In September we hosted a series of the “Zoom in on the Forum” meetings dedicated to our international friends and programs alumni. The series titled “How is Poland Important to Jews?” aimed to create a space for a debate on the role and significance of Poland and its Jewish heritage to Jews from all over the world. Meetings with experts, dr. Kamil Kijek from the University of Wroclaw and a member of Forum’s Scholarly Advisory Board, and Konstanty Gebert initiated a discussion on the history of Polish Jews before and after the Shoah and its meaning for the contemporary Jewish community. The extensive format of thematic sessions provided the participants with space for a discussion about their relationship with Polish/Jewish relations in the past and nowadays as well as Forum’s role in that matter.

For over two decades, Forum for Dialogue has been dedicated to inspiring new connections between contemporary Poland and the Jewish people from abroad. Our efforts are based on mutual dialogue and openness towards various perspectives on the history and Polish/Jewish relations. As a result, we created a community of people who share our values and beliefs. When the global pandemic forced us to adjust our programs to an online format, we initiated a series of virtual meetings with our friends and supporters on the Zoom platform. The new tool allowed us to continue conversation on crucial subjects regardless of the situation. So far we have held over 20 sessions during which we explored different attitudes towards Poland and its Jewish past. Leaders of Dialogue shared their sense of responsibility for the Jewish heritage of their localities, while descendants of Polish Jews underlined the meaning of rebuilding bonds with places their families came from. For each program participant Poland has a different and unique meaning. That’s why we dedicated a separate series of meetings to such a complex subject to better understand the common Polish/Jewish history and its impact on us.