Monika Sieradzka Warsaw, Poland
September 16, 2024Advertisement
Before the Second World War, about 3.5 million Jews lived in Poland. Only about 200,000 survived the Holocaust, and only a tiny number returned to Poland after the war.
So great was the trauma of the Holocaust that many of those who did return chose to keep their Jewish identity a secret.
Their descendents are now rediscovering their Jewish roots. Young Jews and their children regularly meet up in the Jewish Community Center in Warsaw. The message to the young generation is: Being Jewish and Polish is not a contradiction.
The Jewish Community Center offers a safe space for people who want to learn about and live their Jewish identity — especially those who have just discovered their Jewish roots.