The Auschwitz Jewish Center (AJC), a Polish satellite location of the Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust, is the only Jewish presence remaining in the vicinity of Auschwitz. Since 2000, the Center has preserved Jewish memory in the town of Oświęcim and educated about the contemporary dangers of antisemitism and other forms of prejudice.
In November 2020, the Museum honored the AJC’s 20th anniversary with a special program exploring the rich Jewish history of Oświęcim.
This second program in the Center’s 20th anniversary series explores the Center’s commemoration efforts in Oświęcim and their impact on descendants of the town’s Jewish residents. The program features Barbara Posner, the daughter of a Holocaust survivor from Oświęcim, and Shlomi Shaked, the grandson of another survivor from Oświęcim, who have both reconnected with the town over the past two decades.
Watch the program below.
Supporting materials:
- The historic Jewish cemetery in Oświęcim was desecrated by antisemitic attackers twice in the last year. Read about the latest incident on our blog.
- In November 2020, we celebrated the Auschwitz Jewish Center’s 20th anniversary with a program exploring the Jewish history of Oświęcim through artifacts. Watch a recording of the program.
- Explore the Jewish history of Oświęcim in a new online exhibition.
- The Great Synagogue in Oświęcim was destroyed by Nazis on the night of November 29, 1939. 80 years later, we opened a Great Synagogue Memorial Park in the same location. Watch the emotional dedication ceremony from that evening.