This year marks the 80th Anniversary of the deportation and extermination of Jews from Poland. During the summer and early autumn many members of the Leaders of Dialogue network organized events to commemorate this somber occasion.
A Community of Changemakers
This year marks the 80th Anniversary of the deportation and extermination of Jews from Poland. During the summer and early autumn many members of the Leaders of Dialogue network organized events to commemorate this somber occasion.
Their efforts are truly impressive, as ceremonies organized or co-organized by these activists took place all over Poland. Forum for Dialogue representatives had the honor of participating in many of them, and you may read more about each event below.
July 7th – Krynica Zdrój – Edyta Danielska, Artur Franczak, Łukasz Połomski, Dariusz Popiela (Shtetl of Tsanz)
The Jewish community of Krynica-Zdrój was once a vital part of the town’s life. Most of these Jewish inhabitants perished in the extermination camp in Bełżec and in the ghettos of Nowy Sącz, Stary Sącz and Grybów. On July 7, the 80th anniversary of the Holocaust of the Jews of Krynica was officially commemorated. Its focal point was the Appeal of Remembrance at the Jewish cemetery on Polna Street. The event was organized by The Shtetl of Tsanz, People, Not Numbers Foundation, the Sądeczanin. History quarterly, and the Public Library in Krynica-Zdrój.
July 10th – Nowy Żmigród – Jerzy Dębiec
On July 10, Nowy Żmigród commemorated the 80th anniversary of the extermination of its Jewish community. The event included a meeting with the descendants of the Survivors of local Jewish families. The members of the Podkarpacie regional group of Leaders of Dialogue attended the event.
July 11th – Wola Michowa – Joanna Potaczek (Center for Dialogue among Religions and Nations)
A ceremony at the Wola Michowa Jewish cemetery honored the memory of the local Jewish community annihilated in the Holocaust.
July 13th – Józefów – Stanisław Kowalczyk
On July 13, on the exact date of the annihilation of the Jozefów Jewish community, a ceremony was held in honor of those who perished 80 years ago. The event was attended by descendants of Jozefów Jews from Poland, Israel, and the US.
July 19th – Radomyśl Wielki – Izabela Sekulska
On July 19, on the 80th anniversary of the Holocaust of the Jewish community of Radomyśl Wielki, the memory of the murdered inhabitants of the town was honored during a ceremony held at the local Jewish cemetery.
July 10th-21st – Dębica – Ireneusz Socha
The Days of Remembrance of the Jews of Dębica took place in Dębica on July 20-21. The commemorations included a ceremony at the memorial site for the victims of the Dębica ghetto in the Wolica Forest, a saxophone recital by Tomasz Duda in the New Town Synagogue, and an official ceremony in Jordanowska Park, during which the names of the murdered people were read and ribbons of memory were tied.
August 3rd – Będzin – Karolina Jakoweńko i Piotr Jakoweńko
A ceremony honoring the memory of Będzin Jews who perished in the Holocaust.
August 7th – Białowieża – Katarzyna Winiarska
In Białowieża, on August 7, on the anniversary of the murder committed by the Nazis at the former gravel pit near the village of Podolany a ceremony honoring the memory of the victims took place. Seventy seven Jewish men and boys, aged 16 to 45, were taken from from Białowieża and executed by the 322 German Battalion on August 10, 1941.
In her speech, Katarzyna Winiarska, the organizer of the commemoration, referred to the current situation on the Polish-Belarusian border:
“So far, for several years, we have met to commemorate an event from the past. This year, the historical event resonates also with the crimes committed by the Russian authorities and the Russian army in Ukraine, which are happening in front of our eyes. Even more so, it resonates with the humanitarian crisis on the Polish-Belarusian border that affects us particularly strongly, as the violence is happening here and now. For almost a year our own state is committing violence on people escaping wars, regimes, and hunger. I wondered for a long time whether in this situation we should take on the remembering and talking about the victims from more than 80 years ago. Whether to talk about such a distant history, when one has to shout about contemporary harm and current victims present in the same forest. I came to the conclusion that we have to. That this is the moment when the words “remember,” and “never again” become real, no longer a cliché repeated at a ceremony, but a challenge we need to face. That is why I am here and that is why I have invited you to be here together. I also feel obliged to the descendants of Białowieża Jews whom I have met. I feel especially obliged to those who were murdered here, whose memory I restored to our shared memory many years ago: I brought back their names, characters, sometimes faces to make them close to us. After all, we do not abandon those who are closer to us, regardless if they are dead or alive.”
August 11th-17th – Biecz – Krzysztof Przybyłowicz
The commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the Biecz Ghetto Liquidation lasted for a week. The program included a walk along the memory trail of Biecz Jews and a concert of Jewish music. The official ceremony at the Jewish cemetery was its culminating event, during which a commemorative plaque was unveiled.
August 12th – Tarnów – Inga Marczyńska
On August 12, a ceremony to commemorate the victims of the Holocaust was held at the Jewish cemetery in Tarnów. During the event, the organizers recalled the tragic murder of Salomea Korzennik and Rachela Pacher, who were killed in Kołaczyce in 1942 by a Polish collaborator.
Ausust 12th – Bobowa – Łukasz Połomski (Shtetl of Tsanz)
On August 12, a ceremony commemorating the Jews of Bobowa was held at the Jewish cemetery. The attendees included, among others, the Mayor of Bobowa, a representative of the Institute of National Remembrance, and the local parish priest. The commemoration was accompanied by the unveiling of a plaque dedicated to the Jewish soldiers buried in the World War I soldiers’ section. The plaque was founded by Józef Gucwa. The Appeal of Remembrance and the ceremony were led by Łukasz Połomski, member of the Leaders of Dialogue network, and the of the Shtetl of Tsanz organization.
August 13th – Rymanów – Joanna Lorenc, Adam, Lorenc, Michał Lorenc, Magdalena Zykiert
A commemorative ceremony was held to honor the memory of Rymanów Jews who perished in the Holocaust.
August 14th – Dukla – Jacek Koszczan (Shtetl Dukla Association for Preservation of Jewish Heritage in Dukla Region)
A ceremony on the 80th anniversary of the liquidation of Jewish communities of Jaśliski, Rymanów, Dukla and surrounding villages.
August 16th – Białystok – Karol Głębocki (Museum of the Jews of Bialystok and the region)
Karol Głębocki togerther with Museum of the Jews of Bialystok and the region organized the events accompanying the city’s 79th Anniversary of the Białystok Ghetto Uprising.
August 17th – Jasło – AntySchematy 2 Foundation (Tomasz Kocur, Katarzyna Suszkiewicz)
On August 17, a Day of Remembrance for the town’s Jewish community took place in Jasło. The 80th anniversary of Aktion Reinhardt was commemorated as part of the ceremony.
August 17th – Stary Sącz – Łukasz Połomski (Shtetl of Tsanz)
On August 17, the ceremony commemorating the 80th anniversary of the liquidation of the ghetto in Stary Sącz was held. The program included an Appeal of Remembrance and a discussion about the Sądeczanin. History quarterly. The ceremony was accompanied by an exhibition devoted to the Jews of Stary Sącz. The event was held thanks to the work of the Shtetl of Tsanz, the Regional Museum in Stary Sącz and the County and Municipal Public Library.
August 18th – Limanowa – Edyta Danielska, Artur Franczak, Łukasz Połomski, Dariusz Popiela (Shtetl of Tsanz, People, not Numbers)
August 18, thanks to the co-operation of descendants of Limanowa Jews, members of the Leaders of Dialogue network from the Shtetl of Tsanz initiative, and local authorities, a monument honoring the memory of Limanowa’s Jewish community was unveiled. Among the guests of the event were Adela and Linda Goldfinger, daughters of Holocaust Survivor from Limanowa, Moniek Goldfinger. Łukasz Połomski of Shtetl of Tsanz said to the ceremony audience: “This monument brings back the memory of Jewish inhabitants of Limanowa – the neighbors of our great grandparents, grandparents, parents, people who have been building this town for generations. On August 18, 1942, they were murdered not far from there, in Stara Wieś, the rest of them in Bełżec death camp. Almost the half of town’s population disappeared. This monument is dedicated to the memory of 2,000 residents of Limanowa.” Town mayor Władysław Bieda added: “History is a foundation stone: our present rests on generations that are now long gone and we build our future on this as well. It is important for this foundation to be complete. Jews of Limanowa lived here for centuries, had their moments of joy and sadness here, just as everyone else. They were a part of Limanowa, so it is very important to remember them.”
August 19th – Gorlice – Edyta Danielska, Artur Franczak, Łukasz Połomski (Shtetl of Tsanz, People, not Numbers)
On Friday, our representatives joined the members of Leaders of Dialogue network from the Shtetl of Tsanz initiative during the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the annihilation of Gorlice Jewish community. The ceremony was followed by the “Empty Streets” etude performed by a local theatre group and based on World War II and Holocaust testimonies of Jews and Poles from Gorlice. You can read more about this year’s commemoration and the history of local ghetto here.
August 19th – Otwock – Monika Czub (Committee for the Remembrance of Otwock and Karczew Jews)
August 19, we joined a member of our Leaders of Dialogue network Monika Czub and other local activists of the Committee for the Remembrance of Otwock and Karczew Jews during the March of Remembrance they organized to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the annihilation of Otwock Jewish community. The March ended with reading of the list of names of Otwock’s Holocaust victims and was attended by Holocaust Survivors, descendants of town’s Jewish community, ambassadors of Israel and Germany, representatives of local authorities, and Otwock residents.
August 19th-22th – Myślenice – Marek Stoszek
August 19-22, Myślenice commemorated the 80th anniversary of the deportations of town’s Jewish community during the Reinhardt Aktion. Remembrance ceremony and accompanying program of educational and cultural events were organized thanks to the co-operation of town authorities, Museum of Independence in Myślenice, and local activists of the Wspólnota Myślenice (Myślenice Community) Association, member of our Leaders of Dialogue network Marek Stoszek among them. Check out the photos of the ceremony!
August 21st – Biała Niżna, Grybów – Kamil Kmak (Saga Grybów Association)
In Biała Niżna and Grybów an event was held to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the extermination of Jews from the Ghetto in Grybów. The commemoration began at the memorial site in Biała Niżna, followed by a concert of Jewish songs held at a school in Grybów and a walk to the city park, where the participants planted a commemorative tree. The descendants of the Survivors joined the commemorations.
The event was co-financed by a grant awarded by Forum for Dialogue.
August 21st-22nd – Mszana Dolna – Urszula Antosz-Rekucka i Marek Rekucki (Shtetl Mszana Dolna Foundation)
August 22, we were invited to the ceremony commemorating the 80th Anniversary of Holocaust of the Mszana Dolna Jewish Community, co-organized by members of our Leaders of Dialogue network Marek Rekucki and Urszula Antosz-Rekucka of the Mszana Dolna Shtetl Foundation and town authorities of Mszana. Participants of the event, descendants of Mszana’s Jews among them, honored the memory of victims of the 19th August, 1942 mass execution at the newly renovated monument, then walked the March of Remembrance to the Jewish cemetery, where a trilingual, English/Hebrew/Polish plaque commemorating the victims of the Holocaust from Mszana and neighboring towns and villages was unveiled thanks to the efforts of Mszana Dolna Shtetl Foundation. The plaque honors the memory of victims buried at the cemetery in nameless graves, and features the names of those whose identity could be confirmed.
The events surrounding the unveiling and commemorative ceremonies started the day before and included guided tours of the Jewish cemetery, Hebrew calligraphy workshops, lectures about Jewish culture, and klezmer concert.
Commemoration of the 80th Anniversary of Holocaust of the Mszana Dolna Jewish Community was co-financed by the Forum for Dialogue as a part of the 2022 Grant Competition.
August 21st – Warta – Beata Łuczak (The Ireneusz Ślipek Association for Polish-Jewish Dialogue)
On Sunday, August 21, we were invited to attend the commemorative events on the 80th anniversary of the annihilation of Warta ghetto, co-organized by a member of our Leaders of Dialogue network, Beata Łuczak, co-founder of the Ireneusz Ślipek Association. Thanks to her efforts, the memory of Warta’s Jewish community was honored with the unveiling of the commemoration plaques at a place of former synagogue, the place of the tragic death of Mosze Szajniak and Meir Lajb Rozewald, and a new town plan with information on town’s Jewish heritage. Francine and Noam Gelbart from Tel Aviv, daughter and grandson of Holocaust Survivor from Warta Ruben Gelbart, unveiled the plaque at the Jewish cemetery. Mariusz Lewandowski, Warta’s vice-mayor, planted a tree of memory. Anniversary events were accompanied by a film screening of “Hiding and Seeking” and a Q&A session with its director, Menachem Daum from NYC.
August 21st – Mińsk Mazowiecki – Katarzyna Łaziuk (City Hall of Mińsk Mazowiecki)
August 21, Mińsk Mazowiecki commemorated its Jewish community thanks to the efforts of Katarzyna Łaziuk, activist of our Leaders of Dialogue network who has been bringing back the Jewish memory of her town for years, first as a local activist and teacher and now on behalf of the municipal authorities. The ceremony was attended by descendants of Minsker Jews from France, Great Britain, Sweden, and Israel, as well as by Mińsk residents and Forum’s representatives. Mayor of Mińsk Mazowiecki, Marcin Jakubowski, emphasized that while it is important to remember the death of town’s Jewish community, we should care for life, too: “Today, I am happy to see the youngest descendants of Mińsk’s Jews here. Their presence gives us hope of strengthening the ties between Jews and Poles, of reconnecting ties … I believe that only by accepting the truth of what is and was good, but also bad in our co-existence we can build a future together.”
August 22nd – Wieluń – Agnieszka Mysakowska
August 22, we were invited to Wieluń to attend commemorative ceremonies of the 80th anniversary of the Holocaust of Wieluń’s Jewish community, co-organized by a member of our Leaders of Dialogue network, Agnieszka Mysakowska in co-operation with local authorities. Gathered guests – town’s mayor Paweł Okrasa and descendants of Wieluń’s Jewish community among them – planted an Oak of Memory and unveiled a commemorative plaque, then lit candles in a gesture of respect at the monument on local Jewish cemetery.
August 22nd-23rd – Dobczyce – Elżbieta Polończyk-Moskal
August 22-23, Dobczyce commemorated the 80th anniversary of the deportations of town’s Jewish community during the Reinhardt Aktion thanks to the efforts of Elżbieta Polończyk-Moskal, co-founder of the “Mikveh” Committee for the Remembrance and a member of our Leaders of Dialogue network. Participants of the commemorative ceremony put stones bearing names of Holocaust victims by the ruined building of former mikveh, the only surviving part of Jewish heritage of Dobczyce.
August 23rd-28th – Nowy Sącz – Dariusz Popiela, Edyta Danielska, Łukasz Połomski, Artur Franczak (Shtetl of Tsanz, People, not Numbers)
August 23-28, Forum joined events’ organizers – members of Leaders of Dialogue network from “People, not Numbers” and Shtetl of Tsanz initiatives, and guests: over 100 descendants of Nowy Sącz’s Jews, representatives of authorities, institutions, and Jewish organizations, members of the diplomatic corps as well as city’s residents, to honor the memory of Nowy Sącz Jewish community. Nearly a week of commemorative, educational, and artistic events culminated on August 28 with the unveiling of a monument listing the names of 12,000 Holocaust victims from Nowy Sącz.
Holocaust Survivor Sara Weinfeld-Melzer thanked “People, not Numbers” for their efforts in bringing back the memory: “I would like to express my gratitude to those who turned cold stones into symbols of memory of Jewish Sącz. I am speaking for myself as well as for those who could not speak: thank you, Łukasz Połomski, Dariusz Popiela, and Artur Franczak.” Second generation member from Israel, Irit Dagan, added: “The monument with the names will be a reminder for generations to come of the terrible atrocities that took place in Europe and it will be a symbol of resilience and hope for humanity.”
The event was co-financed by a grant awarded by Forum for Dialogue.
August 27th-28th – Rabka-Zdrój – Narcyz Listkowski i Michał Rapta
On August 27 and 28, a Forum delegation participated in the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the Annihilation of the Jews of Rabka, a ceremony organized by Narcyz Listkowski and Michał Rapta. The guests included descendants of the Survivors and representatives of local authorities. On the first day, at the City Library, Rachel Shavsha, a Survivor’s daughter, shared the touching story of her father’s life. Then, Ewa Koper, a member of the Leaders of Dialogue network, talked about the Memorial Site in Bełżec. On the second day, there was an official appeal begun the the March of Remembrance, followed by a violin concert, as well as talks by invited guests: Anna Janowska talked about her memories of the war, and Grzegorz Moskal presented the historical overview of the Holocaust. At the cemetery, the participants said a prayer and left stones, candles, and flowers.
August 28th – Zduńska Wola – Kamila Klauzińska
On August 28, the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the Holocaust of the Jewish community of Zduńska Wola took place. During the ceremony at the cemetery, a rabbi, a Catholic priest, and the parish priest of the Evangelical Church said a prayer together. The names of those murdered during the liquidation of the ghetto were read out and flowers and stones were placed on the mass grave. An exhibition devoted to Aszer Aud Sieradzki, a Survivor of the Holocaust from Zduńska Wola, was been unveiled at the City History Museum. The sons of the survivor took part in the opening of the exhibition. In addition, memorial stones for Doctor Jakub Lemberg were laid and a commemorative plaque was unveiled.
The initiator of this commemoration was Doctor Menachem Daum from New York.
August 29th – Czarny Dunajec – Karolina Panz, Michał Szaflarski, Dariusz Popiela (People, not Numbers)
“Welcome home!”: with those simple yet powerful words Michał Szaflarski, activist of the “People, not Numbers” initiative and a member of our Leaders of Dialogue network, greeted the descendants of Czarny Dunajec Jews during the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the annihilation of town’s Jewish community. Guests from Israel, Germany and the Netherlands came to Czarny Dunajec to participate in the ceremony of reading the list of Holocaust victims names and interfaith prayers followed by Ryfka Foremniak’s concert at the town’s synagogue.
August 30th – Nowy Targ – Karolina Panz, Dariusz Popiela (People, not Numbers)
On August 30, the names of the Holocaust victims were ceremonially read out in Nowy Targ. The commemorative ceremony took place at the local stadium, where the selections of Podhale Jews was held prior to the deportation the death camp in Bełżec.
September 10th-11th – Brzesko – Anna Brzyska (Association “Memory and Dialogue. Common History”)
On the 80th anniversary of the Holocaust of the Jews of Brzesko ecermonies were held under the banner: “Brzesko: We are united by memory.” On the first day, diplomas and prizes were presented to the participants of the “Remnants of Memory. Traces of the Jewish Community in Brzesko” photo competition at the opening gala of the post-competition exhibition. A conference and the opening of a second exhibition, entitled “Mala Zimetbaum – the heroine of Auschwitz born in Brzesko” followed. On the second day, the March of Remembrance went through Brzesko. At the grave of Mundek and Cyla Strauber a monument was unveiled, a ceremony ccompanied also by the presentation of information plaques at the Jewish cemetery. The celebrations were organized by the “Remembrance and Dialogue. Common history ” association, County and Municipal Public Library, local Cultural Center, and the Town Hall.
September 13th – Mielec – Izabela Sekulska
The ceremony commemorating the 83rd anniversary of the destruction of the Milelec synagogue.
September 14th-19th – Jędrzejów – Klaudia Kwiecińska
Eighty years after the liquidation of the ghetto, Days of Remembrance are held in Jędrzejów. On September 14 and 15, students from Jędrzejów schools with the help of other residents cleaned up the Jewish cemetery at Spacerowa Street. On September 16, on the anniversary of the deportation of Jews from Jędrzejów to the extermination camp in Treblinka, a temporary exhibition “Donersztik in Jendrzew. Jews from Jędrzejów ” at the Przypkowski Museum was opened. The exhibition is curated by Klaudia Kwiecińska. Additionally, on September 17, the IPN exhibition “Aktion Reinhardt 1942-1943” will be opened at the Cultural Center in Jędrzejów.
September 16th – Dąbrowa Tarnowska – Jolanta Świerczek-Stelmach i Jerzy Stelmach
The commemoration of the 80th anniversary of Aktion Reinhardt in Dąbrowa Tarnowska will start at the Jewish cemetery. It will proceed to the Center for the Meeting of Cultures, located at the former synagogue, where lectures and presentation of Holocaust victims and Survivors’ testimonies will be presented to the audience. This will also serve as the opening of the “Aktion Reinhardt 1942-1943” and “Poles saving Jews” exhibitions held at the Center.
September 20th – Szczekociny – Mirosław Skrzypczyk
Mirosław Skrzypczyk’s project involves a series of activities commemorating the Jewish community of Szczekocin on the 80th anniversary of its destruction. These activities are meant to actively engage the local residents. The project’s culmination, the commemoration ceremony that will take place on September 20, is designed to attract the broadly defined Szczekociny community, local residents, students, teachers, as well as descendants of Jews from Szczekocin. The commemoration takes place as part of the 5th Szczekocin Festival of Dialogue between Cultures 2022.
Mirosław Skrzypczyk’s project (which includes, apart from commemorating part, also educational activities) was co-financed by a scholarship awarded by Forum for Dialogue.
September 26th – Pułtusk – Aneta Szymańska
A ceremony commemorating the 80th anniversary of the destruction of the Pułtusk Jewish community.
Octomber/November – Zakliczyn – Shtetl of Tsanz
A plaque commemorating the Jewish community of Zakliczyn will be unvailed in Zakliczyn. The concept to install the plaque came from Anna Grygiel, a Holocaust Survivor, who has been working with the Shtetl of Tsanz for many years.
October 12th – Tuszyn – Robert Kobylarczyk
A ceremony honoring the memory of those laid to rest at the Tuszyn Jewish cemetery.
October 14th – Włodawa – Mariusz Czuj (Włodawa-Sobibór Gate of Memory Association)
A monument marking the place of the Jewish cemetery at Wiejska street will be unvailed. The ceremony will be attended by a group of 10 descendants of Wodawa Jews.
The event was co-financed by a grant awarded by Forum for Dialogue.
October 16th – Zamość – Marek Kołcon
A ceremony honoring the memory of Zamosć Jews.
October 28th – Zbąszyń – Anita Rucioch-Gołek (Arkady Fiedler Primary School in Zbąszyń)
The commemoration of the Jews in Zbąszyń is a project aiming to honor the memory and share knowledge of the Jewish community and heritage in Zbąszyń. An information plaque will be placed in the Jewish cemetery, which will increase the awareness of residents about the history of this place. The project will also include a historical walk, workshops for elementary school students presenting the life and culture of Zbąszyń Jews, a film screening at a local cinema and a theater performance. The official celebrations will be attended by the local authorities and representatives of the Jewish community in Poznań, as well as the descendants of Zbąszyń Jews (online).
The project was co-financed by a grant awarded by Forum for Dialogue.
November 2nd – Biłgoraj – Artur Bara (The Bilgoraj Cultural Association of Issak Bashevis Singer)
A commemoration of the local Jewish community.
November 2nd – Dąbrowa Białostocka – Dorota Budzińska
A commemoration of the Jewish community of Dąbrowa Białostocka.
November 4th-5th – Orla – Marek Chmielewski
Commemoration of the Orla Jewish community on the 80th anniversary of its Holocaust will include a March of Remembrance ending at the Jewish cemetery, where the names of the victims will be read and a monument will be unveiled. The program of the ceremony also includes a visit to the local synagogue and a concert of classical music.
The ceremony was co-financed as part of a scholarship awarded by Forum for Dialogue.
November 4th-7th – Chełm – Dorota Bida
Commemoration of Jews of the first transport from the Chełm ghetto to the mass extermination camp in Sobibór
The ceremony will be held at the Jewish cemetery in Chełm. There will also be a trip to the Memorial Site Museum in Sobibór.
