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.