The Kazimierz, the Jewish district of Kraków is perhaps one of the best known centres of Jewish culture in Poland. Please tell us about thesignificance of Jewish culture in Kraków. “Jews have lived in Kraków for many years, as far back as the 10th century, though not always as citizens with full-rights. Nevertheless, they have always been an integral part of the city’s culturallandscape, contributing not only to the development of the city but also to its culture and character. Kraków, and especially the Jewish Kazimierz district, is often referred to as the ‘Polish Jerusalem’ thanks to the incredibly vibrant spiritual and cultural life of the Jewish community. Many eminent rabbis and Jewish spiritual leaders, such as Rabbi Remuh and Natan Spira, have lived and worked here. Following Haskalah, the “enlightenment” period which saw many Jews integrating into Polish culture, a number of Jews became well-known in Kraków’s social, political and cultural life. Kraków has become the natural platform for dialogue between Jews and non-Jews, a common ground for mutual inspiration. You simply could not imagine Kraków without its Jewish heritage, yet the city still feels the pain of loss - Jews accounted for a quarter of the city’s population before World War II.”

The Jewish Culture Festival has been a major event for Krakow for almost two decades – what was the initial inspiration for the festival? “ Following the extermination of the Jews during the holocaust, the post-war pogroms, and the conflict between Jews and non- Jews, all things Jewish became a taboo, particularly after the expulsion of thousands of Jews during the anti-Semitic campaign in 1968. Post-war generations were growing up without the awareness of Jewish culture’s significance to Poland’s heritage. At this time, the word “Jew” was at best an empty word with no real meaning, or at worst associated with unfounded clichés and stereotypes. By the 1980’s, as the political climate started to change, intellectuals inaugurated unofficial debates which championed the true representation of our country’s history; for a number of years, the Jewish aspects of Polish history had been nothing more than blank spaces in the history books. At this point, some individuals started to speak out about the significance of Jewish culture in Poland’s history. Among them were Janusz Makuch and Krzysztof Gierat, who in 1988 (before the fall of communism) organised a small conference which incorporated screenings of films that depicted Jews in Polish society throughout the centuries. This was the first step to building a memorial and paying respects to the significant yet sadly forgotten part of Poland’s heritage. The initial conference was a resounding success, packing out a small cinema. The venue was full of people who were keen to preserve and promote Kraków’s Jewish culture and heritage. For just a couple of days at least, it felt as if Jews were once again a natural part of society. This prompted Makuch and Gierat to organise such festivals every year, with the aim of educating the public, bringing Jewish culture back to Poland, fighting intolerance and rebuilding Kraków’s multicultural character.”

Comments

No comments added