On 26 June 2023, the IPN Educational Center History Point in Warsaw hosted representatives of Jewish communities from the USA as part of their study tour under the auspices of the Polish Embassy in Washington. Their stay in Poland includs visits to governmental and non-governmental institutions and organizations, Jewish communities and museums. The purpose of the meetings is to learn about the current politics of memory and to continue cooperation and dialogue. The visit to the History Point was organized by the IPN's Office of International Cooperation.
The event was attended by representatives of American Jewish communities such as American Jewish Congress, Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education, Lillian & Albert Small Capital Jewish Museum and the Jerusalem Connection Report. Following guests took part in the meeting: Brian David Siegal, Rachel Amber Lipman, Judith Margles, Thomas Salter Kahn, Daniel Ryan Samuels, Eugene Franklin Sofer, Amy Lynn Zewe and Edward Judd Kimball. They were accompanied by Adrian Chrobot, 1st Secretary of the Polish Embassy in Washington.
On the part of the Institute, the meeting was attended by Agnieszka Jędrzak, Director of the Office of International Cooperation, Przemysław Gasztold, Ph.D., from the IPN Historical Research Office, as well as Joanna Kumor (Head of the Division of International Relations) and Dorota Lewsza, Ph.D. (Head of the Division of Reaction to Defamation).
Director Agnieszka Jędrzak, who chaired the meeting, thanked the guests for their interest in the Institute and presented its origins and tasks, as well as the activities of its various substantive offices. She mentioned that the subject of the Institute's research is the events of the period 1917–1990 with particular emphasis on World War I, the Polish-Bolshevik war, the interwar period, World War II (including the German and Soviet occupations and the Holocaust), and then communist enslavement. Director Jędrzak further presented the IPN's flagship project Trails of Hope. The Odyssey of Freedom using the example of the exhibition accompanying the project, translated into Hebrew and English, which was recently presented at the Menachem Begin Center in Jerusalem.
Showing the guests around the exhibition, Przemysław Gasztold, Ph.D., pointed out the good relations between the commanders of General Anders' army and the soldiers of Jewish origin who decided to remain in Palestine to fight for the independence of the state of Israel.
As part of the tour, guests were introduced to figures of Polish heroes of Jewish origin. They included Baruch Steinberg – the Chief Rabbi of Poland murdered by the Soviets in Katyń, Julian Bussgang – a soldier in General Anders' Army, mathematician, entrepreneur and writer, and Menachem Begin – later Prime Minister of the state of Israel. It was emphasized that the project Trails of Hope. The Odyssey of Freedom is part of a policy of memory recalling the struggle against totalitarianism in the context of Russian aggression against Ukraine, aimed at reminding the world about the ever-present threat from Russian imperialism. In addition, it was noted that all substantive offices of the IPN are involved in the implementation of the Trails of Hope project, as exemplified by the renovation of Polish cemeteries and monuments abroad by the IPN Office for Commemorating the Struggle and Martyrdom.
Representatives of Jewish communities from the US asked about ways to reach the youngest generation with the historical message. The IPN's educational activities aimed at children and young people, carried out by recently established IPN divisions: Office of New Technologies and Office of Cultural Events, were mentioned in this context.
Some film productions by the IPN's Office of International Cooperation on the project Trails of Hope. The Odyssey of Freedom were shown. At the end of the meeting, the guests received English-language publications issued by the IPN.
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Representatives of Jewish communities from the USA at the IPN – 26 June 2018