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.