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2026 EUROPEAN STUDY PROGRAM TO POLAND
The JFR’s European Study Program to Poland was both exceptional and exhausting. The design and flow of the Study Program provided each participant the opportunity to explore and understand different aspects of the Holocaust in greater depth. It was wonderful to have Professor Robert Jan van Pelt as our scholar-in-residence. We had a terrific group of Alfred Lerner Fellows from Alabama, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, and South Carolina.
On July 4, 2026, 14 JFR Alfred Lerner Fellows landed in Warsaw, Poland. Upon arriving at our hotel, we had lunch with Dr. Anna Bando, Chair Emeritus of the Polish Society for the Righteous, and Dr. Andrzej Mikolajkow, President of the Polish Society for the Righteous. We spent a lovely afternoon together.
On Monday, we went to The Jewish Historical Institute and had a private tour with an emphasis on the Ringelblum archives. We then proceeded to the Polish Foreign Ministry to meet with Secretary of State, Wladyslaw Bartoszewski. During our time with the Minister Bartoszewski, we discussed a wide range of topics including the challenges of teaching the Holocaust in the United States. Following our visit with Minister Bartoszewski we went to the Jewish cemetery and then visited the grave of Irena Sendler, a Righteous Gentile, in the Powazki Cemetery. In Warsaw we visited sites from the Holocaust period. We spent time at POLIN, Museum of the History of Polish Jews. Dr. Dariusz Stola, Director of POLIN, joined our group for lunch. We went to Tykocin and Treblinka.
We left Warsaw and traveled to Chelmno to visit the remains of the camp at the manor site and then went to the Rzuchow Forest where the Jews who were murdered at Chelmno were buried. Following our time at the Rzuchow Forest, we went to Lodz.
While in Lodz we visited the Radegast Station, the deportation point for Jews from the Lodz ghetto. We went to the Jewish cemetery and to The Marek Edelman Dialgoue Center and Survivor Park. While visiting Survivor Park we went to the tree planted for Roman Kent, JFR’s former Board President.
We then went to Oswiecim where we spent three days. In Oswiecim, we were joined by Pawel Sawiciki, from the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum and Memorial and also a JFR Lerner Fellow. We spent hours visiting Auschwitz and Birkenau. We ended our time in Poland in Krakow.
As the events of the Holocaust recede from memory, and especially with the recent and alarming rise in antisemitism, it is ever more important that our teachers study the history of the Holocaust so they can teach the next generation. Visiting authentic sites is critical in helping an educator understand that which happened to European Jewry. Please see more photos from our Study Program here.
RESCUER AWARDS WERE SENT IN JULY
In July, awards were sent to JFR supported rescuer. We would like to share some of the photos and notes we received. They thank you for remembering them and for making their lives easier with the financial help they receive from the JFR.
TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAM IN PALM BEACH – AUGUST 5, 2026
Stanlee is looking forward to seeing and working with Lerner Fellows and other teachers from Palm Beach County, on Wednesday, August 5, 2026. Under the leadership of Kimberly Coombs and Bradd Weinberg, Palm Beach County has been piloting JFR’s new online program How Was it Possible? A Holocaust Curriculum For and By Teachers.™
PLANNING FOR THE UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR
We have been speaking with Lerner Fellows throughout the summer to learn what their plans are for their Holocaust unit. As expected, plans are varied. A key factor is the length of time each teacher has to spend on the Holocaust. Some have a yearlong elective; others teach the Holocaust for five days. Please let us know your plans for your Holocaust unit.
JEWISH NEW YEAR ECARDS
Usher in the New Year while at the same time supporting the work of The JewishFoundation for the Righteous by sending a JFR eCard. Click here to schedule your eCards now! Rosh Hashanah starts Friday night, September 11, 2026.
KEEP YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION CURRENT
If you change names, home address, telephone numbers, schools, and emails – please do let us know so we can keep your record current.
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