This is the third time that, thanks to a grant from the European Union through the European Solidarity Corps, long-term volunteers have helped us prepare for the festival. This year, it was Elisha from Israel and David from Germany. What was this experience like for them? Read their personal stories.
Elisha Offenbach-Bar
Hi, I’m Elisha. I was born and raised in Israel, and when I’m not deep into a philosophy book, building a computer, or playing the drums, I’m usually listening to music or spending time with friends over a cool video game! – but this summer, I found myself on a very different kind of journey: volunteering long-term at the Jewish Culture Festival in Kraków.
Landing here felt surprisingly peaceful. My flight was direct, I got picked up from the airport, and even though this is technically a “volunteering” story, my arrival didn’t feel like the beginning of work. It felt like a deep exhale. With everything going on back home—my country at war, Jewish communities facing a rise in hate globally—arriving in Kraków again, a place I had visited during last year’s festival, felt not only familiar, but comforting.
And it’s more than that. My personal connection to this city, this district, and even this festival runs deep: Rabbi Dr. Ozjasz Thon, who preached at the Tempel Synagogue, was my direct relative. So being here—just steps away from that synagogue—made the whole experience feel almost surreal.
Life Before the Crowd Arrived
As one of only two long-term volunteers, my experience was a little different from the rest. Most days before the festival began, I’d start at Cheder Café, where I’d work just a few meters from the office—perfect setup for focused, laptop-heavy tasks with great coffee and a peaceful vibe.
One of my main projects involved preparing a workshop for the volunteers that are yet to come with Andrew Melchior, which meant deep-diving into Jewish life in Kazimierz, especially in the 1920s. I spent weeks flipping through books, archives, and old photographs—fact-checking, researching, summarizing, geolocating historic spots in the neighborhood. The goal was to help create an audio-guided walk, and though it was quiet, detailed work, it felt meaningful—like I was touching the past.
Through this work, I didn’t just learn how to prep a cultural festival—I learned more about Kraków’s Jewish past, and, in a strange and humbling way, what life might have looked like for my ancestor. That connection—between the place, the work, and my own family—never stopped feeling powerful.
The Festival Comes Alive
Once the full volunteer team (aka the Machers) arrived, everything picked up. Suddenly, there were people from all over the world—each with their own take on Jewish history, culture, identity—and all equally curious and passionate. I loved seeing how each person responded to different events, how everyone found their “thing” to get excited about. And despite most of them only being here a few weeks, it felt like we formed a community. Whether we were working together during the day or sharing beers in the evening, there was a genuine bond—and I’ll carry that with me.
One of my favorite roles during the festival was picking up artists from the airport. You’d be surprised how quickly you can dive into deep, weird, or fascinating conversations in the back of a car. Talking music, festival memories, and their thoughts on Kraków gave me insights I wasn’t expecting. It reminded me how many layers this festival really has.
But the moment that really hit me was during the first concert at the Tempel Synagogue, Frank London and Michael Winograd accompanied by their great band! The music, the space, the people dancing… and knowing this was my relative’s synagogue? Honestly, I broke down. Being there—against the backdrop of rising antisemitism in the world—and seeing people of all backgrounds celebrate Jewish music and life together? That gave me hope. That made me feel joy. That moment will stay with me.
Looking Back (While Looking Ahead)
Now that it’s winding down, I can honestly say: I feel deeply grateful. Spending two months here gave me time to settle in—not just to the work, but to the city, to Kazimierz, to the feeling of being here. It began to feel like home.
I learned more than I expected—from archives, from artists, from volunteers, and from Kraków itself. I saw what it takes to organize something on this scale. And I felt what it means to be part of something that doesn’t just preserve culture—it celebrates it.
David Wedekind
After spending a year in Ghana on a voluntary service and making my first intercultural experiences, I was eager to find new opportunities to connect with other cultures and deepen my understanding of the world. Volunteering at the Jewish Culture Festival in Kraków felt like the perfect next step—and it truly was.
During my time there, I was able to broaden my understanding of Jewish history and heritage, while exploring the beauty of Kraków—a city that knows how to tell stories about its past. Immersing myself in Jewish culture alongside volunteers from around the globe made this experience not only unique and moving, but also deeply formative and enriching—exactly what I had been looking for.
My Role as a Volunteer
In the Festival I was working in a group of international volunteers, known as the Machers, who helped with a variety of tasks to keep the festival running smoothly. We supported the coordinators with the organization of the festival events.
For lectures and discussions, our main responsibilities included handing out translation headsets and assisting attendees with questions. At concerts, our work started well before the show began. After a team briefing, we prepared the event space—rearranging chairs, cleaning up, and checking for any lost items. Once the audience arrived, we made sure everyone found their seats, that safety measures were followed, and that emergency exits were clear. We also talked to attendees, shared information about the program, and handed out flyers and festival catalogues.
We supported in many of the tasks involved in organising the festival. All of that was a team effort. Everyone supported one another doing these tasks. Each shift was a mix of practical work, responsibility, and shared enjoyment. The atmosphere was always respectful and collaborative. Of course, working in a team of people with different cultural backgrounds can bring some hiccups with it. Obviously, it can lead to misunderstanding and other sorts of challenges, due to language barriers and different cultural norms and expectations and even stereotypes or assumptions. But we were able to overcome these obstacles together through open dialogue a culture of mutual respect, tolerance and a willingness to learn and understand other perspectives and finding compromises.
Realising that all the events turned out to be successful and worked out as planned as a result of great teamwork was a highlight every single time. Knowing that we were making a meaningful contribution to the success of the festival – especially after the first concert of Frank London in the Tempel Synagogue. I will never forget how the attendees stood up dancing, clapping and celebrating together. Just enjoying the music and the atmosphere created in this moment and forgetting about everything else. It felt like time was standing still. All the effort was worth it
Reflection – Lessons learned
As the festival came to an end, I felt genuinely proud of everything we had achieved together as volunteers – as the Machers – and that I could witness such a great intercultural cooperation leading to the successful organisation of the events of the 34th Jewish Culture Festival: Events that have created unforgettable moments. Events that have given so much pleasure and aroused interest – across denominations and cultures.
We were a very diverse group, some had volunteered before, others were joining for the first time, but we all had the same interest in discovering new cultures and supporting the goals of the festival. We left politics and stereotypes at the door and focused on working and learning together. An environment was created which allowed us to exchange ideas and perspectives, as well as experiences in a respectful and tolerant atmosphere which also contributed to the intercultural learnings I made. It was an enriching experience, and I was lucky enough to share these experiences with several other volunteers from various places all over world with diverse backgrounds and perspectives all united in their eagerness to learn from the past and from each other.
Conclusion
For me volunteering at the JCF is much more than just carrying out tasks. It was about bringing people together, exploring Jewish traditions and foster dialogue and understanding of other cultures. It was a celebration of the diversity and resilience of Jewish life.
Volunteering gave me the chance to grow personally. I developed skills in teamwork, communication, and event coordination, but even more importantly, I learned what cultural exchange really looks like in action. These experiences didn’t only contribute to my understanding of other cultures it also made me think and reflect about my own values and perspectives a lot.
I will leave Kraków with new friendships, new knowledge, and the motivation to continue engaging in intercultural dialogue: Connecting across languages, backgrounds, and beliefs, fostering mutual understanding and building friendships really made the past two months very special and that will stay with me moving onward.
I’m incredibly thankful for this experience and I hope to come back someday—but even if I don’t, I’ll carry the spirit of the festival with me and do my part to pass on its message of connection.
