The POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews in Warsaw is celebrating its 10th birthday – to mark the occasion, a birthday programme has been prepared, which will include concerts, guided tours, a film night, a debate and workshops on 26-30 September.
The grand opening of the permanent exhibition of the Warsaw Museum of the History of Polish Jews POLIN took place on October 28, 2014. “We are here. Mir zenen do,” said Marian Turski, chairman of the Museum Council and a Holocaust survivor, quoting a fragment of a song by Jewish partisans. These words became the motto of the celebrations of the 10th anniversary of POLIN, which will take place from September 26 to 30.
Stories about exhibits, cooking workshops, movie night
Zofia Bojańczyk, coordinator of the museum's birthday program, referred to Turski's words during a press conference at the institution's headquarters on Thursday.
– Mr. Marian referred to the constant, uninterrupted presence of Jews in Poland. Wanting to refer to the fact that Polish Jews, despite the tragedy of the Holocaust, despite what happened after the war, still live, work and start families in Poland. This short sentence “we are here” is both a miracle and a choice that Polish Jews make every day, choosing Poland. For 10 years, the POLIN Museum has been saying: we are here, in Muranów, where this history happened, where the history of Polish Jews happened – she emphasized.
The “Long Birthday Weekend” will begin with a meeting “Here is an object” during which art historians will talk about 10 exhibits from the museum's collection. For the youngest visitors, attractions have been prepared, such as gift-making workshops, a music and dance program with the participation of Kapela Niwińskich and culinary workshops.
At the Fania Culinary Workshop in the POLIN building there will be a film night, during which the following will be shown: “The Dybbuk” by Michał Waszyński, “Far from the Window” by Jan Jakub Kolski and “Tales of Love and Darkness” directed by Natalie Portman based on the autobiographical book by one of the most popular Israeli writers Amos Oz.
10th Anniversary of the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish JewsM. Jaźwiecki / UM
Dance and music show “Mir zenen do. We are here”
As part of the celebration of the institution's anniversary, a dance and music show “Mir zenen do. Jestem tutaj” has also been prepared. The Polish Radio Orchestra in Warsaw, conducted by Michał Klauza, will perform compositions by Philip Glass, George Gershwin and Gustav Mahler, accompanied by multimedia screenings of premiere choreographies prepared by artists from Poland, Israel, Ukraine and Spain: Erez Zohar and Kornelia Zohar associated with the Israeli Batsheva Dance Company, Polish choreographer and dancer Jacek Przybyłowicz and Alisa Makarenko from Ukraine.
– We have always dreamed of also showing dance at the POLIN Museum, including contemporary Israeli dance. However, we have certain spatial limitations. Showing dance on the screen seems like an obvious idea, but it is only the beginning. As the project developed and the artists got involved, it turned out that for each of them, a visit to the museum is something different, everyone approaches this space differently – said Kajetan Prochyra, coordinator of the music scene at the POLIN Museum and the new director of the Polish Radio Orchestra.
– These will be three different stories. The first one is a story about a group of young dancers who come to Poland for the first time and try to find their place in the museum space, to tame it, to make it their own. The second one, Alisa Makarenko's story, is more of a dance theatre, in movement Alisa was inspired by Jewish customs, gestures present in rituals. In addition, “Rhapsody in Blue”, so very New York, which we are transferring to our permanent exhibition, Galeria Ulica, to Galeria Miasteczko. The third part is an Israeli story, perhaps to put it a bit cliché, it is a prayer for peace – he added.
Debate on the museums and guided tours
A debate entitled “Museums of the Future” is scheduled for September 30 with the participation of cultural managers, journalists and historians on the challenges facing museums in the 21st century.
There will also be guided tours of the exhibition “1000 Years of History of Polish Jews” – guided by writer Karolina Sulej, journalist Hanna Rydlewska, researcher Joanna Ostrowska, photographer Sebastian Czarnecki and Instagrammer Rita Miernik. Curators will also guide through the Rotational Gallery and the exhibition “(PO)JEWISH. The Shtetl of Opatów through the eyes of Majer Kirszenblat”.
The detailed program of the 10th birthday of the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews is available at the website of the facility.
Main image source: M. Jaźwiecki / UM