Students from our school have been involved in research on multiculturalism for several years. We work on a voluntary basis in a group of 26 people. We are aware of our hometown’s multicultural past, and the significant role of Jewish heritage. Despite the fact that there are no Jews left in Wlodawa, our aim is to explore Jewish culture. We want to fight against stereotypes and prejudices, showing the richness and beauty of this particular ethnic minority tradition.
Our whole activity in the present school year (2005/2006) is devoted to the May ceremony, which will summarize research done by us concerning the multicultural roots of Wlodawa. At the beginning of October we prepared an itinerary for students from the Middle School in Sieniawa visiting Wlodawa. Therefore we made information cards about our town’s monuments, especially places that remind of Wlodawa multicultural history (Orthodox Church and Synagogue complex). It turned out that our guiding skills were impressive and our knowledge tremendous.
In November and December we focused on preparing and working at the annual Festival of Three Cultures in Wlodawa. We made decorations and later dressed shop-windows along the Three Cultures Route. During The Festival we joined the street happening dressed up like pre-war Jewish inhabitants of our town.
In January, two students prepared a special scenario of an art lesson for the younger school collegues, concerning the traditional Jewish paper cutting techniques. Lessons will be carried out in all first classes and the best works will be presented during a school exhibition.
Currently, we are preparing the play inspired by the Isaac B. Singer story “The needle”. We plan to finish this play in May, and then perform it for the local society in the Small Synagogue in Wlodawa. That’s why we learn another Jewish dance and Yiddish song, we prepare decorations, costumes etc. We are also working on the multimedia presentation “Jewish society in Wlodawa, 1918 – 1943”.
We have no possibility to look after the Jewish cemetery, because it was totally destroyed. The only remnants, parts of headstones, are on exhibition at the local museum, in the Synagogue complex.
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