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to rebuild Jewish communities, political activism, and life in hiding.
What became of little Dora Zoberman, who lost her closest relatives before the end of the war? How did teenage Pinchas Bursztyn, found after the liberation of Auschwitz among the dead in a pit of lime, manage to survive? What did the Pertman family’s journey back from the USSR look like?
How did survivors feel returning to their towns after the trauma, only to discover their homes had long been taken, their belongings looted, and traces of their communities erased? In the cobblestones, they recognized gravestones—Jewish matzevot—and in household items, repurposed fragments of Torah scrolls. Jewish returnees were met by Polish neighbors with reluctant indifference, hostility, and often aggression.
Still, many stayed. They believed their future in Poland was not foreclosed and tried, with determination, to rebuild their community.
We also learn about those who left. The vast majority made that decision. Between 1944 and 1946, more than 200,000 Jews left Poland. They did not want to live in a cemetery; they could not bear the loneliness and the looming danger of post-war antisemitism.
“There is something deeply moving in the photo of a young man standing in the ruins of the ghetto, having lost his family and home in the Holocaust, yet helping survivors rebuild their lives elsewhere in the world. Yom Kippur was approaching—one of the most important Jewish holidays, ending the Ten Days of Repentance. In Judaism, it is a day of reconciliation and divine forgiveness. The beginning of a new life.” This is how curator Zuzanna Schnepf-Kołacz describes the photo of Zeev Szewach, who left Poland.
Historical testimony and contemporary art.
The harsh truth of post-1945 Jewish life in Poland is illustrated through photographs, documents, letters, leaflets, and personal mementos. The minimalist, contemplative exhibition design highlights the daily experiences of the protagonists—feelings of emptiness, uncertainty, and danger.
Contemporary artworks enrich the historical narrative and connect it to the present. Pieces by Marek Cecuła, Alicja Bielawska, Zuzanna Hertzberg, Maria Ka, Włodzimierz Zakrzewski, and Wiktor Freifeld use various media including ceramics, textiles, and music. Most works were created especially for the exhibition.
Before entering the exhibit, visitors are greeted by 40 white ceramic heads displayed in the museum lobby. “ZAAM by Marek Cecuła is the result of his reflections on the Holocaust and family experiences. The installation is the artist’s expressive response to society’s current state and the emotions evoked by a sense of threat and helplessness,” said museum spokesperson Marta Dziewulska at the press conference.
The exhibition’s prologue is a large-scale textile installation jesteś tam w tym (you are there in this) by Alicja Bielawska. As visitors move along the piece, crafted by master weaver Beata Wietrzyńska, they discover silver embroidery depicting personal items belonging to the exhibition’s protagonists, carrying their memories and stories.
Fabric is also the base of Zuzanna Hertzberg’s work. Playing on the ambiguity of the Polish expression szmata (rag), she created a banner in the style of Marian processional flags—only instead of a saint, she portrayed Hinda/Barbara Beatus, a Jewish communist activist and one of the exhibition’s heroines.
In the exhibition space, visitors will also hear a unique Yiddish performance of the Song of the Jewish Miner. Artist Maria Ka recites the original lyrics by Elchanan Indelman. The co-producer and arranger is Aleksander Golor-Baszun.
A different perspective
Encountering the personal testimonies of Holocaust survivors is a profound experience and a vital lesson in history. This exhibition confronts what has long been omitted from mainstream narratives—the Jewish perspective on the end of the war.