On May 15, 2017, this year's Laurel Crown Award was bestowed upon 5 Polish citizens involved in preservation of Jewish memory and heritage in Poland. It was presented by Israeli Ambassador to Poland, Ms. Anna Azari, and held at the Museum of the History of Polish Jews here in Warsaw. Our Foundation is again proud to be partner and co-organizer of this important recognition.

This year's award recipients are:

• Catholic Bishop Mieczyslaw Cislo, initiator of Polish-Jewish dialogue and head of the Polish Episcopate's Commission for Dialogue with Judaism, active in the 2015 letter to Catholic Poles urging them to care for their local Jewish cemeteries;
• King Sigismund Augustus Regional Society of Knyszyn whose members cleaned the local Jewish cemetery, built an access road, and created an information plaque and tourist guide to the Jewish cemetery, available online;
• the Jewish Lapidarium Society in Wronki whose members renovated the local Jewish cemetery by installing hundreds of matzevot fragments in a lapidarium built on the cemetery grounds with the help of prisoners from the local penitential facility;
• Mr. Dariusz Fodczuk of Bielsko-Biała, activist in the promotion of Jewish and Israeli art and culture in Poland through workshops, student exchanges, exhibitions, and performances by Israeli artists;
• Council member Mr. Piotr Piłasiewicz of Augustów, who secured Jewish tombstones found in the town, assured their return to the Jewish cemetery grounds along with a commemorative ceremony, and launched an educational initiative for Augustów citizens.

Link to the article on JHE website