Since March 2020, the Forum team has been working remotely. This was motivated by our sense of responsibility and concern over the well-being of our staff, as well as the recipients of our programs. As a result, we were forced to cancel the conferences, seminars, and other activities we had planned for the year that involved having many people meet directly in one place. Though we cannot meet face-to-face, we do not stop the work of maintaining old and making new connections between people dedicated to Polish/Jewish dialogue. We have been successful in adapting our existing programs to the new online reality, so we can continue Forum mission in these changed circumstances.

The first challenge on our path was the School of Dialogue Gala, which we shifted online. With an audience of over two thousand students, teachers, and friends and allies of the Forum we awarded the School of Dialogue participants for their incredible efforts. You may read more about #GalaOnline here.

The next challenge was staying in touch with the Forum community and getting people involved in the Forum mission. Since March we have been working hard to offer an array of online meetings for various groups of Forum program recipients.

These online sessions include meetings with experts and scholars working on Polish/Jewish issues, but also help network various groups of Forum friends and allies, who can now discuss in real time their motivations and experiences. This online formula is a unique opportunity for our program recipients and friends from Poland, Israel, and the US to meet and talk.

We have also introduced changes in our Leaders of Dialogue program encouraging leaders from one region to connect and work together in regional groups that enhance networking and enable joint projects. You may read more about Leaders of Dialogue regional groups here, but so far we inaugurated four groups in four regions, and more are coming. These groups meet and plan online to ensure that the work is not stopped by the pandemic.