Poland

EXPLORE THE HERITAGE OF POLAND’S JEWS!

The first Jews likely came to Poland from Germany as a result of persecution by the Crusaders. At the time, Poland was a relatively tolerant place and the Jewish population increased throughout the 12th and 13th centuries. During the 14th century, anti-Semitism became more widespread in Poland and Jews were blamed for the Black Death. The Chmielnicki pogroms, in which thousands of Jews were killed, struck the Polish and Ukrainian Jewish communities during the 17th century and helped lay the groundwork for the messianic fervor that developed around Shabtai Zvi. Zvi claimed to be the messiah, amassing hordes of followers before eventually converting to Islam.

Although the 1930s brought declining economic prospects and increased anti-Semitism to Poland, the Jewish community there supported a thriving cultural atmosphere with dozens of Jewish newspapers and Jewish theater and literature reaching new heights. During the Holocaust, the vast majority of Polish Jewry was destroyed.

After the war, thousands of Jews remained in Poland under Soviet control. During the 1950s, thousands of Jews were allowed to emigrate to Israel but the remaining Jews faced anti-Semitism and repression of Jewish religion and culture. Today, fewer than 10,000 Jews live in Poland and anti-Semitism is still common. The Jewish community is served by a number of organizations dedicated to supporting Jewish life as well as preserving the history of Poland’s Jews before the Holocaust. Poland is also host to the annual Jewish Culture Festival in Krakow.

PLACES OF INTEREST

SYNAGOGUES

PLACES TO EAT