This moderated discussion brings together experienced practitioners dedicated to researching, preserving, and promoting Jewish heritage and culture. The conversation will explore how best to communicate historical knowledge, investigate material heritage, and pass on intangible traditions through compelling and engaging storytelling.

This lecture will examine the current state of antisemitism around the world from both comparative and structural perspectives.

In what ways is antisemitism similar to other forms of prejudice and hatred, and what distinguishes it from them? Why is it so often described as a “shape-shifting virus,” constantly adapting its forms while retaining its core patterns? And, finally, what practical steps can be taken to counter it effectively?

This lecture will explore the ways in which the Bible is invoked in today’s politically charged debates on migration, across both the left and the right of the political spectrum. Together, we will examine biblical passages as expressions of an ethic of mutual recognition—one that remains relevant despite shifts in interpretation brought about by translation and changing historical contexts.

A moving and deeply personal lecture on transformation, music, and hope. Kobi Farhi shares the story of his remarkable journey—from a former far-right extremist to an award-winning musician and peace activist—and reveals how Israel’s Jewish music has forged unexpected connections at the very heart of the Middle East. Through personal stories and encounters with Muslim fans who risked their lives to support an Israeli band, an astonishing truth emerges: peace may be far closer than we have been led to believe.

This lecture traces the extraordinary history of the Hebrew language—from its origins as the language of sacred texts, through centuries during which it was used primarily in liturgy and scholarship, to its remarkable revival as a living, spoken language. It will examine the key stages in the development of Hebrew and the factors that made its return to everyday use in the modern world possible. Particular attention will be given to the pivotal role of Eliezer Ben-Yehuda in the language’s standardization and revival. The lecture also explores how Hebrew bridges tradition and modernity, remaining a vital expression of cultural and national identity.

First part of lecture by Maciej Tomal in Polish, second part by Ofer Aderet in English

My latest opening lecture is both a declaration of love and an expression of bittersweet reflection—a deeply personal summation of thirty-eight years spent standing at the gateway to the Festival.

I will speak about the mystery of the forbidden gate, the phenomenon of the Gate of Jewish Life, and the secret of “my” Kazimierz—a place that bears little resemblance to the Kazimierz of today. I will also invite you into the vestibule of the Gate of the Heart, the most important and the only gate through which one can truly understand the meaning of our shared life’s work: the Jewish Culture Festival.

English translation as pdf file: JANUSZ MAKUCH BRAMA SERCA EN.pdf

We are witnessing a deepening of social divisions, the resurgence of exclusionary and hierarchical worldviews, and the return of power politics in its most brutal form—in Poland, in Israel, and across the world. For some, these developments signal the failure of the ideals of dialogue.

For Professor Stanisław Krajewski and his guests, however, they point instead to the urgent need to rediscover within our own religious traditions those resources that make constructive coexistence, fraternal dialogue, and genuine human friendship possible. Christian–Jewish relations are the fruit of centuries of shared history; they should not be defined or diminished by the passing tensions of the present moment.

Joining the discussion will be two figures well known to audiences in Kraków: Cardinal Grzegorz Ryś and Rabbi Boaz Pash. The conversation will be moderated by Professor Stanisław Krajewski.

A conversation with representatives of Hillel Poland exploring what Jewish identity means to the younger generation in Poland today. The discussion begins with Shabbat, understood not only as a religious tradition but also as a space for slowing down, being together, and building meaningful relationships in a world marked by constant haste and growing isolation. Through personal stories of discovering their roots, the speakers will reflect on what Jewish identity means to them, what they have inherited from their families, and what they have had to discover for themselves.

This lecture will tell the story of the Grodzka Gate in Lublin as a place, an institution, and a practice of memory. Situated between the former Christian and Jewish quarters of the city, the Grodzka Gate has become a symbol of passage, encounter, and responsibility for preserving and sharing this story. At the heart of the lecture will be the work of the “Grodzka Gate – NN Theatre” Centre: documenting the memory of Jewish Lublin, working with eyewitness accounts, developing educational, artistic, and performative projects, and creating an Archive understood as a living medium of connection with the past.

The lecture reflects the Festival’s understanding of the gate as a metaphor for transition, encounter, and the intertwining of different times. The Grodzka Gate will be presented as a borderland space where the history of the city comes alive through the voices of witnesses, documents, photographs, and the artistic work of Tomasz Pietrasiewicz. It is a story of a city whose Jewish world was destroyed, yet whose traces continue to shape the imagination, ethics, and collective memory of contemporary Lublin.

Today, the organ is associated almost exclusively with Christianity. Yet its history within Jewish culture spans several thousand years, reaching back to the instruments described in the Bible and Talmudic sources, continuing through medieval musical accounts, and extending to the monumental organs of nineteenth-century European synagogues.

How does one pass through the Gate of Mercy and bring about the coming of the Messiah? And is it true that the lock on this gate is as large as all of Międzybóż? How did the tzaddik of Warka pass through the palace gates, and why did he become invisible at that very moment?

During this meeting, we will explore the development of Hasidic tales and the culture of Hasidism—the most significant religious and mystical movement to emerge from the Polish lands. What do these stories reveal about Hasidim, Hasidism, and their unique cultural world? We will also consider how Poland is imagined within these narratives, and how our understanding of Polish literature might change if we include the hundreds of volumes of Hasidic stories written in Hebrew and Yiddish. Finally, we will discuss how the tradition of Hasidic storytelling has continued to develop after the Holocaust, particularly in North America and Israel.

Behind the stone gates, synagogues, and hidden courtyards of Jewish Kazimierz lies a profound spiritual memory. This walk invites you to follow in the footsteps of Kraków’s great rabbis—from the halachic genius of the Remu to the mystical teachings of the author of Megale Amukot—for whom the gates of this district served as passages to higher worlds.

As we wander through the historic streets, we will open the gates of the past and discover the mysticism and secrets engraved in the thresholds of Kazimierz, revealing the connection between the earthly and the material, and the eternal realm of the spirit.

The End of the World South of Tel Aviv is a journalistic reconstruction of October 7, 2023—the day that changed Israel—and of the weeks and months that followed, shaking Gaza and the wider Middle East.

The narrative leads through kibbutzim, border roads, a music festival, and ultimately to Rafah, Khan Yunis, and Gaza, giving voice to ordinary people whose lives became intertwined in one of the most dramatic moments in the region’s modern history. The book reveals previously unknown details of the efforts of Polish diplomats and officials who worked discreetly to secure the release of hostages kidnapped by Hamas.

In this story, the Polish passport is not merely a symbol—it is meant to become a gateway to freedom.