1,000 Years Later Back in Warsaw:

Message from Taube Philanthropies’ Chairman and Executive Director

Though Europe has seen a recent rise in anti-Semitism, in Poland, we are seeing a revitalization of Jewish life and culture that is being experienced by – and truly, driven by – both Poland’s Jewish and Gentile communities. Though a fraction of what it once was at its peak centuries ago, Poland’s Jewish community is strong and vibrant, and the opening of POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews is a game changer that will break down negative stereotypes about Poland. It is a monumental global achievement whose lessons we hope will have ripple effects throughout Eastern Europe as Poland’s neighbors seek to develop their own major modern cultural institutions and broader, more inclusive narratives of their multicultural histories.

This magnificent museum tells the vital – and often untold – story of Poland’s rich Jewish history. It embodies how Poland is celebrating and honoring Jewish life, reexamining its past, and bearing the fruits of a stable economy and democracy since 1989. Rising from the site of the former Warsaw Ghetto, this museum is a proud statement in favor of tolerance and pluralism.

Not only all that, POLIN is groundbreaking in its artistic, innovative, interactive and incredibly modern depiction of 1,000 years of history, culture and heritage. We could not be more thrilled to be joined for the Grand Opening of such a landmark institution and the result of decades of fundraising, research and historical and cultural passion, by a diverse delegation of more than 100 supporters traveling across the Atlantic and from as far away as the United States, Canada and Australia.

We’ll end with a note for the future. We express our unconditional support for POLIN’s impressive and enterprising director, Dariusz Stola, and our eternal gratitude for Piotr Wislicki, chairman of the Association of the Jewish Historical Institute of Poland and an amazing leader who steered the ship over some of the most important years, Marian Turski, vice-chairman of the Association and a voice of vision and moral authority from almost the very beginning, and Dr. Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett, who led the creation of the Core Exhibition, the heart and soul of the museum. We stand with them and with all of you as together, we embrace a bright present and future of Jewish life and community in Poland.