Since 2008, JCC Krakow has served as the focal point of the rebirth of Jewish life in Krakow, Poland.
ABOUT US
Friends of JCC Krakow is a non-profit organization dedicated to sustaining the financial future of the Jewish Community Centre of Krakow (JCC Krakow), whose primary focus is rebuilding Jewish life in Krakow, Poland.
Friends of JCC Krakow seeks to raise awareness of JCC Krakow's activities and broaden its reach through informational and cultural offerings in the United States.
JCC Krakow was opened in April 2008 by His Royal Highness King Charles and now serves as the focal point for the resurgence of Jewish life in Krakow. Located in the heart of the city’s Jewish district of Kazimierz, the JCC provides Krakow’s growing Jewish community with a space to meet, learn, and share ideas in a warm, welcoming environment.
JCC Krakow’s primary goal is to establish an open, pluralistic, and inclusive community that welcomes all and provides innovative, quality programming at the highest level in a warm, optimistic, and lively atmosphere. We strive to serve as a welcoming home for the local Jewish community. By providing a nurturing environment and a broad selection of programs, we attract new members from varied backgrounds—many of whom only recently found out about their Jewish roots or previously distanced themselves from their Jewish heritage. Despite our location less than 45 miles from Auschwitz, we have created a welcoming space where it is easier and safer to be Jewish every day. Beyond our core mission, we engage Krakowians through intercultural educational programming and events, building a foundation for long standing cooperation between communities. Finally, JCC Krakow acts as a visitor center for over 140,000 visitors every year, many of them Jewish, providing education about modern Poland and Jewish life here.
We currently boast over 850 Jewish members as well as a robust volunteer program comprising 75 non-Jews. JCC Krakow provides programming for Jewish holidays, weekly Shabbat dinners, education for all ages, targeted welfare services, arts and cultural programs, and numerous social activities. We also serve as a cultural center for all generations, including members of our Senior Club, Hillel GIMEL Jewish Student Club, Sunday school, and FRAJDA Early Childhood Center.
“We cannot change the number of Jews murdered by the Nazis during the Holocaust. We can however affect the number of Jews lost to the Jewish World due to the Holocaust. And that, in essence, is our mission at JCC Krakow.”