Chmielnik

Our visit to Chmielnik today was poignant on multiple levels. We were able to appreciate Jewish history here in Poland that much more by seeing the town with our own eyes, we davened Mincha in a shul that no longer has Jews, and the synagogue itself is a sight to see, having been restored with a glowing, light-filled glass bimah in place of the original stone bimah that was destroyed.nnFrom Chmielnik we journeyed on to Krakow, checked in to our hotel, walked to dinner at the JCC of Krakow, and heard from the JCC’s director Jonathan Ornstein about its mission to serve the modern Jewish community of Krakow. It’s worth noting that many members of the Jewish community here were born and raised not knowing they were Jewish, as their parents and grandparents hid their Jewish identities after the Shoah and during Communism.nnTomorrow, we will explore the neighborhood where we are staying, Kazimierz, which is Kraków’s 600 year old Jewish neighborhood. We will also seek to understand the fate of Kraków’s Jews during the Shoah, before shifting gears to welcome Shabbat and enjoy a slower paced, restful day together.""}” data-sheets-root=”1″>From Chmielnik we journeyed on to Krakow, walked to dinner at the JCC of Krakow, and heard from the JCC’s director Jonathan Ornstein about its mission to serve the modern Jewish community of Krakow. It’s worth noting that many members of the Jewish community here were born and raised not knowing they were Jewish, as their parents and grandparents hid their Jewish identities after the Shoah and during Communism.