“Toward a 21st Century Polonia, Summer Study in Poland”
“Toward a 21st Century Polonia, Summer Study in Poland” is a first-of-its-kind program of the Taube Center for the Renewal of Jewish Life in Poland, in partnership with the University of Illinois, Chicago Dept. of Slavic & Baltic Literatures, that brings American university students of Polish and Polish Jewish descent to Poland to discover their shared histories, connect with modern-day Poland, and strengthen their Polish and Jewish identities over an 11-day immersion program.
The program was funded by the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which sent out a call for applications for programs dealing with cooperation with Polish diaspora, and allocated $2 million for this purpose. "Toward a 21st Century Polonia" was ranked 7th out of the 50 grant recipients. Its selection for funding by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs highlights Poland's effort to teach diaspora communities about Poland's multicultural heritage and invite them to experience today's democratic Poland. Additional support was provided by the Taube and Koret Foundations.
The itinerary of the program enables the participants to interact with Polish history through workshops, walking tours, site visits, and panel discussions with leading representatives of cultural, civic, educational, political, and faith-based organizations. In Warsaw, the itinerary includes the Warsaw Rising Museum, Warsaw University, Museum of the History of Polish Jews, Muranów, Praga, and Palace of Culture and Science; in Kraków, Wawel Castle, Kazimierz, Nowa Huta, Wadowice, Lanckorona, and Auschwitz-Birkenau; participants also visited the Bieszczady Mountains to explore the multicultural landscape of Galicia and meet Lemko.
Students also met with, to name only a few examples, representatives of three generations who lived under Communism and during the opposition era; young entrepreneurs, academics, and social activists; and ex-pats who have made Poland their home.
The feedback from the students calls the program life-changing, and the Taube Center for the Renewal of Jewish Life in Poland looks forward to the second session later this summer and to future summer programs!
For more information, please contact Helise Lieberman, Director, Taube Center for the Renewal of Jewish Life in Poland, at: helieberman@centrumtaubego.org.pl.
