MICHEL  DE  MONTAIGNE
POLISH – FRENCH FOUNDATION
FOR NEW DEMOCRATIC PRACTICES               

 
SEARCHING FOR MEMORY AND DIALOGUE
BIALYSTOK AS A MODEL OF
EASTERN EUROPEAN JEWRY
                                                  ___________________________________________________________________________
        INTERNATIONAL ACADEMIC CONGRESS
                                                                                    JERUSALEM – TEL AVIV, 15 – 17 NOVEMBER 2010 
 

Chairwoman of the Conference                                                         Director of the Congress - Jacob Kuperberg
Dr. Grażyna Olszewska – Baka                                                           President of Kyriat Bialsytok -  Jacob Kagan

Ladies and Gentleman,

we have an honour to invite you to participate in

International Academic Congress 

SEARCHING FOR MEMORY AND DIALOGUE.

BIALYSTOK AS A MODEL OF EASTERN EUROPEAN JEWRY

Jerusalem –Tel Aviv, November 15 -17, 2010.

organized by the Michel de Montaigne Polish-French Foundation for New Democratic Practices and Bialystok Jewish Community represented by Kiryat Bialystok, The Society For Historical Research and Israel Diaspora Dialogue in Israel, with the collaboration of Yad Vashem Institute in Jerusalem and Beth Hatefutsoth Museum in Tel Aviv.

The International Congress is a continuation of the Idea of Restoring Memory of Eastern European Jewry started by Bialystok Congress in May 2009 which ended with taking a RESOLUTION and became an important event of opening the Idea of Remembrance of Life of Eastern European Jewry and transferring it to the international academic community.  

The aim of International Congress is to show great and specific Eastern European Jewish culture and it's Extermination through the picture of prewar Bialystok  and Grodno regions as a model of Eastern European Jewry.

Congress „Searching for Memory…” Jerusalem, Tel – Aviv 2010 gained support of famous figures and international universities and academic institutions - Head Rabbi of Israel Meir Lau, Yad Vashem Institute, Beth Hatefutsoth Museum in Tel Aviv, Dr Samuel Pisar and City of Tel Aviv.

We do hope that you accept the invitation and cooperate in common creating the Idea of Restoring Memory of Eastern European Jewry and help in realizing the Congress.

Yours sincerely,
Chairwoman of the Congress
Dr. Grazyna Olszewska - Baka

Introduction:

This region of Bialystok was a prewar Centre of Jews of Eastern Europe and was a specific space of dynamic development of Jewish space and represented the versatility of all circles and Jewish communities in terms of religion, culture, politics and social structure and was also an example of universalistic and modern role of Jews at the time.
This region was a place of creation of different Eastern European views where among multicultural society of Poles, Belarusians, Lithuanians and Tatars a modern role of Polish Jewry in the world would arose. Many famous figures of science, culture   and politics whose names are in international encyclopedias derive from here.
Bialystok was a city in which the Jewish community as one of few organized an armed rising in the Bialystok Ghetto taking an uneven fight against Nazism and complete Extermination.
Today we cannot change our painful history but we have every mental and citizen instruments to create democratic foundations for Dialogue based on civilized values of the Past in which Eastern European Jews played an important role.

Leading issues:

Cultural and historical role of Eastern European Jews.

European history and identity of Bialystok Jews among other communities  of the world.

Bialystok as a model of Eastern European Jewry in the aspect of multiplicity of specific space of Jewish prewar Bialystok, Grodno and Podlasie regions.

Versatility of representation of all Jewish communities according to religion, culture and social structure.

Universalistic role of Bialystok Jews. Pre-war Bialystok as a city of Jews entering modernity.

Polish - Jewish relations in Bialystok region - between particularism, integration with Polish culture and general perspective. Assimilation processes of Eastern Poland Jews.

Anti-Jewish prejudices in Eastern Europe and their consequences.

Uprising in Bialystok Ghetto. Resistance, heroism and Extermination.
Evidence of Memory of Bialystok Ghetto Jews. Tragedy of Holocaust in Polish community. Righteous Among Nations.

Jewish citizens of Bialystok region in the world. Bialystok community in Israel.

Place of culture of Eastern European Jews in European and Israel's culture - education, science, art, literature, theatre, music and other forms of cultural creativity. Social activity, medicine, health- care, entrepreneurship.

Memory, life and Extermination of Eastern European Jews as an integral history of Europe. Discovering and nursing Memory of social awareness as a basis of Polish - Jewish dialogue.

The youth of Europe and Israel against anti-Semitism and stereotypes.

Polish-Jewish agreement and Dialogue.

Date of the Congress:  November 15 – 17, 2010
Place:  Jerusalem, Tel - Aviv
Number of participants:
Predicted number of speakers / active professors / - about 40 people
Predicted number of scientists, professors, assistants from all over the world – about 100 people
Predicted number of guests – about 60 people
Sum of people participating – about 100 – 120 people

Yad – Vashem Institute, Jerusalem

10.00 - 12.00         SESSION I   - PLENARY  - Ceremonial opening of the Congress
Ceremonial opening of the Congress.
Speeches of leaders and guests of the Congress.

14.00 - 15.30         SESSION II    „TOUCH OF MEMORY” 
Historical – educational session

15.30 - 16.00         Coffee break

16.15 - 18.30         SESSION III   - PLENARY 
Debate and area of issues to be defined

Night at Jerusalem   „TRACKS OF HISTORY”    
 
 

Beth Hatefutsoth Museum, Tel Aviv

9.30 - 11.00           SESSION I  - PLENARY 
3 leading lectures and a debate

11.00 - 11.30         Coffee break

11.30 - 13.00         PARALLELSESSIONS or
SESSION II - PLENARY according to AREA OF ISSUES 
     
13.00 - 14.00         Lunch break

14.00 - 15.30         PARALLELSESSIONS or
SESSION III - PLENARY according to AREA OF ISSUES 

16.30 - 17.00         Coffee break

17.30 - 19.00         SESSION IV  - PLENARY 
Debate
 

Muzeum Beth Hatefutsoth, Tel Aviv
9.30 - 11.00           SESSION I  - PLENARY 
3 leading lectures and a debate

11.00 - 11.30         Coffee break

11.30 - 13.00         SESSION II - PLENARY
„ACCOUNTS OF WITNESSES OF  MEMORY AND RIGHTEOUS AMONG THE NATIONS”
13.00 - 14.00         Lunch break

14.30 - 17.30         SESSION III  SUMMARIZING OF THE CONGRESS

Additional special sessions:

1. Accounts of the Witnesses of Memory and Righteous Among the Nations.
2. Presentation of documental movies and theme reports with academic debate
3. Issue exhibitions with academic debate
4. Concerts and other accompanying  events.

Michel de Montaigne Polish – French Foundation For New Democratic Practices - represented by the President of the Foundation – Dr. Grażyna Olszewska – Baka.

Association of Former Bialystok and region Citizens – Kiryat Bialystok – represented by President Jacob Kagan

The Society For Historical Research and Israel Diaspora Dialogue –
represented by President Jacob Kuperberg

In collaboration with:
Yad Vashem Institute Jerusalem, Beth Hatefutsoth Museum in Tel Aviv, Yad Vashem Institute Paris, Fondation pour la Mémoire de La Shoah, Paris, University of Białystok, Warsaw University, Université Paris Sorbonne – Paris IV, Columbia University New York, University of Melbourne, The Sue and Leonard Miller Center for Contemporary Judaic Studies, Miami, Holocaust Memorial – Miami Beach, Université Nancy 2, Institute of National Memory, Bialystok dept., History Museum in Bialystok, Teacher Training College of Revalidation and Rehabilitation.

 

V. WSPARCIE KONGRESU :

Head Rabbi of Israel Meir Lau, City of Tel – Aviv and Yehud, Israel Embassy in Poland, the Chancellery of the President of the Republic of Poland, former Prime Ministers of the Republic of Poland- years 1996-1997, 1997-2001, Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Polish Embassy in Israel, Polish Embassy in Australia, Podlasie Voivod, President of Bialystok, National Memory Institute – Bialystok Department, French Embassy in Poland, Conseil Représentatif des Institutions Juives in France, USA Embassy in Poland, representative of Jewish community in the world from Europe, Australia, Canada, United States, Uruguay.
 

HONORARY CHAIRMAN OF THE 2010 CONGRESS
Dr. Samuel Pisar

CHAIRWOMAN OF THE 2010 CONGRESS
Dr Grażyna Olszewska – Baka -
President of the Michel de Montaigne Polish – French Foundation for New Democratic Practices, Poland

COMMITTEE MEMBERS: Members of international academic circles invited to participate in the Congress:
Dr Semion Goldin - Chais Center for Jewish Studies in Russian Hebrew University of Jerusalem;  prof. Dany Leviatan - Rector Tel – Aviv University,   dr. Leor Karni - Tel – Aviv University; Dr Rina Benari - The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel; Vladimir Libo - Newman Center Director, Israel;  Liora Shani - Beth Hatefutsoth Museum Director, Tel-Aviv; Zippi Rosenne Beth Hatefutsoth Museum Director, Tel-Aviv; Haim Ghuzieli - Beth Hatefutsoth Museum Director, Tel-Aviv; Prof. Gustaw Kerszman Denmark, Prof. Hanna Malewska – Peyre professor emeritus, Polish Institute of Science in Paris, Prof. Jenny Wajsenberg, Ph.D., University of Melbourne, Prof. Karol A. Penson, Ph.D. Universite Pierre et Marie Curie in Paris, Prof. Rebecca Kobrin, Ph.D. , Columbia University, Dr Alexandre Kurc, Vice President of The Michel de Montaigne Polish – French Foundation For New Democratic Practices, France, prof. Jerzy Przytyk, representative of Jewish Community in Canada, Prof. Jerzy Nikitorowicz, Rector of University of Białystok, Prof. Wojciech Śleszyński, University of Białystok, Prof. Daniel Boćkowski, University of Białystok, Prof. Antoni Mironowicz, University of Białystok, Prof. Daniel Grinberg, University of Białystok, Prof. Andrzej Bałandynowicz, Ph.D., Professor of Law, Higher School of Real Estate Management in Warsaw, Poland , Prof. Stanisław Krajewski, Ph.D., Polish Council of Christians and Jews, Prof. Cezary Kuklo, Head of the National Institute of Memory in Białystok, Dr Ewa Rogalewska, National Institute of Memory, Białystok Department.

Director of Organizing Committee of the Congress:

Jacob Kuperberg
The Society For Historical Research and Israel Diaspora Dialogue

Members of the Organizing Committee:

1. Jacob Kagan

President of Former Citizens of Bialystok Association – Kiriat Bialystok, Israel

1. Moses Sapir – Shapiro

International Cooperation Leader, representative of Bialystok Jewish community in Israel.

1. Dr Alexandre Kurc

Vice President of Mishel de Montaigne Polish – French Foundation For New Democratic Practices, France

1. Irit Saguy

Representative of family of Bialystok Ghetto Fighters, Israel

1. Vladimir Libo

Newman Center, Israel

1. Dr Leor Karni

Tel-Aviv University, Israel

1. Dr Rina Benari 

Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel

1. Vered Yinon

Journalist, Israel

1. Dr Ewa Rogalewska

National Institute of Memory, Białystok Department, Poland

1. Elżbieta Kozłowska – Świątkowska,

University of Białystok Publishing House, Poland

Office of the Foundation in Poland:
Assistants of the Polish – French Foundation: Anna Sznajder, Anna Piszczatowska - Biernacka, Mateusz Szukajt, Radosław Olszewski, Geoffrey Ovicher.

 Israel,  Tel-Aviv:

Congress Director:  Jacob Kuperberg
Mobile : 00972 544 550 806

International Cooperation Leader:  Moses Sapir – Shapiro  
Mobile: 00 972 527 584 546, e-mail: mosessapir10@yahoo.com

Poland, Bialystok:

Please send the correspondence to: 
Michel de Montaigne Polish – French Foundation For New Democratic Practices

15-277 Bialystok,
12 Swietojanska St.
Tel. /fax. +48 85 732 46 42
www.nowademokracja.pl, www.searchingmemory.pl
e-mail: fondation@networks.pl

Academic Assistant: Anna Piszczatowska – Biernacka 
Mobile  00 48 85 732 46 42, e-mail: fondation@networks.pl

International Affairs Assistant: Mateusz Szukajt
Mobile  0048 85 732 46 42,  e-mail: fondation@networks.pl