This October, Forum kicked off our new educational project, “Discovering Jewish History and Culture Together,” addressed to groups consisting of Polish and Ukrainian students in Poland. Groups from participating schools get to visit one of three institutions dedicated to Jewish history and heritage: The Galicia Jewish Museum in Krakow, Grodzka Gate – NN Theatre in Lublin, or the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews in Warsaw. During their visits, they explore exhibitions, participate in educational workshops, and enjoy guided tours of local Jewish heritage. So far, 707 students, including 204 Ukrainians, from 26 groups were qualified for the program.

Students from Przemyśl, Grybów, Dębica, Trzebinia, and Krakow toured the The Galicia Jewish Museum, students from Tomaszów Lubelski and Świdnik visited the Grodzka Gate, and students from Grójec and Kwidzyn the POLIN Museum.

Schools from Legionowo, Białystok, Września, Obrzycko, Wągrowiec, Ełk, Sobków, Swarzędz, Brześć Kujawski, Wyszogród, Warsaw, Sokołów Podlaski, Skierniewice, Serock, and Puławy are next in line. Due to the very positive response from schools all over Poland, we are planning to expand the program to continue in the spring semester as well. We have already received some positive feedback from teachers participating in the program, as one of them wrote that “the visit had an immense educational and integrational impact … Students said that the trip was wonderful and they already ask for the next one.”

The visit had an immense educational and integrational impact … Students said that the trip was wonderful and they already ask for the next one.

Małgorzata Andrychowicz from Grójec

photos by Małgorzata Andrychowicz, Wiktoria Ładyko, Aneta Święs, Maria Ficak

Students visiting the Galicia Jewish Museum in Krakow had the opportunity to see the main exhibition “Traces of Memory,” Poland’s Jewish past from a contemporary perspective. Afterwards, they participated in a workshop entitled “Polish-Ukrainian-Jewish Mosaic” designed to foster attitudes of tolerance and openness and build positive associations with diversity. One of the groups chose a walk around Krakow’s Kazimierz, one of the best-preserved Jewish districts in Europe, instead of the workshops. Together with their guide, they discovered the material heritage of Polish Jews.

At Brama Grodzka – NN Theater in Lublin, the visiting Polish/Ukrainian student groups saw the “Lublin. Memory of Place” exhibition. The students viewed the photography collection and learned about the stories of the inhabitants of the Lublin Jewish district.

Then they took part in the “Introduction to Jewish Culture” workshop, during which they were introduced to Jewish customs, history and traditions. They also practiced reading Hebrew words.

Another group of students visited the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews in Warsaw, where they saw the permanent exhibition. They all emphasized that the reconstruction of the synagogue in Gwoździec and the “Shtetl” gallery made the greatest impression on them. Educators from the POLIN Museum also run a workshop on Jewish culture. They used worksheets to engage with the knowledge gained while visiting the exhibition.

The project is realized in partnership with The Galicia Jewish Museum in Kraków, Grodzka Gate – NN Theatre in Lublin and the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews in Warsaw, as well as in cooperation with the Wygoda Travel.

There is no doubt that the members of our activists network are incredible individuals who deserve all the recognition in the world. We’re delighted to announce that during last night’s Gala, Katarzyna Łaziuk, a member of our network working in Mińsk Mazowiecki, won the eighth edition of the POLIN Award presented annually by the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews. The Award’s jury recognized her efforts to preserve the memory of Mińsk’s multicultural past, educate about the town’s Jewish history, care for material Jewish heritage, and establish close ties with the descendants of Mińsk Jews. In a short film we made with her in 2021, Katarzyna explains her motivations and approach developed over years of activism.

The team of the Shtetl of Tsanz (you may watch a short film about their activities and motivations here) and the School Complex in Krzepice (read an account of their efforts during the 2014 edition of the School of Dialogue program here) both received honorable mentions. Izabela Sekulska and Michał Szaflarski, both members of our network from Mielec and Czarny Dunajec respectively, were among the nominees. To our great joy, another group of Forum network members, Karolina Jakoweńko, Piotr Jakoweńko, and Dariusz Walerjański from The Cukerman’s Gate Foundation received a special prize in recognition of their efforts to preserve Jewish memory in Zagłębie and Upper Silesia. Congratulations to all!

We are happy to share that Forum’s vice-president Zuzanna Radzik was among the speakers of “Civil Society Forum on combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life.” Taking place on November 16-17, this initiative of European Commission aims to bring together representatives of the Commission, Jewish communities, and civil society organizations to build bridges, promote dialogue, create synergies, and maximize the effect od joint actions and EU funding. Zuzanna took part in the ”Education on antisemitism, Jewish life, and the Holocaust” session along with Hristina Petkova and Johannes Börmann, policy officers of the Commission, and Myrto Helena Pertsinidi, EU programme manager from Jugend & Kulturprojekt e.V.

We are proud that her personal accomplishments in Polish/Jewish dialogue as well as the impact of Forum’s activities were recognized with an invitation to this important initiative!

Check out the full list of panelists on “Civil Society Forum on combating antisemitism” webpage.

We are delighted to announce that this semester we have begun a new educational project, called “Discovering Jewish History and Culture Together,” and addressed to Polish and Ukrainian students in Poland. We invite schools to apply for funding for a student group to visit one of three institutions dedicated to Jewish history and culture: Galicja Jewish Museum in Krakow, Grodzka Gate – NN Theatre in Lublin, or the POLIN Museum of Jewish History in Warsaw.

The idea behind the project is enhancing cooperation and shared education of Polish and Ukrainian students in these difficult times, as well as fostering openness towards other cultures, religions, and the world around them.

September 9-11, a group of Christian leaders took part in a seminar dedicated to Christian/Jewish relations in Poland.

The seminar was inspired by the 75th anniversary of the Seelisberg conference, a groundbreaking meeting of European Christians who in 1947 gathered to discuss Christian legacies that made antisemitism and the Holocaust possible. The ten points formulated during the conference have been the strategy for repairing Christian/Jewish relations for many years.

During the seminar organized by the Forum for Dialogue, participants talked about the applicability of those ten points to the present reality of the Church, as well as about initiatives needed to effectively improve Christian/Jewish relations. The ideas developed will hopefully become useful for the participants to act in this field. The seminar was also an opportunity for the Forum for Dialogue to consult the best ways of supporting activists who are involved in Polish/Jewish dialogue also in its spiritual dimension.

August 30, Kamil Mrozowicz and Mirosław Skrzypczyk from our Leaders of Dialogue network were the guests of “Poland 80 years after the Holocaust: Diagnoses and challenges” panel moderated by Forum’s Vice-President Zuzanna Radzik. The meeting focused on working with memory on local level: how to look after spaces of memory in your immediate surroundings, what moral obligations you have towards the forgotten neighbors of your local community, and what can be done to reconnect ties with the descendants of Holocaust Survivors.

Campus – the Future is an event dedicated to young people actively participating in social and political life of Poland that offers them opportunities to meet experts and creates a space for open discussions and exchange of experiences.

The 15th edition of the School of Dialogue program is drawing to a close, as all the workshops and commemorative projects have been completed. The exceptional semester of youth work is behind us. Although the official activities of students have been completed, and the deadline for submitting reports and materials that have been created in the last months expired at the end of June, in October we will still have an official summary and selection of the best projects commemorating Jewish communities in the towns where students and students worked.

In 2022, the School of Dialogue was financed from two sources.

Eight schools were part of the Active Citizens – National Fund program, financed by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway under the EEA Grants:

• Stefan Czarniecki High School No 1 in Kozienice,
• Urszula Ledóchowska Congregation of the Ursulines High School in Pniewy,
• Janusz Korczak Elementary School in Platerów,
• Adam Mickiewicz High School in Opole Lubelskie,
• Stanisław Moniuszko School and Kindergarten Complex in Kudowa-Zdrój,

• Stefan Sarzyński Elementary School in Nasielsk,
• Jan Brzechwa Elementary School in Wicko,
• Heroes of the V2 Action Elementary School in Sarnaki.

The students organized tours of Jewish sites in their towns and neighboring. Some groups, such as students from Nasielsk or Kudowa-Zdrój, organized urban exploration tours, while others offered dedicated guided tours to specific audiences of their choice. In Wicko, the students invited members of the Seniors’ Club, in Platerów, their peers from a lower grade, and in Sarnaki, the entire school (after they’ve tested it out on a pilot group).

As part of the projects, the participants sometimes added activities. In Pniewy they organized thematic workshops, and in Opole Lubelskie, they prepared a virtual map. The students were involved in creating films, meetings with witnesses of history, cooperation with local experts, talks with the media, etc. We will inform you about the details of the projects during the program overview planned for October 2022.

The seven remaining schools were co-financed by Friends of the Forum, Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, and individual donors and institutions from Poland and abroad supporting Forum for Dialogue:

• Maria Montessori Bilingual High School in Radom,
• Montessori-Schule Bilingual Elementary School in Włocławek,
• School Boarding House in Ełk,
• Nicolaus Copernicus High School No 1 in Będzin,
• Polish Veterans School Complex No 3 in Dzierżoniów,
• Prof. Janusz Groszkowski School Complex No 2 in Pabianice,
• Nicolaus Copernicus High School No 2 in Mielec.

In their activities, students focused primarily on walking tours to which they invited their peers.

Additionally, in Mielec, the participants made a film recording key points of the route, and in Dzierżoniów and Będzin they met local experts who shared their knowledge and inspired the youth to continue their activities.

The students and teachers involved in the program also expressed their willingness to continue working and caring for the local Jewish heritage even before the program’s official overview planned for October.

During the pandemic, the School of Dialogue has undergone a major change adapting the program to remote and hybrid modes of work. Another big change to the program formula is ahead of us. We will keep you posted!

Project financed by the Active Citizens Fund – National financed by the Norwegian and EEA funds.

Project co-financed by Friends of the Forum, Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, and individual and institutional donors from Poland and abroad.

In appreciation to the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (Claims Conference) for supporting the School of Dialogue educational program. Through recovering the assets of the victims of the Holocaust, the Claims Conference enables organizations around the world to provide education about the Shoah and to preserve the memory of those who perished.