Anna Brzyska

“Hidden Histories: Information Plaques at the Brzesko Jewish Cemetery and Exhibition about Malka Zimetbaum on the 80th Anniversary of Ghetto Liquidation/Aktion Reinhardt”

The project seeks to establish an emotional bond between the local community and the project’s addressees, on the one hand, and the history of Brzesko Jews, on the other. In order to fulfill this aim, bilingual information boards will be placed at the Jewish cemetery in Brzesko. They will recount the history of the Jewish community in Brzesko, outline the profiles of individuals buried at the cemetery and the annihilation of Brzesko Jews. Thanks to the information boards and the stories covered therein, Brzesko’s young and adult residents and tourists (Polish and foreign) visiting the town will learn more about the history of the Jewish inhabitants of Brzesko.

Additionally, the project will feature an accompanying exhibition dedicated to Malka Zimetbaum, a native of Brzesko who attempted to escape from Auschwitz-Birkenau together with Edward Galiński. The exhibit will cover Zimetbaum’s life story, her involvement in the Belgian resistance movement, and her tragic death.

The unveiling of the plaques and the exhibition will take place during the anniversary events “Brzesko: connected by memory.” Attending the ceremonies will be descendants of Brzesko Jews. The project is projected to help rebuild their bond with their ancestors’ hometown and its present inhabitants.

The Leaders of Dialogue program, including grants and scholarships, was financed thanks to the generosity of Friends of the Forum, Ledor Wador Foundation, 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.