The Summer School Program is a unique experience of a seminar, combining theoretical background with practical activities under the supervision of recognized specialists in the field.

The Summer School Program is a unique experience of a seminar, combining theoretical background with practical activities under the supervision of recognized specialists in the field.

NN Theatre

Program

MEMORY – PLACE – PRESENCE ProgramDirect link for this paragraph

Since 1994, Grodzka Gate – NN Theatre Center in Lublin, Poland, has been running the MEMORY – PLACE – PRESENCE program, which aims to preserve, commemorate and disseminate knowledge about the Jewish heritage and history of Lublin.

Using the most innovative artistic, educational and technological means such as exhibitions, performances, multimedia libraries, Internet platforms, etc. the center wishes to widen the exposure of both the local community and a broader audience to Jewish heritage and culture in order to develop the potential of this region. Within this project, we collect oral history testimonies of witnesses to history, organize Polish-Jewish youth meetings and implement educational activities such as workshops and seminars.

After over twenty years of this work,  the Grodzka Gate – NN Theatre Center in cooperation with the WSPA University College in Lublin and the Panorama Kultur Association has opened a new Summer School Program within the MEMORY – PLACE – PRESENCE project designed for students and professionals (educators, teachers etc.) who are engaged in the field of Jewish studies and/or are of Polish-Jewish descent.

Main topicsDirect link for this paragraph

The summer school program is created for all those who want to experience and explore the lost Yiddishland and its fascinating history, the forgotten continent of shtetls and cities, the cradle of the Jewish diaspora, a source of inspiration for countless writers and artists, and a mute witness to the Holocaust.

The program offers a unique, complex seminar on the Jewish cultural heritage of the Lublin region – located in the heart of Yiddishland. We will focus on the following topics:

The history and specificity of the Jewish community in LublinDirect link for this paragraph

We think that the history of the Jewish community in Lublin brings into focus major issues relevant to the history of Polish and Ashkenazi Jewry. Using the example of Lublin we will show the diversity within the prewar Jewish communities of Eastern Europe and the specificity of multicultural provincial centers of Jewish life. We will also highlight some aspects of local culture that made Lublin a distinguished center of Jewish religious and cultural life.

The heritage of the shtetls Direct link for this paragraph

Lublin is situated in the heart of the historic Yiddishland, surrounded by hundreds of small towns that before the Holocaust were vibrant centers of Jewish life. Through our program, including visits to some of these towns, we will help you discover both the tangible and intangible cultural heritage related to the shtetls (architecture, film, literature, etc.).

Jewish biographies of the 20th centuryDirect link for this paragraph

Using the examples of well-known Lubliners, we will familiarize you with the identity problems that shaped the lives of many Polish Jews, especially in the prewar and postwar period. We will give you the opportunity to meet members of the Jewish community and to discuss with them the opportunities and challenges that Jews in Poland are facing nowadays.

The Holocaust in Lublin and the Lublin RegionDirect link for this paragraph

The city and region of Lublin became the center of the Operation Reinhardt, which was to be a final solution of the Jewish question. In this special place we will invite you to face the issues of physical and cultural extermination, to become familiar with the personal stories of the victims, to reflect on the diversity of the attitudes of the Holocaust-observing bystanders and to meet the Righteous among the Nations.

Memory work and education
Direct link for this paragraph

Is it possible to live where the Holocaust happened? How should we commemorate the victims? Was the Holocaust only about physical annihilation? What can we do not to forget? We will encourage you to discover the educational and artistic initiatives that aim to commemorate and preserve the Jewish cultural heritage in Poland. We will also encourage you to reflect on the multiple narratives related to the memorial sites and the city spaces that have become places of memory.