Jewish Cultural Heritage 2026–2031

Jewish Cultural Heritage 2026–2031 is sponsored by Norway Grants (via POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews). This project aims to promote Jewish cultural heritage through various initiatives, including building relationships and understanding, digitizing and sharing documentation and collections, supporting leaders and institutions in smaller towns, developing new educational tools for…

The POLIN Museum is launching the third edition of the “Jewish Cultural Heritage” project, supported by the Norwegian Funds | EEA and Norway Grants Poland The POLIN Museum is launching the third edition of the “Jewish Cultural Heritage” project, supported by the Norwegian Funds Ministerstwo Kultury i Dziedzictwa Narodowego On 3 June, a ceremony was held to present the funding decision for the "Jewish Cultural Heritage" project, implemented by the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews.

The POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews—one of the most recognizable cultural institutions in Poland and Europe dedicated to preserving and promoting Polish Jewish heritage—is launching the third edition of the predefined project “Jewish Cultural Heritage. ” The project will receive nearly PLN 50 million in funding from the Norwegian Funds and the state budget under the “Culture” Program.

This initiative is of particular importance for the preservation of cultural heritage, historical education, and the development of an open and inclusive society. Its aim is to preserve and promote the heritage of Polish Jews, as well as to combat antisemitism, discrimination, and exclusion through modern educational and cultural activities addressed to a broad audience.

Over a Decade of Efforts for Heritage and Education The “Jewish Cultural Heritage” project has been implemented by the POLIN Museum since 2013. In the two editions to date (2013–2017 and 2020–2024), more than 14,000 events and initiatives were organized, attracting approximately 7 million participants and over 12. 4 million online users.

The project’s success has also been recognized internationally—twice. In 2017 and 2022, the POLIN Museum received the Europa Nostra Award (European Heritage Award): in 2017 for the implementation of the educational program “Jewish Cultural Heritage,” and in 2022 for the TISZ Jewish Food Festival—one of the project’s initiatives.

In its justification for the 2017 award, the jury stated: “The museum, seeking to educate and preserve the memory of the Jewish community, (…) has created a safe haven where intercultural dialogue flourishes. ” Nine years later, these words remain as relevant as ever, and the POLIN Museum continues to build on this success.

Joint Implementation with Partners from Poland and Norway The new edition of the project will be implemented by the POLIN Museum together with seven partners from Poland and Norway, all of whom have extensive experience in historical education, human rights, and intercultural dialogue.

The partners include the Norwegian Center for Holocaust and Minority Studies, the Wergeland Centre, the Falstad Centre, the Jewish museums in Oslo and Trondheim, the Jewish Historical Institute, and the Forum for Dialogue Foundation.

International cooperation will facilitate the exchange of experience, the development of skills, and the creation of modern approaches to historical and civic education that address contemporary social challenges. Nine Components and Thousands of Initiatives The third edition of the project will include nine comprehensive components.

Planned activities include educational programs for children, youth, and teachers; the continuation and expansion of the “Daffodils Campaign” under the slogan “Memory Unites Us”; the digitization of collections; local and international initiatives; and the development of modern educational tools and digital resources. The project aims to implement approximately 9,500 initiatives reaching nearly 11. 5 million people.

Around 6,500 historical objects and materials will be digitized, and thousands of teachers, educators, and volunteers will participate in activities designed to develop knowledge, civic competencies, and dialogue-oriented attitudes. The local dimension of the project will also be of particular importance.

Thanks to cooperation with the Forum for Dialogue Foundation and a network of local leaders, activities will also be carried out in smaller towns where important traces of Poland’s multicultural history can still be found. Since 2014, the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews has presented a permanent exhibition dedicated to the thousand-year history of Polish Jews.

The museum also organizes temporary exhibitions, lectures, seminars, meetings with eyewitnesses, concerts, theatre performances, and a rich educational program for children, youth, and adults. It is also an important venue for debate on memory, diversity, and contemporary social challenges.

Visitors can currently see, among other things, the exhibition “The Power of Words: On Jewish Languages,” dedicated to the richness of Jewish languages, as well as a special presentation of Marek Oberländer’s “Ghetto ”—a monumental work that has not been publicly shown for over 70 years.

A visit to POLIN offers a unique opportunity to explore the history, culture, and experiences of the Jewish community, which has shaped the history of Poland for centuries.

The new edition of the “Jewish Cultural Heritage” project will continue activities that have for years attracted millions of visitors, expanded knowledge of our shared heritage, and strengthened the values of dialogue, respect, and responsibility for preserving memory for future generations.