On January 1, 2021, Monika Krawczyk began a five-year term as the Director of the Emanuel Ringelblum Jewish Historical Institute.

The collections of the Jewish Historical Institute should be exhibited, so that anyone who visits us may say: there are treasures. We moved the Institute from the era of typewriting to the Internet era. We open up with exhibitions, lectures, film and theater screenings, trying to attract especially the residents of Warsaw. This is the way to the future. Olga Drenda talks to the director of the Jewish Historical Institute, professor Paweł Śpiewak.

On the 25th of the month of Kislev (this year on December 10 in the Gregorian calendar), Hanukkah begins. The Jews all over the world call it the Festival of Lights (from Hebrew Chag HaUrim). It will last eight days until the 2nd of the month of Tevet (December 18) in the year 5781.

Roza Simchowicz was a teacher and a social activist. She dedicated her entire life to Jewish children. In the Warsaw Ghetto, where she helped children living on the streets, she had reached the very bottom of children’s poverty. As a result of disagreeing to set up a barrier separating her from patients, she became infected with typhus. She refused aid from Joint, believing that there are others who have contributed more to the society. She died in late November 1941 and was buried on 2 December

The recipients of the Jan Karski and Pola Nireńska Award for 2019 and 2020 have been anounced. The award has been given to professor Daniel Grinberg and dr hab. Joanna Lisek.

Izrael Lejzerowicz lived and worked in Łódź. Little is known about his education. Probably, thanks to a scholarship, he studied at an independent academy of fine arts in Berlin; it might have been Lewin-Funcke-Schule. Other sources say that he studied in Rome. He was a polyglot; he could speak Yiddish, Polish, Russian and German.

From November 2, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Jewish Historical Institute will be closed to visitors until further notice. Find out how to view our collections online.

What was the heritage of the Great Synagogue in Warsaw? We present a record of the educational project of the Jewish Historical Institute — the short film „Great inspiration from Tłomackie. Warsaw – Oni – Beer Sheva”.

In the museums, salons and exhibitions of the 1920s Paris, young Symcha Trachter encountered the greatest masters of modern painting. His stay in France contributed to the development of his individual style.

From October 5, access to archival documents kept in the Jewish Historical Institute collection will be temporarily difficult or impossible due to construction works. We’re sorry for the inconvenience.