17 January: The 26th Day of Judaism in the Catholic Church in Poland

The celebrations on January 17 will begin with a joint prayer in the centre of Siedlce, on the site of the former synagogue, burnt down by the Germans in 1939. This will be followed by a session on the history of Judaism in the Siedlce area; the conference will be held at the Siedlce Diocese Seminary. The event will also address the Holocaust in the German-occupied eastern territories of Poland and the third topic will be ongoing projects concerning Jewish culture. High school and university students will be invited to take part in academic panels on the past and future of Polish-Jewish relations.

Rabbi Boaz Pash from Israel will be the guest of the second part of the celebrations and will deliver a lecture on the interpretation of the Old Testament. He will address catechists and those who lead parish Bible study circles and Lectio Divina.

The Day of Judaism will conclude with an inter-religious celebration of the Word of God in Siedlce Cathedral. It will be led by Archbishop Grzegorz Ryś, Chairman of the Committee of the Polish Bishops' Conference for Dialogue with Judaism.

The event will be accompanied by an exhibition of Judaica from the Diocesan Museum in Siedlce, the Parish Museum in Kock and from private collections.

The Day of Judaism celebrations are organised by the Committee of the Polish Bishops' Conference for Dialogue with Judaism. Each year, it is prepared by a different Polish diocese. Established by the Episcopate, the Day of Judaism is intended to help Catholics discover the Judaic roots of Christianity.

The celebrations of the 26th Day of Judaism in the Catholic Church in Poland held under the honorary auspices of the Polish Bishops’ Conference by its Chairman, Archbishop Stanisław Gądecki.

Press Office of the Diocese of Siedlce / Press Office, Polish Bishops’ Conference