We are happy to invite you to a fascinating lecture by Shlomit Beck, Head of the Organization of Former Residents of Chełm in Israel. The lecture will focus on the history of the Jewish community in Chełm before World War II.

The lecture will explore the prewar history of the Jewish community in Chełm, its fate during the war, and the extensive efforts to preserve the memory and heritage of this community. Shlomit Beck will also share insights into the cooperation between members of the Organization and the current municipality and Polish residents of Chełm.

The lecture will be accompanied by drawings and sketches by the Polish artist and historian Dr. Adam Puławski, who has conducted Holocaust research and studied Polish-Jewish relations for many years – both across Poland and in Chełm specifically.

A special exhibition will be presented in the library of the Polish Institute on the occasion of the event.

Friday, July 4 | 11:00 AM

Polish Institute Library, Beit Psagot

3 Rothschild Blvd, Tel Aviv | 22nd Floor

️ Free Entry

Online registration via link

The lecture will be held in Hebrew.

Adam Puławski is a native of Chełm. He is a historian specializing in the Holocaust and Polish-Jewish relations during World War II. In addition to his academic work, he is also a passionate painter and graphic artist.

The idea of painting Jews of Chełm – according to Puławski – “emerged while going through documents from the interwar period, which preserved photographs of Jews from Chełm.”

The exhibition presents 24 portraits of Jews who lived in Chełm before the Holocaust – two for each individual. The subjects include significant figures in the community’s social and political life at the time, such as Anshel Biderman, head of the Jewish community in Chełm; Mordechai Ivri, a city council member and political figure; and violinist Ida Haendel.

The portraits are created using traditional techniques enriched with elements of modern art, as part of a project aimed at restoring the memory of Chełm’s Jewish community. Each person is portrayed twice – once in a realistic style and once interpreted through various trends in modern art.