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SUMMARY:A Conference "Poland–Israel: Roots, Community and Future"
UID:https://instytutpolski.pl/telaviv/en/2026/06/02/a-conference-poland-israel-roots-community-and-future/
LOCATION:
DTSTAMP:20260618T140000
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Warsaw:20260618T140000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Warsaw:20260619T150000
DESCRIPTION:The Polish Institute in Tel Aviv and the Embassy of the Republic of Poland
in Israel invite you to the conference “Poland–Israel: Roots, Community
and Future”, which will take place on 18–19 June 2026 at the Ennis
Cultural Center in Jaffa.
The conference, the first of its kind, is intended to create a space for
encounter, exchange and the strengthening of ties between Poland and
Israel, bringing together historical memory, community life and
contemporary initiatives in culture, society and education. Over the course
of two days, public officials, local government representatives, community
leaders, scholars, writers and artists will gather to discuss both the
shared past and future opportunities for cooperation.
The program will include professional panels devoted to cooperation between
twin cities and networks connecting local governments in Poland and Israel.
Additional discussions will focus on the contribution of communities of
Polish origin, the preservation of heritage and memory, and questions of
intergenerational continuity and transmission of historical narratives.
Alongside the professional and community-oriented content, the conference
will offer a rich cultural program, including a gala evening, a concert, a
literary panel dedicated to Polish literature in Hebrew translation, a
screening of a classic film, and informal networking opportunities. 
The event is open to the public free of charge, subject to prior
registration. We invite you to join the conversation, discover new
initiatives, and take part in building bridges between communities,
cultures and generations.
We look forward to welcoming you to the conference!
18–19 June 2026
Ennis Cultural Center, Jaffa
Address: 9 Pa'amonit Street, Jaffa
Free admission upon registration
The event will be held in Hebrew (and in parts in Polish – with the
simultaneous translation to Hebrew).
For registration to the 1st day of the conference, 18 June
For registration to the 2nd day of the conference, 19 June
 


Full conference programme
 
Thursday, 18 June 2026
14:00–15:00 | Welcome Reception
15:00–15:15 | Opening Session
Maciej Hunia - Ambassador of the Republic of Poland to the State of
Israel
Magdalena Kukuła - Director of the Polish Institute in Tel Aviv
Haim Bibas - Chairman of the Federation of Local Authorities in Israel and
Mayor of Modi'in
 
15:15 - 16:30 | Living Memory: Community Leadership and Cooperation
Initiatives aimed at preserving community memory, fostering
intergenerational continuity, and strengthening cooperation with partners
in Poland.
Moderator: Adam Koren - Educator, cultural heritage guide, and social
activist engaged in Polish-Israeli dialogue, Jewish heritage preservation,
and educational initiatives promoting the shared history of Poles and Jews,
intercultural understanding, and historical awareness.
Participants:

	Joseph Frost – President of David Yellin Academic College of Education
in Jerusalem
	Ram Yakir – Educator, social activist, and guide for Israeli youth
delegations travelling to Poland
	Shlomit Beck – Chairwoman of the Organization of Former Residents of
Chełm in Israel
	Zafrira Malovany Shmukler – Chairwoman of the Janów Lubelski
Association in Israel and the Pułtusk Association in Israel
	Alon Goldman – Chairman and activist of the Częstochowa Association in
Israel
	Boaz Yardeni – Founder and CEO of SparkPro and the Living Bridge
Foundation

 
16:30–17:00 | Coffee Break
 
17:00–18:00 | Polish-Israeli Communities and Associations Preserving
Polish Heritage in Israel
Moderator: Hana Oren – Researcher and educator specializing in Holocaust
remembrance and historical heritage. She coordinates the “Holocaust and
Rebirth” Research Project at the Mashmaut Center and serves on the
Commission for the Righteous Among the Nations at Yad Vashem, the World
Holocaust Remembrance Center.
Participants:

	Lili Haber – Chairwoman of the Association of Polish Jews in Israel and
the Kraków Association in Israel
	Zvi Henryk Kelner – Chairman of the Israel–Poland Friendship
Association
	Jacob Kuperberg – President of the Israel–Poland Friendship
Association
	Zvika Shulman – Chairman of the Organization of Former Residents of
Lublin and Surrounding Areas in Israel

 
18:00–19:00 | Banquet
 
19:00–20:00 | Heritage in Action: Preserving and Restoring Jewish Memory
in Contemporary Poland
Short-form presentations by representatives of Polish institutions
Moderator: Radosław Wójcik, Deputy Director of the Polish Institute in
Tel Aviv
Speakers:

	POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews – Jolanta Gumula, Deputy
Director for Programs
	Emanuel Ringelblum Jewish Historical Institute – Dr. Michał Trębacz,
Director
	Warsaw Ghetto Museum – Franciszek Bojańczyk, Deputy Director for
Development
	Alex Dancyg Guide – An educational application preserving and
disseminating the legacy of historian and educator Alex Dancyg, offering
interactive access to his work on Polish-Jewish heritage, historical
memory, and intercultural dialogue.

 
20:00–21:00 – Concert: “Escape from the Shadows”
Aleksandra Dąbrowska-Madejska (viola)
Wojciech Pyrć (piano)
Concert Programme:
Alexander Weprik – Kaddish, Op. 6 (1925)
Ignacy Friedman – Romance, Op. 32 (1910)
Karol Rathaus – Rapsodia Notturna, Op. 66 (1950)
Eta Tyrmand – Sonata for Viola and Piano (1967)


Friday, 19 June 2026
09:30 - 10:00 | Welcome Coffee
 
10:00 –10:30 – Municipal and Community Bridges: Polish-Israeli
Cooperation in Practice
Sister-city partnerships, municipal cooperation, and institutional
Polish-Israeli dialogue.
 
Moderator: Dr. Lea Ganor – Social historian, academic researcher, founder
and director of the Mashmaut Center, and Head of International Cooperation
at the Kiryat Motzkin Municipality.
Participants:

	Rishon LeZion: Annette Ben Shahar, Director of International Relations;
Meirav Kopito, Youth Department, Rishon LeZion Municipality
Lublin: Iwo Weremko, Centre for International Cooperation, Lublin City
Hall
Płońsk: Andrzej Pietrasik, Mayor of Płońsk

 
10:30–10:45 – Coffee Break
 
10:45–11:45 – Literature Between Memory and History: Polish and Israeli
Perspectives on Jewish Heritage

A panel devoted to books published in Israel over the past three years that
explore various aspects of Jewish-Polish history, memory, and identity.
Featured publications:
History of the Holocaust, Memory of the Holocaust: Polish Jews and Jewish
Poles During and After the Holocaust (Routledge, 2024)
Reni Spiegel’s Diary (Matar, 2025, Hebrew translation by Anat Zaidman)
Bloody Wednesday (Magnes Press, 2025)
Guidebook – Warsaw 1938 (Magnes Press, 2026)
 
Moderator: Benny Mer – Writer, editor, and poetry translator specializing
in the history of Jewish Warsaw.
Participants:

	Orit Margaliot – Independent researcher and educator, pedagogical
trainer specializing in Holocaust studies, Holocaust art, and Jewish-Polish
heritage in Poland
	Dr. Yechiel Weizman – Historian and lecturer in the Israel and Golda
Koschitzky Department of Jewish History and Contemporary Jewish Life at
Bar-Ilan University
	Dr. Lea Ganor – Social historian, senior academic researcher, founder
and director of the Mashmaut Center, and Head of International Cooperation
at the Kiryat Motzkin Municipality

 
11:45–12:00 – Coffee Break
 
12:00–13:30 | Polish-Jewish Heritage: Memory, Culture, and Continuity
Screening of the documentary film Dybbuk directed by Ami Tadeusz Drozd
(1988), followed by a panel discussion on memory, culture, and the
continuity of Polish-Jewish heritage.
 
Moderator: Shiri Lev-Ari – Journalist and literary critic
Participants:

	
Ami Tadeusz Drozd – Screenwriter, film director, and documentary
filmmaker focusing on Polish-Jewish cultural heritage and the dialogue of
memory

	
Prof. Marcos Silber – Professor of Jewish History and Polish-Jewish
Studies at the University of Haifa and the Haifa Interdisciplinary Unit for
Polish Studies (HIUPS); researcher specializing in the history of Polish
Jews, Yiddish culture, and Jewish social history in Eastern Europe
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