Mariusz Sokołowski

In my free time, I guide tours through Podlasie’s Jewish sites. As a student, I participated in marking out the Jewish Heritage Trail in Białystok, and this is why I usually lead my groups along this route. Each time I find this to be a unique and emotional experience as I try to show how much Jews contributed to the development of Białystok. I also explained how this Polish-Jewish city ceased to exist. I try to include as many personal stories as possible in the historical processes I discuss.

To this end, I read memoirs and personal journals. The most important account is the wonderful book written by Felicja Raszkin-Nowak “Moja gwiazda” (My Star), in which she describes Białystok of her happy childhood, but also as a city of her family’s tragic fate. I also take those interested in the Jewish past of Podlasie to towns like Tykocin, Choroszcza and Krynki.