The King left Holocaust survivors “moved” as he delivered a speech at the Jewish Community Centre (JCC) this afternoon.
King Charles visited the JCC in Krakow, where he was welcomed by the centre’s CEO Jonathan Ornstein and Maurice Helfgott, Chair of World Jewish Relief, the organisation that designed and helps fund the JCC.
During his visit, His Majesty met with members of the centre’s Senior Club, which supports elderly members of Krakow’s Jewish community, including Holocaust survivors.
The King was reunited with Holocaust survivor Ryszard Orowski, whom he previously met during a 2002 visit that inspired the centre.
The King left Holocaust survivors “moved” as he delivered a speech at the Jewish Community Centre (JCC) this afternoon.
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The King’s connection to the centre dates back to its formal opening in 2008, when he and Queen Camilla, then The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, inaugurated the facility during a visit to Krakow.
His Majesty observed volunteers at the centre’s Free Shop, where food and essential items are provided to refugees.
The JCC has supported over 380,000 displaced Ukrainians in Poland, with many Polish non-Jewish volunteers from Krakow contributing to the effort.
During the visit, His Majesty received a special gift created by children from the Frajda Preschool and Nursery, which holds the distinction of being the first Jewish children’s facility to open in Krakow since the Holocaust.
During his visit, His Majesty met with members of the centre’s Senior Club, which supports elderly members of Krakow’s Jewish community, including Holocaust survivors.
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The King said during his speech: “To be in Poland on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, as we commemorate eighty years since the liberation of Auschwitz, is both a sombre and indeed a sacred moment.
“It is a moment when we recall the six million Jews, old and young, who were systematically murdered, together with Sinti, Roma, disabled people, members of the L.G.B.T. community, political prisoners, and so many others upon whom the Nazis inflicted their violence and hatred.
“It is a moment when we recall the depths to which humanity can sink when evil is allowed to flourish, ignored for too long by the world. And it is a moment when we recall the powerful testimonies of Survivors such as Lily Ebert, who so sadly passed away in October, and who collectively taught us to cherish our freedom, to challenge prejudice and never to be a bystander in the face of violence and hate.
“In a world that remains full of turmoil and strife, and has witnessed the dangerous re-emergence of antisemitism, there can be no more important message – especially as the United Kingdom holds the Presidency of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance.”
The monarch continued: “As the number of Holocaust Survivors regrettably diminishes with the passage of time, the responsibility of remembrance rests far heavier on our shoulders, and on those of generations yet unborn.
The King’s connection to the centre dates back to its formal opening in 2008.
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“The act of remembering the evils of the past remains a vital task and in so doing, we inform our present and shape our future. Here in Krakow, from the ashes of the Holocaust, the Jewish community has been reborn. And there is no greater symbol of this rebirth than the Jewish Community Centre, in which we are gathered here today.
“Standing on the steps of this wonderfully vibrant Centre some seventeen years ago, having encouraged its construction and taken immense pride in opening it, I was filled with a sense of hope and optimism at the life and energy that coursed through the building.
“So, returning today, along with World Jewish Relief, of which I am extremely proud to be Patron, that sense of hope and 2 optimism has only grown. With their support, together with other generous benefactors, this Centre has blossomed from the bud of an idea into an essential hub for the community.
“Ladies and gentlemen, in a post-Holocaust world, projects such as this Centre are how we recover our faith in humanity.
“They also show us there is much work still to be done if we are not just to remember the past, but to use it to inspire us to build a kinder and more compassionate world for future generations; a world of which we can be truly proud. And this remains the sacred task of us all.”
King Charles is making history today as the first British monarch to visit Auschwitz-Birkenau.
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King Charles is making history today as the first British monarch to visit Auschwitz-Birkenau, joining European royals and world leaders to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the concentration camp’s liberation in Poland.
The King will be accompanied by the monarchs of Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Spain.
The commemorative ceremony will take place at the Auschwitz-Birkenau museum and memorial, specifically in front of the gates of the former Nazi concentration camp.
