JCC Krakow and World Jewish Relief jointly welcomed His Majesty King Charles III, the King of England, to the Jewish Community Centre of Krakow ahead of The King attending commemorations to mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp.
His Majesty was greeted on arrival by JCC Krakow CEO, Jonathan Ornstein, World Jewish Relief Chair, Maurice Helfgott, and the Chief Rabbis of Poland and the U.K. He then met with Ukrainian refugees and Holocaust survivors supported by the Centre.
In a public address to commemorate the liberation, His Majesty marked International Holocaust Remembrance Day and the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. His Majesty recalled those who were systematically murdered and the testimonies of Survivors, adding that these testimonies taught us to cherish freedom and challenge prejudice. Reflecting on the importance of the act of remembrance, the remarks spoke of the rebirth of the Jewish community and described his steadfast commitment to the Jewish community at a time when antisemitism is on the rise across the world.
His Majesty The King remarked, “Here in Krakow, from the ashes of the Holocaust, the Jewish community has been reborn. And there is no greater symbol of this rebirth than the Jewish Community Centre, in which we are gathered here today. Standing on the steps of this wonderfully vibrant Centre some seventeen years ago, having encouraged its construction and taken immense pride in opening it, I was filled with a sense of hope and optimism at the life and energy that coursed through the building. So, returning today, along with World Jewish Relief, of which I am extremely proud to be Patron, that sense of hope and optimism has only grown. With their support, together with other generous benefactors, this Centre has blossomed from the bud of an idea into an essential hub for the community.”
He continued, “In a post-Holocaust world, projects such as this Centre are how we recover our faith in humanity. They also show us there is much work still to be done if we are not just to remember the past, but to use it to inspire us to build a kinder and more compassionate world for future generations; a world of which we can be truly proud. And this remains the sacred task of us all.”
During his visit, King Charles spent time at the JCC’s humanitarian distribution centre, an in-house food pantry that provides vital aid, including clothes and food, to thousands of Ukrainian refugees, and met a group of JCC Krakow’s community of 58 Holocaust survivors.
One of those survivors was Ryszard Orowski (83), who first met with The King and Queen, as The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, in Krakow in 2002. It was during this visit that His Majesty recognised the need for a Jewish centre in Krakow to support the ageing community. At the time, Jewish life in the city was all but extinguished. It was his passion to support the community that inspired the creation of JCC Krakow, which was designed and funded by World Jewish Relief, the charity of which His Majesty is Royal Patron. His Majesty officially opened JCC Krakow in 2008, and the centre has since grown to serve over 1,100 members of all ages. Today, it is the beating heart of a growing, thriving Jewish community, only an hour’s drive from Auschwitz.
At the end of his visit, His Majesty visited the JCC Preschool and Nursery, the first Jewish community preschool opened in Krakow since the Holocaust, where he received a gift from two of the JCC’s youngest members. As he exited the building, His Majesty was presented with a JCC Krakow membership card by Ornstein.
Jonathan Ornstein, CEO, JCC Krakow said, “Over 90% of Polish Jews were murdered in the Holocaust. Today, thanks to King Charles’s vision, our reborn community has become an international symbol of hope and resilience, welcoming 100,000 visitors a year who come and see Jews and non-Jews working together to build a growing, thriving Jewish community an hour’s drive from Auschwitz. Mindful of our own difficult history, our community has gone from victim to caregiver, providing direct humanitarian support to over 380,000 Ukrainian refugees, 98% of whom are not Jewish, since 2022.”
Maurice Helfgott, Chair, World Jewish Relief, commented, “World Jewish Relief, founded in 1933, supported Jews fleeing Nazi-occupied Europe, including many survivors of concentration camps. The Holocaust remains a defining chapter in history and its victims and lessons must never be forgotten. Today we welcomed our Royal Patron, King Charles III, to the Jewish Community Centre we helped to establish in Krakow at his personal initiative in 2008. We were reminded of the incredible resilience of the Jewish people to not only survive, but to rejuvenate and grow, and to continue to reach out and help those beyond our own community too. We are deeply grateful for His Majesty’s active and engaged Patronage, and his leadership representing Great Britain, the Commonwealth and the world in collective remembrance today.”