“In the footsteps of Dawid Rubinowicz” THE TRAIL  

The Jewish cemetery in Bodzentyn – presents the opportunity to see a Jewish burial ground and learn about the symbols of Judaism on the tombstones;

Dating   back to the middle of the 19 century, forgotten and untouched, it has conceal  nearly 80  well preserved Jewish tombstones “Matzevots” of unique character and artistic interest.  The iconography on the tombstones is symbolic  of typical  folk-art  representations  and  the  inscriptions  are  in Hebrew  which leads us believe the community  unreservedly kept its strong traditional ties with the Jewish  culture – writes the Rabbinic Commission on  Cemeteries. 

Exhibitions:  Presentation of pinhole photographs illustrating the “Dawid Rubinowicz Diary” as well as  photos  of the clearing and cleanup up work carried out at the Jewish cemetery in Bodzentyn

Both displays were first presented on the Second Dawid Rubinowicz Days.  The presentation   of pinhole photography was the outcome of The Diary Project run by the KN Odnowica Society. Inspired by the writings of Dawid Rubinowicz the photographs are the work of students from the gymnasium school in Bodzentyn. Whereas the other display documents the clearing and cleanup up work carried out at the cemetery and is a testimony to the local grassroots initiative of members of the Odnowica Society, students of the gymnasium school in Bodzentyn as well local parishioners.  Thanks to the concerted efforts of the community in general the memory of the Jewish cemetery has been restored.

The fate of children at the time of WWII – workshops for young people, exploring selected fragments of children’s and young people’s recollections of the WWII;

The Dawid Rubinowicz Society is the fortunate position to be able draw on the help and experience of dedicated professionals and enthusiasts. Robert Szuchta is one such outstanding educator in the field of holocaust education. His classes use drama methods based on scenes evoked from the diary as well as from other writings of children from the time of WWII. The workshops last for 2 hours and are aimed at the integration and collaboration of the group. Identifying with the characters of prepared texts facilitates a better understanding of the complexity of the tragic events and outcomes of the war. Personal re-enactment of what the character felt or experienced makes for an unforgettable history lesson,.

Multimedia art workshops – artwork inspired by the symbols and images of the Matzevots (tombstones) with a wide choice of media and techniques e.g. canvas, paper clay or glass;

Bodzentyn is an exceptional small town, just as the people are who live here. Amongst the residents of our commune we have many outstanding artists and people actively engaged in local culture. Consequently folk-art, such as paper craft, woven textiles, or pottery, interacts with local sources of culture i.e. painting on canvas, glass or wood, Artists working in a variety of media, styles, techniques and subject matters assist the Dawid Rubinowicz Society in exploring the art in Judaism. Depending on the particular interest and expectations of groups or individuals we can arrange for artist with an appropriate background and suitable specialism.

In the footsteps of former Jewish residents of Bodzentyn.  Guided walks and talks   – places of interest, unheard of stories told by local historian specialising in Jewish history;

 The first Jews settled in Bodzentyn in 1792. In 1820 the number of dwellers totalled 1100. At that time as in many other small Polish towns the two distinct cultures, Polish and Jewish, happily co-existed alongside each other. The events of the Second World War in effect eliminated orthodox Jewish communities from the cultural, social and economic life of the Poles. Today we only have the Jewish cemetery and the memory which we are currently striving to save and uphold. The discovery of Dawid Rubinowicz’s notebooks present irrefutable proof of the coexistence of these cultures. We are particularly fortunate to have the undivided support of our local historian Stefan Rachtan, chairman of the Friends of Bodzentyn, who has made the history of Bodzentyn his lifelong passion. With having a first hand knowledge of the history of the town he offers a guided walk in and  around the town taking in the most significant and interesting   places to visit  associated with the  former Jewish community. All the places have their own particular story to tell which visitors find particularly informative. The walk takes approximately one hour.

Theatre workshops – drama classes and works based on excerpts from the Dawid Rubinowicz Diary;

From the very beginning the issue of the Bodzentyn Jewish community was acknowledge by well-known actors, theatre directors and stage designers, Dorota and Artur Anyż, both of whom continue to work closely with the organisation The Last selection and the Dawid Rubinowicz plays were produced and directed by them. The drama workshops culminate with a performance of a non-verbal drama piece; something which touches everybody’s hearts.

The history of the Jewish community of Bodzentyn – follow-up presentations: films, radio reports, interviews etc.     

Even though the Dawid Rubinowicz Society is in its infancy it has notched up an impressive list of achievements and archive of documentary materials. For dissemination and learning purposes we have made video recordings of all our events, concerts and performances.  We also have a collection of radio reports and interviews. Shortly, we hope to have a multimedia presentation of all the events and materials in our possession, which we will gladly make available on request.

The Dawid Rubinowicz play – stage adaptation of Dawid Rubinowicz’s Diary, widely acclaimed in Poland and Europe;

The premiere of the play took place during the First Dawid Rubinowicz Days.  Later on  performed throughout Poland and at the Loche Arts Festival in France. Even though the play has been performed many times locally its showing at the II Dawid Rubinowicz Day still attracted a full and appreciative audience. The play can be seen here in Bodzentyn and by prior arrangement to any town city or place.

The play – The Last Selection – a moving drama based on the book of Goldie Szachter, From Bodzentyn to Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen, was first performed during the II Dawid Rubinowicz Day.

We can already say we have an established tradition of premiering a new drama production at the time of the Dawid Rubinowicz Days. At the last event we presented copies of the book, “From Bodzetyn to Aushwitz and Begen-Belsen” (translated from English into Polish) written by former resident of Bodzentyn, Goldie Szachter. And naturally the play the Last Selection is and adaptation of that book. Agnieszka Kozłowska-Piasta wrote in the ‘Now’ monthly magazine – the play sparkled with many interesting notions, highlighting the perils and dramatic tension of events. Subject to a prior arrangement we can organize a showing of the play in Bodzentyn or Kielce or by invitation to a particular place.  However it should be noted the stage designs do require special theatrical facilities.