Krakow Jewish Community Centre
WJR contributes to the running costs of Krakow's Jewish Community Centre, Beit Chayil, which opened its doors to the public in 2008 and has quickly become the focal point for Krakow's emerging Jewish community.
The centre, which was opened by HRH The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, provides a portfolio of educational, cultural and social activities targeting all age groups in the Jewish community in Krakow, which is currently undergoing a Jewish revival.
The Jewish Community Centre plays a central role in Krakow’s Jewish life and services include social programmes for the elderly, youth activities, a crèche facility, library, , a Sunday Cheder, film nights, regular Shabbat dinners, festival activities and cultural workshops. Run largely by volunteers these activities continue to attract over 5,000 members of the community, strengthening the foundations of the Krakow's Jewish community.
The Centre runs regular social events for both children and adults, with a particular focus on outreach to those who were unable to and discouraged from exploring their Jewish backgrounds under communism. A club for students of Krakow’s Jagiellonian University providing a space for young Jewish people to interact co-exists with a Seniors club for elder members of the community to visit throughout the week to socialise and learn English and Hebrew with native speakers.
Jerzy's story
Jerzy Lewinski had very little engagement with the Jewish community prior to his involvement with the JCC in Krakow. Despite knowing about his Jewish heritage for a long time, his only contact with Judaism was reading Jewish books and newspapers and a sole Jewish friend.
Soon after attending events at the JCC in Krakow, however, Jerzy realised he could bridge both his Jewish and Polish identities and found a community where he belonged. He is now able to observe Shabbat and keep kosher, attend services, celebrate the holidays within the community and as well as learn about Judaism, Jewish history and culture. His youngest son attends the Cheder and his daughter works at the JCC crèche. He and his family have been learning both English and Hebrew together at the JCC.
Jerzy believes that the Krakow JCC has benefited the Jewish community and Krakow and Poland as a whole, opening up the wider population to the idea that it is possible to be both Polish and Jewish.
According to Jerzy, the JCC has not only revived the community by bringing in new people, but also made wider Polish society interested in Jewish culture, and in particular, made people of Jewish origin proud of who they are, active in the community and - most of all - accepted among their Polish friends as such.
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© 2010 World Jewish Relief
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Charity Number: 290767 | Tel: +44 (0)20 8736 1250 | info@wjr.org.uk
