Words and pictures: Alon Goldman and Ania Fanaberia Sidorowicz

Thanks mainly to the efforts of our World Society Vice-President Alon Goldman and Executive Board member Alan Silberstein, the World Society hosted a seminar in Częstochowa, for a large group of Israeli tour guides, about Częstochowa and its rich Jewish history.

These guides accompany tour groups to Poland from Israel and, for them, this event is a great learning experience.

Their time began with a lecture and a guided tour of the Częstochowa Jewish Museum led by Alon Goldman.

In the evening, the tour guides were treated to a celebratory dinner hosted by our World Society President Sigmund Rolat and Deputy Mayor of Częstochowa Dr.Ryszard Stefaniak.

To mark the occasion, Ryszard Welgreen, Deputy Chairman of the Częstochowa branch of the TSKŻ, commissioned a commemorative medal as a souvenir of the tour guides’ visit to Częstochowa.

On the following day, the Israeli guides were themselves given a guided tour of many Częstochowa’s Jewish heritage sites including the Ghetto Heroes Square, the HASAG-Pelcery slave labour camp and the Umschlagplatz, from where 40,000 Jews were transported to their deaths in Treblinka. Along the way, the guides heard first-hand testimony our World Society President, Sigmund Rolat. In the evening, dinner was at the Browar. After the dinner, they gathered around Sigmund, who answered guides’ questions and spoke more of his experiences during those days of horror.