Kol Nidrei Address by Chairman of the Board Mark First
Mark First, Chairman of the Board
September 24, 2023 ~ 10 Tishrei 5784
My name is Agnieszka Giś and I’m a 22-year old student from Krakow, Poland. I have been working at JCC Krakow for five years and now I’m spending my summer as an intern at Park Avenue Synagogue. What brought me here?
Growing up as a non-Jew in a heart of the Jewish district of Krakow, I was always interested in Jewish culture and history. But for a long time, it seemed like a history belonging to the past. When I learned about the JCC and that Jewish life was being reborn down the road from where I grew up, I immediately knew I had to be involved. Each day we work with over 600 members of the Jewish community: Holocaust survivors and also their children and grandchildren who want to be a part of a once-again thriving, open, and welcoming community.
My friend Olga found out about her Jewish roots when she was 12 years old. After becoming a member of the JCC as a student, for she could learn the first time how to celebrate Pesah. Olga cleaned her house for hametz and I was the person who bought it all from her! This story illustrates the essence of this miracle happening in Poland. Olga never thought that she would be able to celebrate Jewish holidays and be an active part of a Jewish community. And I never thought I would be able to connect with and learn about the Polish-Jewish relationships of 1000 years that were decimated first by the Holocaust and then by 45 years of communism.
I am incredibly moved and amazed by all of the communities around the world who want to build a Jewish future in Krakow with us. One of them is your community. Park Avenue Synagogue visited JCC Krakow in October 2015. From that connection, PAS has now welcomed me as an intern, which will allow me to develop my skills and gain experience to help the Jewish community in Krakow. I know my adventure here will be a source of inspiration and knowledge.
Thank you for welcoming me to your community and for helping us build a Jewish future in Krakow.
Agnieszka (Agi) Giś
Krakow
To find out more about JCC Krakow, visit www.jcckrakow.org or www.facebook.com/jcckrakow
If you have any questions for Agnieszka, please contact her at intern@pasyn.org.