by tskzOn 27 January, in order to mark the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp, people from all over the world celebrate the International Holocaust Remembrance Day. For 20 years, specific branches of the Social and Cultural Association of Jews in Poland have been hosting various events aimed to commemorate the victims of the Holocausts. Similar celebrations took place this year as well. Below please see our recap of this year’s events.
WARSAW
The International Holocaust Remembrance Day event, organised by the Shalom Foundation, was also attended by representatives of the TSKŻ. Flowers were laid at the Monument to the Ghetto Heroes in Warsaw’s Muranów district by Natasza Konar representing the Warsaw branch of TSKŻ and Marek Hause, Secretary of the Editorial Board of Dos Jidisze Wort.
GDAŃSK
On Sunday, 26 January, members of TSKŻ Gdańsk gathered together at the Jewish cemetery in Sopot to lay flowers and light candles. On the same day, a screening of the film ‘The Son of Saul’, set at the Auschwitz Nazi camp, took place in Gdańsk.
DZIERŻONIÓW
On Saturday, 25 January, a meeting was held at the domicile of the Association’s branch in Dzierżoniów to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz Concentration Camp. Anna Grużlewska, PhD delivered a lecture entitled “Profiles of Auschwitz-Birkenau Prisoners”. Two days afterwards, representatives of the Association laid flowers at the Rutik Synagogue. The celebrations organised by the town were attended by the representatives of the municipal and regional authorities, and students of local schools.
ŁÓDŹ
The local celebrations of the International Holocaust Remembrance Day known as the Days of Remembrance have been co-hosted by TSKŻ, Stefan Jaracz Theatre in Łódź, and the Marshall’s Office in Łódź for the fifteenth time. From 24 January until 27 January 2025, the hosts and partners of the jubilee edition presented an agenda full of interesting highlights such as lectures, concerts and meetings which enjoyed high popularity, just like in previous years. However, the major event took place on 27 January at the Radegast Station. Like every year, the members of Jewish organisations along with representatives of regional, municipal and national authorities laid flowers to commemorate the victims of genocide. The Social and Cultural Association of Jews in Poland was represented by Ewa Prończuk, Secretary of the General Board, Jacek Młynarski, Member of the General Board, and Magdalena Jureńczyk, Chair of TSKŻ Łódź. Prayers for all Holocaust victims were said by Dawid Szychowski, rabbi of the Jewish Community of Łódź, and Father Piotr Kleszcz, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Łódź.
SZCZECIN
The event commemorating the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz Concentration Camp at TSKŻ Szczecin took place on Sunday, 26 January. After Mikołaj Rozen had said the El mole rachamim prayer, Chair of the Branch, Róża Król, spoke about the history of the Auschwitz-Birkenau. Then, Anna Gielarowska presented a poetic drama entitled “Express the Unspeakable”. Misza Tsebrji, who played the violin, accompanied the artist. On the International Holocaust Remembrance Day, representatives of Szczecin Branch made their presence in Mścięcino, where the Police branch of KL Stutthof camp used to be located during World War II. The chairwoman of the Szczecin branch, Róża Król, the director of the office of the mayor of Police, Piotr Jasina, as well as Edyta Guzikiewicz and Marek Karapuda from the Marshal’s Office of the West Pomeranian Voivodship laid flowers at the monument located at ul. Ofiar Stutthofu.
WAŁBRZYCH
Members of TSKŻ Wałbrzych took part in the series of events held to commemorate the International Holocaust Remembrance Day, which were organised by the Gross-Rosen Museum in Rogoźnica. Our Wałbrzych delegates laid a wreath and lit candles at the Gross-Rosen Mausoleum Memorial.
WROCŁAW
A plaque commemorating the victims of Nazism is displayed in the courtyard of the White Stork Synagogue in Wrocław. The inscriptions on the plaque printed in the Polish, German and Hebrew languages informs about the deportations of Jews that took place between 1941 and 1944. This is where the Jewish Community of Wrocław resolved to organise this year’s celebrations of the International Holocaust Remembrance Day on 27 January. On this occasion, members of TSKŻ in Wrocław, laid flowers at the memorial plaque.
CZĘSTOCHOWA
The International Holocaust Remembrance Day celebrations, organised by TSKŻ Częstochowa and the Democratic Association of Poland, took place at the plaque commemorating the victims of the Częstochowa’s Hacag Pelcery labour camp. Izabela Sobańska-Klekowska, Chair of the Branch, laid flowers at the memorial site and asked all attendees to take a photo tagged as WeRemember, a slogan which tends to be repeated all over the world in order to prevent the events of the past from being forgotten.
KATOWICE
On 26 January, members of the local TSKŻ branch who gathered together at the Jewish Cemetery in Katowice, lit candles and paid their tribute to the victims of the Nazi ideology. On the same day, at the Association’s local club located at al. Korfantego 8, Chair of the Branch, Paweł Grabiec, delivered his lecture on the Auschwitz Camp which was established by Germans in the town of Oświęcim. On the next day, representatives of the Branch took part in two events i.e. the International Holocaust Remembrance Day celebrations organised by the Institute of National Remembrance in Katowice, and in an event held in nearby Bytom, where TSKŻ members laid flowers at the Jewish cemetery.
CRACOW
On 26 January, the representatives of TSKŻ Cracow laid a wreath at the Ghetto Heroes’ Square, which was the location where the Jewish population was assembled before being transported to concentration camps which during World War II.
The Chair of TSKŻ Cracow, and Vice-President of the Social and Cultural Association of Jews in Klaudia Klimek, took part in the Holocaust remembrance conference which was held on 21 January in Brussels. The conference was co-organised by the European Commission and the Polish Presidency of the European Union.
The events have been co-financed by the Minister of Interior and Administration
