We cordially invite you to participate in the Meisels Festival, which will take place on Saturday, March 16, 2024.
The aim of the Meisels Festival is to popularize knowledge about Dov Ber Meisels (1798-1870) – the chief rabbi of Krakow and later Warsaw, an entrepreneur, politician, advocate for granting full citizenship rights to Jews, and a patriot fervently supporting Polish national liberation aspirations – as well as the integration of the local community.
We want to bring closer to the residents of Krakow, as well as to tourists visiting the city, an unknown, honorable chapter of Polish-Jewish coexistence through the prism of a different historical period than the dominant one in the mnemonic panorama of Krakow (and the entire country) – the Holocaust.
The Meisels Festival is a socio-educational-cultural initiative that will bring the patron of the street out of anonymity and additionally allow for the creation of a truly neighborly, integration-friendly atmosphere in a place dominated by tourism.
The program includes lectures (by Dr. Paweł Szapiro, Karolina Jakoweńko, Pamela Grajny-Brzezińska), a concert by the Mojše Band, discussions, tastings of Jewish cuisine in nearby venues, and other attractions.
Detailed program below (more details open after clicking on the selected event).
Event Schedule
16.03.2024
11.00
[Lecture in PL] Dov Ber Meisels and the Polish Cause: On the Participation of Jews in Building Modern Society in the Second Polish Republic.
Paweł Szapiro
Centrum Kultury Żydowskiej, ul. Meisela 17
Dov Meisels
Illustrated press
Equal rights
History
12.30
[Presentation in PL] Chewra Tehilim Prayer House on Meiselsa Street
Pamela Grajny-Brzezińska
Centrum Kultury Żydowskiej, ul. Meisela 17
Heritage
Art Conservation
Wall Paintings
14.00
[Conversation in PL] Będzin, a city near Krakow
Karolina Jakoweńko
Piotr Jakoweńko
Centrum Kultury Żydowskiej, ul. Meiselsa 17
Renovation
Heritage
Care
15.30
[Urban Walk in EN] Kazimierz Unseen
Michael Rubenfeld
Start at the Mleczarnia Garden, 15 Meiselsa Street.
Walk
Critical approach
Heritage
17.30
Concert with a procession through the street featuring the Mojše Band.
Start at the Mleczarnia Garden, 15 Meiselsa Street.
[Lecture in PL] Dov Ber Meisels and the Polish Cause: On the Participation of Jews in Building Modern Society in the Second Polish Republic.
Paweł Szapiro
Holocaust historian, educator, author, and journalist. A specialist in Polish-Jewish relations and underground press in Poland. Author of numerous publications, including the groundbreaking "Jewish-German War," which describes the Polish society's attitude towards Jews and the uprising in the ghetto, based on an analysis of Polish underground work. Reviews of his books have appeared, among others, in the literary supplement to "Times" magazine. Curator, art collector, and expert in art history. Initiator of the "Unpainted Jew" project and president of the Foundation. Longtime curator of the "Unpainted Jew" exhibition, which he has realized in almost 70 editions in Poland and around the world. Specialist in 19th-century illustrated press.
16.03.202411.00
Centrum Kultury Żydowskiej, ul. Meisela 17
Dov Meisels
Illustrated press
Equal rights
History
The lecture will focus on the phenomenon of 19th-century illustrated press as a significant tool for shaping the vision of modern Polish society during the time when Dow Ber Meisels lived and worked. George Brandes, a 19th-century Danish journalist, described this historical moment as follows:
"Poles, both of Christian and Jewish faith, felt that although they did not form one community, they were nevertheless one nation. The mingling of the people with the Jews resolved the issue of equal rights for the latter in Warsaw in 1860, and when in February 1861 shots were fired at the kneeling crowd on Castle Square, which, in the face of Russian cannons, sang national songs and begged God to return 'Homeland and Freedom' to the Poles, the Jews were seized by an irresistible urge to manifest their national feelings openly and clearly. Their masses, led by rabbis, went to Catholic churches, while Christians gathered in synagogues in large numbers, and here and there the same hymns were sung."
(Georg Brandes, Impressions from Poland, Copenhagen 1888).
This relatively unknown period to the wider audience will be presented in a richly illustrated lecture, during which original, unique graphics from the "Unpainted Jew" Collection will also be showcased.
[Presentation in PL] Chewra Tehilim Prayer House on Meiselsa Street
Pamela Grajny-Brzezińska
A certified art conservator, she is a graduate of the Faculty of Conservation and Restoration of Works of Art at the Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow. Her master's thesis, supervised by Prof. Edward Kosakowski, received distinction in the Competition of the General Conservator of Monuments of the Republic of Poland and the Association of Monument Conservators for the best academic, scientific, and popularizing works concerning the protection of monuments and museology. She expanded her professional qualifications through participation in conservation internships, such as the museum-conservation internship at the National Museum in Gdańsk. With knowledge of historical, traditional techniques, and technologies for creating works of art, she is capable of creating technological replicas. In her professional career, she has undertaken numerous documentary, research, and conservation projects independently and as part of experienced conservation teams, working on many valuable historical objects in Poland, including the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist in Lublin, the Cathedral of St. Stanislaus and St. Wenceslaus in Świdnica, the Lubomirski and Potocki Castle in Łańcut, the Chewra Thilim Prayer House in Krakow, the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul in Lviv, and the Basilica of St. Margaret in Nowy Sącz.
16.03.202412.30
Centrum Kultury Żydowskiej, ul. Meisela 17
Heritage
Art Conservation
Wall Paintings
During the lecture, the results of conservation research on the historical polychromes of the Chewra Tehilim Prayer House, located at 18 Meiselsa Street, will be presented. These polychromes are unique on a national scale. The speaker will showcase visualizations of potential reconstructions of the historic polychromes and encourage the audience to reflect on how to care for our shared historical heritage. She will also share insights from her conservation practice and work with historical monuments.
[Conversation in PL] Będzin, a city near Krakow
Karolina Jakoweńko
Co-founder of the "Cukerman's Gate Foundation," established in 2008. As a result of the foundation's efforts, the historic polychromes located in the former Jewish prayer house in Będzin were registered in the Silesian Voivodeship's heritage register and underwent renovation. From 2008 to 2010, the foundation created a tourist-educational trail of pre-war Jewish enterprises called the "Manufaktura Wholesale" in Będzin, Sosnowiec, and Dąbrowa Górnicza. Since 2009, she has been implementing the "Witnesses of History: Będzin" program, conducting interviews with elderly residents of the city who remember pre-war Jewish Będzin. She is a co-author of audio guides on Jewish heritage in 11 cities in the Silesian Voivodeship, titled "Tales of the Absent." Currently, she is also involved in the activities of the Memory of Górnośląskie Jews House (a branch of the Museum in Gliwice), where she serves as the head. She is the recipient of the Maria and Łukasz Hirszowicz Award (2014), the "Preserving Memory" award – given to Poles engaged in preserving Jewish heritage in Poland and Polish-Jewish dialogue (2013), and the Humanitas Award of the Zagłębie region (2014).
Piotr Jakoweńko
Piotr Jakoweńko is a co-founder of the Cukerman's Gate Foundation, dedicated to preserving the memory of the Jewish community in Będzin. He is a graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Katowice, where he studied Graphic Design. Since 2006, he has been working as an independent graphic designer specializing in publishing graphics and exhibition projects. Since 2015, he has been a member of the architectural collective SENNA, where he is responsible for visual identity graphics and museum exhibitions, including:
- Permanent exhibition "History of Jews in Upper Silesia" for the Museum in Gliwice (2016-2018);
- Temporary exhibition "Strangers at Home: Around March '68" for the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews (2018);
- Permanent exhibition "Beit Almim" in the pavilion at the Jewish cemetery in Bródno for the Jewish Community in Warsaw (2018);
- Outdoor installation "Without a Shadow: Hiding Places of the Warsaw Ghetto" for the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews (2022);
- Typography for the "Oneg Shabbat" monument project at the Jewish cemetery in Warsaw (2022);
- Permanent exhibition "Look-Remember" at the Memory House in Płońsk (2021-2023);
- Temporary exhibition by Natalia Romik "Hiding Places – Architecture of Survival" (Warsaw-Szczecin-Frankfurt, 2022-2024).
16.03.202414.00
Centrum Kultury Żydowskiej, ul. Meiselsa 17
Renovation
Heritage
Care
In Będzin, much like in Krakow, two historic Jewish prayer houses have been preserved – the Cukerman's Gate and Mizrachi. Both have been officially rescued, restored, and made accessible to visitors. Additionally, two more are currently undergoing discovery, and although their condition is dire, the city authorities may attempt their restoration. As we know from the Będzin Book of Memory, there were around 80 similar places before the war, so there is much to discover. Although the pre-war history of both cities – Będzin and Krakow – differs, comparing the contemporary fate of these monuments seems intriguing. In Krakow, both preserved prayer houses are located on Meiselsa Street, in the heart of Kazimierz – a district globally recognized for its well-preserved Jewish heritage. In Będzin, which is rather somber and empty, the prayer houses are also situated in the city center built by former residents. While Będzin is not known for its tourist openness, the prayer houses seem to be properly secured and utilized. In Krakow, one of the houses houses the Jewish Culture Center, while the other is a popular bar. Karolina Jakoweńko will share the story of the historical prayer houses in Będzin, their long and winding road to securing and renovating them.
[Urban Walk in EN] Kazimierz Unseen
Michael Rubenfeld
Michael Rubenfeld is an artist and theater producer from Winnipeg, currently residing in Poland. He has been awarded multiple times as an actor and playwright and has worked on film sets and theater stages in Canada, the USA, and Europe. He appeared in the North American premiere of "Our Class" by Tadeusz Słobodzianek in Toronto and Philadelphia. Michael is currently the artistic director of the theater group Selfconscious Productions. Together with Sara Garton Stanley, he has realized four productions for Selfconscious, including "We Keep Coming Back," which explores the complexities of contemporary Polish-Jewish narratives. It premiered in 2016 at the Krakow Jewish Culture Festival and Theater Kana in Szczecin. It was shown again in 2017 during FestivALT and has since traveled throughout Poland, Europe, and Canada.
16.03.202415.30
Start at the Mleczarnia Garden, 15 Meiselsa Street.
Walk
Critical approach
Heritage
The "Kazimierz UNSEEN" walking tour confronts the history and contemporary challenges regarding the Jewish heritage of Kazimierz. It stands in opposition to the commercialized, commodified "Jewishness" sold to tourists and perpetuating stereotypes. The tour does not shy away from difficult and often painful, unconventional, and surprising topics associated with the contemporary challenges of the district. This tour emerged as one of the projects of FestivALT. As Michael Rubenfeld, co-director of FestivALT, explains: "We created Kazimierz UNSEEN out of love for the Jewish heritage in Kazimierz and out of concern for its future. It's a remarkable place, but also burdened with many complexities and paradoxes that have become so entrenched that they seem normal. We wanted to confront this, sharing our thoughts and encouraging a more critical perspective." The tour largely focuses on heritage sites located on Meiselsa Street.
Concert with a procession through the street featuring the Mojše Band.
16.03.202417.30
Start at the Mleczarnia Garden, 15 Meiselsa Street.
Street Concert
New Sound
Mojše Band is a group primarily representing Jewish musical tradition from Central and Eastern Europe. They have made a name for themselves on the European stage due to their innovative approach to the Jewish heritage from the regions of the former Hungary. The band has participated in many prestigious events and music projects worldwide, including the Jewish Culture Festival in Krakow, the Mazal Tov! Jewish Culture Festival in Kosice, the KlezMORE Festival in Vienna, the Tachana HaRishona Festival in Jerusalem, the Šamajim Jewish Culture Festival in Třebíč, the SIMCHA Jewish Culture Festival in Wrocław, the Pohoda Festival in Trenčín, the Sziget Festival in Budapest, the Czech Music Crossroads festival, and many more. They have also toured in Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, and Israel. Mojše Band were finalists of the World Jewish Music Competition in Amsterdam in 2017 and recipients of the prestigious Youtube Award of this competition for the years 2018-2019. The band regularly explores the Jewish musical heritage from the territories of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire, publishing albums with titles inspired by the names of specific regions (such as "Zipserim – Oberzips" in 2018, and "Sárosi – Šarišskí" in 2020) as part of this activity.
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ul. Meiselsa
Centrum Kultury Żydowskiej, ul. Meisela 17
