Mariusz Sokołowski
The fellow of the David and Anna Dlugie Kliger Scholarship in 2014
The fellow of the David and Anna Dlugie Kliger Scholarship in 2014
Mariusz Sokołowski had a clear plan on how to use The David and Anna Dlugie Kliger Scholarship and from October 2014 until June 2015 he would implemented it. First of all, he wanted to improve his command of the English language in order to try to initiate a collaboration between Father Wacław Rabczyński Junior High School in Wasilkowo, where he works as a teacher, and a high school from Kiryat Białystok. He participated in an English course for several months, which he completed by passing the final exam. He decided to pursue his studies of the language. Between January 27 and February 3, 2015, thanks to the scholarship, Mariusz Sokołowski went to Israel. With the help of Mrs Maya Hadad, he managed to meet on several occasions with the representatives of an organization bringing together the former residents of Białystok and the surroundings. He would learn about their personal stories and problems that this community, which number is decreasing every year, has to deal with. He also spent several hours at Kiryat Białystok where in a small museum he studied the exhibits and photographed them to use it later in educational projects. During a week-long stay, he also visited Yad Vashem Institute, where apart from visiting the main exhibition and the premises, he exploited the archival resources and found several interesting documents about Białystok and Wasilkowo. Unfortunately, despite the efforts and encouragement of Jacob Kagan, president of the organization of Białystok descendants, as well as Mrs Maya Hadad, the cooperation with high school in Kiryat was not obtained. Mariusz Sokołowski is still on the lookout of a school able to undertake a serious cooperation. Mariusz Sokołowski is convinced that the granted scholarship helped him to acquire skills to use the English language that in the future will lead to subsequent endeavors for a dialogue.
Already in the year to follow, his linguistic skills proven useful when working with a group of students on a film about the story of a Survivor from Białystok ghetto, Felicja Raszkin-Nowak, which was made in English. Overcoming the linguistic barrier, he was able to organize an international exchange between students from Wasilkowo and their peers from Kashuri in Georgia, that took place at the turn of September and October 2015.
The David and Anna Dlugie Kliger Scholarship is to be used towards personal development and individual work for Polish/Jewish relations.
Project co-financed by The David and Anna Dlugie Kliger Scholarship Fund.
