“Polish-Jewish Heritage of the Republic of Poland. Challenges of Memory and Education,” international conference organized jointly by Forum for Dialogue and the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews, was a huge success!

For three days, nearly 300 teachers and educators from all over Poland had an unique opportunity to participate in lectures, discussion panels, and workshops, as well as to debate on how to talk about Polish/Jewish history without mythologizing or sugar-coating the past. Among scholars and experts in the field of Jewish studies who spoke at the conference were the representatives of Forum for Dialogue: Vice President Zuzanna Radzik was one of the panelists of “How to understand the Polish/Jewish heritage and why it is important to debate about it?” discussion, while our Leaders of Dialogue, Anna Włodek and Mirosław Skrzypczyk were joined by Young Leaders of Dialogue, Dominika Panfil, Piotr Czerniejewski, and Dawid Gańczak during the “Working with local communities on the preservation of Polish/Jewish heritage” panel chaired by Forum’s Julia Machnowska. Forum’s educator, Aneta Ceglarek shared her School of Dialogue expertise during the “Complicated memory – how to teach about the Jews from Western Territories that became part of Poland after World War II” workshop, and Izabela Meyza led the “Talking about the Jews in a classroom – how to cope with difficult situations” workshop.

Forum for Dialogue continues to grow. As our established programs keep on expanding, and we launch new successful initiatives, we had reached a point where it was necessary to separate the day-to-day operations from long-term planning. Hence, over the last two months, we have undergone a series of fundamental changes in how our work is organized. Zuzanna Radzik, who had been the Executive Board Member, replaced Michał Bilewicz as Forum’s Vice President. Michał stepped down to take on a new role as the Chair of Forum’s Scholarly Advisory Board that will be formed by next year. Zuza’s place on the Board was filled by Jakub Petelewicz, previously Forum’s Director of Education. Andrzej Folwarczny continues as the President and CEO of Forum for Dialogue, leading the Executive Board.

While the Executive Board will focus on long-term planning, relationship-building, and monitoring the success of our mission, Olga Kaczmarek was appointed for the newly established position of Forum’s Director General to take charge of overseeing our programs and daily operations, as well as representing Forum for Dialogue in Poland and abroad. As Director General Olga has the support of Monika Halaczek, who became the Deputy Director General. In her new capacity, Monika is responsible for further increase in Forum’s effectiveness and professionalization.

Thanks to an invitation from Facing History and Ourselves and support of EFC Foundation, Forum’s Director of International Relations Olga Kaczmarek participated in a Global Summit on Facing the Violent Past in Stellenbosch, RSA where she talked about the School of Dialogue program. As the conference, organized by Facing History and Ourselves, focused on the role of history education in fostering peacebuilding, positive intergroup and intragroup relations, and the processes of democratization, a presentation on the School of Dialogue program received a lot of positive feedback and interest from an audience of international educators and change makers.

Facing History and Ourselves is a US non-profit, one of the most important educational organizations working on a better, more open and just society by fighting xenophobia, antisemitism and other forms of discrimination. Forum has been its partner organization since 2012.

From left: Igor Czernecki, Chair of the Board of EFC Foundation and Polish Friend of the Forum, Dylan Wray, co-founder of Shikaya, South African non-profit that supports teachers and school leaders, Karen L. Murphy, Director of International Strategy for Facing History and Ourselves, Roy Hellenberg, co-founder of Shikaya and expert on education in post-conflict societies, and Olga Kaczmarek, Forum’s Director of International Relations.

17 members of Jablon family, descendants of Jews living in Siedlce before the Second World War, visited Warsaw and Siedlce in September 2019. Forum for Dialogue organized and facilitated the meeting with students from the Queen Jadwiga High School in Siedlce, followed by a workshop and a walking tour in the city.

The visit of Jablon family was organized by Zuzanna Rudzinska-Bluszcz, a granddaughter of Zofia Olszakowska, Righteous among the Nations who saved Cypora Jablon’s daughter, Rachel during the Second World War, and Judith Greenberg, New Yorker and cousin of Rachel. Zofia Olszakowska, Cypora Jablon and Irena Zawadzka were school best friends who graduated from Queen Jadwiga School in 1930s. In 1942, Irena and Zofia took on themselves rescuing one year old daughter of their friend Cypora from Siedlce ghetto. Cypora, her husband and other members of Jablon family died during the Holocaust, but Rachel survived in hiding. After the war Rachel left for Israel where she started her own family. She kept in touch with Irena and Zofia and those bonds of friendship persevered and are continued by next generations.

On the morning of September 19^th , students from Queen Jadwiga High School filled the  auditorium and listened to the history of friendship between two Christian and one Jewish girl which was abruptly ended by the horror of the Second World War, but lived in a biography of Rachel, a child survivor of the Holocaust. Eighty years after the outbreak of the war, families of Zofia and Rachel met with students to talk about intertwined Polish/Jewish history, taking responsibility in darkest of times, and value of friendship and respect. Judith Greenberg and Zuzanna Rudzińska-Bluszcz showed pictures of pre-war Siedlce and Queen Jadwiga school as well as described the post-war connections and histories of Jablon family and its Polish rescuers.

After the plenary session, group of Jablon family coming from United States, Israel, Italy and South America, met with students involved in School of Dialogue program led by Forum for Dialogue. The small, intimate workshop was an occasion to reconnect descendants of  Siedlce Jews with teenagers who took upon themselves caring about Jewish history and heritage of their town. After lunch in school cafeteria, students invited guests for a walking tour in Siedlce and showed them traces of pre-war vibrant Jewish life in the city, as well as places connected to Cypora and Jablon story, including the original plot of pre-war Queen Jadwiga School and buildings inhabited by Jablon family before the war. The last stop of the visit was the Jewish cemetery of Siedlce, where a Rabbi and a Catholic priest led an ecumenical prayer in the memory of Siedlce Jews.

Members of Jablon family, re-united especially for this heart-warming visit in Poland, were impressed by the empathy, consideration and knowledge demonstrated by the participants of School of Dialogue program. It was the first time that alumni of School of Dialogue in Siedlce had a chance to meet with Jewish family tracing its roots in their hometown and they showed nothing but kindness, genuine enthusiasm, and willingness to share the knowledge about their town.

photos by: H.Gospodarczyk, J.Greenberg

Ever since the diplomatic crisis of 2018 between Poland and Israel, Forum has intensified its initiatives aimed at rebuilding the trust and dialogue between the two countries. Our answer was the launch of the Polish/Israeli Leadership Initiative, a platform for cooperation and ideas exchange for a community of public opinion leaders from Poland and Israel happening each year alternatively in Poland or Israel. After the success of last year’s program hosted by Polish Friends of the Forum, this year, we have brought a group to Israel, where they met their Israeli counterparts for a program designed to strengthen bonds made last year and foster further meaningful conversations about current issues in Polish/Jewish dialogue, as well as contemporary politics and social issues important in Poland and Israel. This was yet another intense week-long visit comprised of meetings with experts on political and social issues, kibbutzniks from Lohamei HaGetaot, members of Israeli NGOs, artists, and representatives of local authorities.

But first and foremost, it was an opportunity for incredible people united by shared values and their belief in the Forum mission, to once again confront the most difficult issues and have a dialogue about them.

One of the Polish participants summarized her experience: “The most important aspects of the visit were the sincere and open conversation, the stories and emotions expressed openly and received with a most empathetic manner, and the relationships formed. Connecting to the Israeli participants is a way to build bridges, work on the difficult past, and get back something we have lost in the midst of the 20th century.”

photos by H.Gospodarczyk

Contributors

Project co-financed by the Friends of the Forum and the Orange Polska S.A.

In June, Forum for Dialogue hosted a delegation from the American Jewish Committee (AJC) for another study trip to Poland organized as a part of the long-standing collaboration between Forum and one of the most important Jewish organizations in the United States. For AJC members participating in the trip, the week in Poland offered an opportunity to explore the modern face of the country and to broaden their understanding of Polish/Jewish relations.

The visit was supported by Polish Friends of the Forum and it’s intense program included meetings with members of the Jewish community in Warsaw and Krakow, as well as representatives of Polish authorities and public figures. The group had in-depth site visits to the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews in Warsaw, the Grodzka Gate – NN Theater in Lublin, the Bełżec Museum and Memorial, and the Memorial and Museum Auschwitz-Birkenau, as well as guided tours of Warsaw and Krakow Jewish sites. The AJC delegates also met with Polish Friends of the Forum and participated in a Shabbat dinner organized by the Krakow JCC.

photo by H.Gospodarczyk

On June 26^th, Forum’s Executive Board Member Zuzanna Radzik was awarded The Irena Sendler Memorial Award at Tempel Synagogue, just prior to a concert of the 29th annual Jewish Culture Festival in Krakow. Taube Philanthropies recognized Zuza for her research, publishing, teaching, and advocacy in the fields of Polish/Jewish dialogue and the role of women in Catholicism.

When asked about her feelings about the award, Zuza said: “I’m flattered with the Irena Sendler Award, but her example and also my experience shows that you cannot do it alone. You need a gang. So I wouldn’t be receiving an award for activism, research, and publications, if not for my great coworkers at Forum for Dialogue, Tygodnik Powszechny, WAM publishing house, supportive friends and family, as well as readers who care.”

Join us in congratulating Zuza on this great success!

photo by Wolfgang Schmidt