, film screenings, and seminars, as well as a Social Initiatives Fair, a space devoted to presentation of socially engaged projects to broader festival’s audience, which Forum was a part of. Our people were ready to answer any difficult questions on Polish/Jewish dialogue, especially those inspired by the recent crisis. The festival audience was very engaged and we had numerous inspiring conversations focused on ways of combating prejudice. Forum’s 10 Steps Towards Dialogue proved once again very useful!

photo: J.Szkarłat

In 2017 Forum has introduced new funding opportunities for Leaders of Dialogue to pursue projects either aimed at establishing relations with descendants of Jews from their towns or create permanent commemoration of the local Jewish heritage that leads to a greater awareness of that history locally.

One of the projects made possible thanks to the funding was “Reading Ashes. Following the Footsteps of Dąbrowa’s Jews”, a multi-faceted enterprise lead by Dorota Budzińska, a Leader of Dialogue active in Dąbrowa Białostocka.

Thanks to her tireless efforts and suport of local authorities, in June 2018 the “Kaddish for Dąbrowa Białostocka” exhibition of 18 prints created by Mark Podwal, inspired by his visit to his family town, was unveiled. The exhibition opening was attended by the artist himself, as well as two descendants of Dąbrowa’s Jews: Kiki Harary née Mowshowitz, great-granddaughter of Dąbrowa’s rabbi Moshe Gershon Mowshowitz, and Michael Nevins, author of Dąbrowa’s memorial book, who has been involved in the restoration of the Jewish cemetery there. The opening was accompanied by other events, including the book launch of the Mark Podwal’s album, “Kaddish for Dąbrowa Białostocka” copies of which the author donated to Leaders of Dialogue, as well as art workshops, and a historical tour of the town lead by School of Dialogue students.

In his moving speach, Michael Nevins spoke about the importance of the ceremony: “It’s been said that ‘All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.’ However, educational programs like those that are being led here in Dabrowa by Dorota, as well as similar ones in many other towns, are evidence that everyone is not standing idly by.”

photo: Reading Ashes. Following the Footsteps of Dąbrowa’s Jews

Another supported project, “Zbąszyń’s Days of Open Arms”, is led by Anita Rucioch-Gołek, a Leader of Dialogue from Zbąszyń.

It was by accident that Anita Rucioch-Gołek learned about Isabella Webber, a German-born Polish Jew transported to Zbąszyń as part of the Nazi 1938 Polenaktion expelling all Polish Jews residing in German territory. Sent to her family in Zbąszyń, Isabelle survived because together with other Jewish kids, she was shipped to Great Britain, where she remained ever since. Though never interested in coming back to Germany, she wanted to return to Zbąszyń, but was anxious about visiting the town where she no longer knew anyone. A chance meeting with a Zbąszyń local lead to her meeting Anita and finally to a visit in what was once Isabelle’s hometown.

Isabelle and her son, Chaim, received a warm welcome in Zbąszyń thanks to the efforts of Forum’s Leader, Anita, and the incredible group of dedicated people she collected around herself, such as the Mayor of the town, a former student and a School of Dialogue participant, as well as friends and family. The Webbers’ short stay, made possible by a Forum for Dialogue scholarship for Leaders of Dialogue, had a very intense itinerary filled with site visits and meetings, but most importantly numerous opportunities for Zbąszynians to interact with her guests.

One of Forum’s core missions is making new connections. We are happy that we could help Anita and Isabelle connect in such a meaningful way.

photo: Zbąszyński Balagan

Project financed by the Ledor Wador Foundation.

The connections made during the Polish/Israeli Leadership Initiative have already bore fruit! One of the participants of the program, Paulina Kieszkowska-Knapik, a Polish lawyer and Friend of the Forum, has been invited by Dov Gil-Har, an Israeli journalist, also a participant, to Israel to speak about the struggle to maintain judiciary independence in Poland. As one of the founders of the Free Courts movement, which fights for the preservation of independence of the Polish justice system, and a vocal supporter of the Solidarity in Truth campaign opposing the amendment to the National Remembrance Act, she is uniqually qualified to address these issues.

Paulina Kieszkowska-Knapik gave her talk at the Ono Academic College in Kiryat Ono, which is among Israel’s fastest growing institutions of higher education. Ono College emphasizes inclusivity, utilizing higher education to foster social integration by way of decreasing economic and cultural gaps in Israeli society.

photo Dov Gil-Har

As a part of a very moving and more intimate part of the visit Paulina met with Simcha Rotem (née Simcha Ratajzer, nom de guerre Kazik), one of the last survivors of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising – and Paulina’s personal hero. When she read the incredible story of his life in a book entitled A Hero from the Shadows: Kazik Ratajzer, she realized that he came from the very same neighborhood of Warsaw as she did: Czerniaków, one of the poorer areas of pre-war Warsaw with a distinct local color and culture. When explaining about her connection with Simcha, she said: “He’s a boy from Czerniaków and I’m a girl from Czerniaków. My parents weren’t from Warsaw, so growing up, I decided to consider Kazik’s story a way for me to connect with the neighborhood and the city.” Her attachment to her hero was so strong that she decided to call her son, Kazik, after him. When the trio – Paulina, her son, and Simcha – met in Israel, a lovely conversation in Polish ensued. Paulina’s son presented Simcha with his drawing, to which Simcha responded that Kazik is a really klasa chłopak, “a swell guy.”

Paulina emphasized that those moving moments in Israel wouldn’t be possible without the friendships made during the Polish/Israeli Leadership Initiative. The program’s formula, which involves in-depth conversations and long meaningful meetings, enables the creation of strong bonds of mutual understanding among the participants. Another follow up of the Forum’s latest program is a documentary series that Dov Gil-Har is preparing about the Polish judiciary independence issues.

photo courtesy Paulina Kieszkowska-Knapik

The achievements of Leaders of Dialogue and Schools of Dialogue were recognized by prestigious institution involved in preserving Polish/Jewish memory and heritage and continuing a meaningful dialogue in the present. We would like to congratulate the recent awardees of the “Preserving Memory” Award, appreciated for their protection of Jewish heritage, presented at a Ceremony hosted by The Galicia Jewish Museum on June 24, 2018.

Congratulations to our Leaders of Dialogue, Aneta Szymańska, Ireneusz Socha and Dariusz Walerjański (initiator of The Social Committee for the Care of the Jewish Cemetery in Zabrze) as well as Marek Mielczarek and Paweł Janicki, teachers at the Sienkiewicz School and Pre-School Complex in Dobra, a Continuing School of Dialogue in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017.

The 21st Awards Ceremony was organized by Michael Traison Fund for Poland, Galicia Jewish Museum, Jewish Community Centre of Krakow, Emile Karafiol, Sigmund Rolat, Joshua Erlichster and University of Haifa. It was first established in 1998 by Michael Traison, an American lawyer, and over the years more than 250 people have been honored for their work in preserving, promoting, and taking care of Jewish culture and heritage in Poland.

Read more about the “Preserving Memory” Award and other awardees 

The first meeting of the Polish/Israeli Leadership Initiative was held on May 24-29. This new program, the very first program of its kind, aims to create a platform for cooperation and ideas exchange for a community of Polish and Israeli public opinion leaders. It was designed to address the tensions that had arose between the two countries after the controversy related to the passing of an amended Remembrance Law in Poland. The program is addressed to two groups: Israeli alumni of Forum for Dialogue study visits and Polish Friends of the Forum, who have similar professions, interests and levels of social or political engagement. Forum considers these individuals crucial for the future of public debate and opinion making in both Israel and Poland.

The theme of the 2018 reunion reflects our shared concern about the shape of both our countries and societies: “Facing Challenges: What is Our Role in a Modern Democracy.” Though we focused on these issues in the Polish context and with Polish experts, during the workshops and discussions both Poles and Israelis shared their experience and perspectives on the situation in both countries.

The first day of the program was focused on an overview of the current situation in Poland in relation to the social and political situation in Israel. The participants met with Piotr Buras, Head of the European Council on Foreign Relations Warsaw Office, as well as journalists writing for Poland’s biggest national daily to discover the parallels and analogies between the two countries’ situations. In the following days, the group moved from the busy Warsaw to the picturesque Podlasie, where they had a series of workshops on national grand narratives. Later they met with Henryk and Ludwika Wujec, legendary leaders of Solidarity movement who shared their story of civil disobedience. Back in Warsaw, the participants learned about civic engagement in Poland. Finally, we said goodbye to the Israeli visitors at home hospitality dinners hosted by Polish Friends of the Forum.

photo: J.Szkarłat

During the four days of intense program Polish and Israeli Friends of the Forum discovered a shared passion for learning and personal growth by addressing challenging questions. In the process, however, they reached deep into their emotions and were able to address them in a safe and friendly environment. This was a moving lesson of empathy and learning to listen to the other to learn about oneself. One of the Israeli participants observed that the conversations he had with the Polish Friends of the Forum enabled him to see much more as the mutual trust allowed him to let his defenses go. Polish and Israeli Friends of the Forum came to the program as Forum’s supporters and allies, and they emerged from it also as real friends.

It brought us an incredible opportunity to learn about others and ourselves. It was a lesson in mutual understanding. We are indebted to all the participants for their openness and candor combined with incredible emapthy. But the conversations begun in Poland this year are far from over! We hope to continue this dialogue in the upcoming years by bringing more people together.

I was sincerely impressed by the intensity and frankness of the conversations we had. They were sometimes funny, sometimes painful, but they most definitely have brought us closer together. They proved that in fact we are very similar to one other – like different branches of the same tree.

Ewa Rutkowska, Warsaw