For centuries Poland had been a meeting place for different cultures and religions. Their peaceful coexistence gave birth to the unique, multicultural heritage of this country. Jews constituted an important part of Poland’s multiethnic society. Their valuable input to the development of Polish art and culture, numerous architectural landmarks and hundreds of cemeteries still remind us about their presence. Our aim is to encourage students to discover Poland’s multicultural heritage and to bring its memory back to the public. We believe that this is an important step towards a better understanding of other peoples and the world around us.

Within the framework of the”To Bring Memory Back” program middle and high school students will:

DISCOVER THE MULTICULTURAL HISTORY OF THEIR TOWN
Gather information and documents connected with the Jewish presence in their town and region, interview elderly inhabitants, take photos of remaining landmarks and describe them;

GET TO KNOW JEWISH TRADITION AND CULTURE
Discover the Jewish tradition in order to better understand Polish Jews and to use this knowledge in order to search for answers to questions about the universal values: freedom of speech, justice, responsibility, charity;

TAKE CARE OF A JEWISH CEMETERY
Clean it up, take photos of matzevot, reconstruct its history;

BRING THE MEMORY ABOUT THE MULTICULTURAL HERITAGE BACK
Design and publish leaflets about the multicultural heritage of their town, prepare a performance and invite other people to see it, exhibit artworks, organize a tour of Jewish landmarks, organize a discussion on human rights.All schools participating in the program are invited to present their projects at a national showcase of the “To Bring Memory Back” program, which takes place every year in Warsaw. 

The 2015/2016 edition of the “To Bring Memory Back” program is being supported by the Polin Museum of History of Polish Jews and the Association of the Jewish Historical Institute in Warsaw.