The Main Partner of the 35th Jewish Culture Festival is the Małopolska Region.

Kraków is the capital of Małopolska—a region that for centuries formed part of Galicia, the place from which a vast number of today’s Jews in Israel and throughout the Diaspora trace their roots.

By coming to Kraków for the Jewish Culture Festival, you arrive at the Gates of Galicia—gateways to the world of the shtetl, Kabbalah, Hasidism, the Bund, and Zionism; a world that was uprooted from here, from its home, yet now flourishes across almost every continent. Its story reminds us that, despite a difficult and often tragic history, the Jewish people endure. Am Yisrael Chai. The People of Israel live—here too: in Galicia, in Małopolska, in Kraków, and at the Jewish Culture Festival.

The 35th Jewish Culture Festival opens the gates not only to Kazimierz, but also to Bobowa, Leżajsk, Gorlice, Biecz, Dąbrowa Tarnowska, Rymanów, and thousands of other shtetls, towns, and cities across the region.

While you are here, we encourage you to visit the Jewish heritage sites of Małopolska (you will find some suggestions here) and discover the places that help tell the story of Jewish life in Poland.

We are delighted that this year’s Jewish Culture Festival has become your gateway to Jewish Galicia!