Mariusz Czuj

Mariusz Czuj and the Gates of Memory Włodawa-Sobibór Association plans to organize educational activities centered around the 80th anniversary of the deportation of Jews from the Włodawa ghetto. Among other activities, Mariusz will involve local students in creating an oral history archive of Włodawa Jewish history: they will be collecting testimonies and archival photographs from older residents of Włodawa. Thus collected histories of prewar multicultural Włodawa will not only broaden the historical knowledge of the young participants, but also highlight the importance of knowing, sharing, and preserving local history.

The very process of collecting these materials will inspire intergenerational dialogue between the older residents of the town and the youth. Another component of the anniversary will be the walking tours of Włodawa Jewish sites organized as part of the Festival of Three Cultures. The historical walks, addressed to visitors and residents alike, will follow the outward limits of what once was the Włodawa ghetto. During the walks, the students will present the history of the ghetto to walk participants.

In 2023, the Leaders of Dialogue program, including grants and scholarships, is financed thanks to the generosity of Friends of the Forum, LEDOR WADOR Foundation, United States Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad and individual donors and institutions from Poland and abroad supporting Forum for Dialogue. Scholarships for personal development are possible thanks to The David and Anna Dlugie Kliger Scholarship Fund.