Bente Kahan Foundation Center for Jewish Culture and Education

Main EU Legislative Proposals: CULTURAL HERITAGE: Goals and objectives of the Foundation: Overcoming stereotypes and preventing antisemitism, racism and intolerance. Preserving the material and spiritual heritage of Jewish culture – including but not limited to Wrocław and Dolny Śląsk [Lower Silesia]. Presenting Jewish cultural heritage, history and religion in Poland and abroad. Developing Jewish culture in Poland and worldwide. Launching and supporting educational and research initiatives in the area of Jewish culture. Documenting and commemorating the history of Jews with emphasis on the Holocaust. Launching and supporting initiatives that promote communication among nations, cultures and religions. Revitalising the buildings and facilities of the Jewish Community in Wroclaw, ul. Wlodkowica 7. Supporting such activities of individuals and organizations that may coincide with the above-mentioned goals and objectives of the Foundation. Launching fund-raising initiatives for the purpose of any and all of the above goals and objectives.

Communication Activities: 1. Expositions promoting cultural heritage 2. The exhibition UNFINISHED LIVES at the European Parliament (20.11.-25.11.2023) is among the foundation’s annual events within the framework of Days of Mutual Respect commemorating Kristallnacht, November 9, 1938. Unfinished Lives is a multimedia project by the Bente Kahan Foundation (Fundacja Bente Kahan/FBK), introducing European Jewish artists who perished during the Holocaust. In the midst of the horror, artists continued to express themselves through literature, music, visual and performing arts. The material included in the exhibition is unique, presenting often forgotten artists and their work, and sometimes even showcasing them to the public for the first time. European Jewish art before World War II was multilingual, multicultural, and diverse, both thematically and formally. Behind each photo is an actual person, introduced with a biography and surviving artwork, such as writings, paintings, films, or music. If there is no existing photo, the person is represented symbolically as a shadow. We want to make our artists and their work known to a larger audience. To do this, we have undertaken new translations of literature and produced videos, concerts, and recordings, often in various languages. The project started as a permanent exhibition at the White Stork Synagogue in Wroclaw, Poland. Together with the exhibition, FBK has also produced a concert titled Unfinished Lives, with Bente Kahan, Ronen Nissan, and the National Forum of Music – NFM Leopoldinum Orchestra, Wrocław, Poland. In 2022, the Unfinished Lives exhibition is accessible online in English, German, Polish, Ukrainian, and Norwegian. To date, it has been presented at schools, as outdoor exhibitions, at regional parliaments and museums in Poland, Germany and Norway. FBK continues to broaden the project and wishes to expand its outreach. War is not an abstract notion, but a reoccurring nightmare. Art resonates with each of us and helps interpret events. The Holocaust is our shared legacy and has become the modern world’s metric for evil.

Inter-institutional or Unofficial Groupings: Anti-racism and diversity,European cultural heritage, ways of Saint-James and other European cultural routes