OลWIฤCIM, Poland – The director general of the Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation has expressed concern following the release of a recent public opinion survey indicating rising negative attitudes toward Jews among some respondents in Poland, warning that the findings underscore the need for expanded Holocaust education and sustained historical engagement.
Jack Simony, Director General of the Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation, issued a formal statement responding to the survey, which measured public attitudes toward multiple social and ethnic groups in Poland and found an increase in unfavorable perceptions toward Jews compared with previous polling periods.
โRecent survey findings indicating rising negative attitudes toward Jews among Polish respondents are concerning and merit careful attention,โ Simony said in the statement released by the foundation. โThe poll also measures attitudes toward many groups, reflecting broader volatility in public sentiment shaped by current events.โ
Survey Findings Prompt Educational Response
While the survey examined attitudes toward several communities, Simony said the results relating to Jews require careful reflection rather than alarmism. He emphasized that shifts in public opinion often mirror broader social and political developments, including global conflicts and online discourse.
โPublic attitudes are shaped by contemporary events, by how history is understood, and increasingly by the online environments that influence public discourse,โ Simony said. โAt moments like this, education must deepen.โ
He noted that Poland today includes many educators, civic leaders, and institutions actively working to preserve Jewish heritage and uphold historical truth regarding the Holocaust.
โPoland is home to educators, civic leaders, and institutions working with integrity to preserve Jewish heritage and uphold the historical truth of the Holocaust, and the Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation is proud to partner with them,โ he said.
The Role of the Auschwitz Jewish Center
The Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation operates educational programs in Oลwiฤcim, the Polish town known in German as Auschwitz, where Nazi Germany established the Auschwitz concentration and extermination camp during the Holocaust.
The foundation maintains the Auschwitz Jewish Center, the last remaining synagogue in the town, and serves as the primary institution dedicated to preserving the memory of the once thriving Jewish community that lived there before the Holocaust.
According to the organization, more than one million visitors have toured the center. Over 300,000 students have participated in its educational programs, and tens of thousands of diplomats, military personnel, law enforcement officials, and educators have taken part in its tolerance and Holocaust education initiatives.
Simony said the foundationโs experience demonstrates that sustained engagement with history strengthens resistance to hatred.
โOur work in Oลwiฤcim shows that sustained, honest engagement with history strengthens resilience against antisemitism and other forms of hatred,โ he said.
Education Beyond Commemoration
Simony stressed that remembrance alone is insufficient without active educational leadership and long-term engagement.
โMemory is not sustained by commemoration alone; it must be carried forward through education and leadership,โ he said. โWe remain committed to expanding programs that bring Polish, Jewish, and international participants together so the lessons of the past continue to inform the present.โ
Holocaust educators increasingly argue that education must adapt to changing generations that no longer have direct personal connections to survivors. As survivor populations decline, institutions face growing responsibility to preserve historical understanding through structured learning and dialogue.
Humanitarian Mission and Global Engagement
The Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to applying the lessons of the Holocaust to contemporary challenges, including combating antisemitism and supporting victims of mass atrocities worldwide.
In addition to educational programming, the foundation provides humanitarian assistance to survivors of genocides and humanitarian crises. Its initiatives have supported Ukrainian refugees displaced by war and individuals affected by the October 7 Hamas attacks in Israel.
The organization says these efforts are designed to connect historical memory with present-day responsibility and to reinforce democratic values grounded in human dignity and mutual respect.
Broader Context in Poland and Europe
Observers note that discussions about Jewish memory and antisemitism in Poland remain complex, shaped by wartime history, national identity debates, and evolving political discourse across Europe.
Poland hosts numerous Holocaust memorial institutions and educational initiatives, yet periodic surveys continue to reveal fluctuations in public attitudes toward Jews and other minorities. Scholars say such changes often reflect broader societal tensions rather than a single cause.
Simonyโs response reflects a wider consensus among Holocaust educators that confronting prejudice requires long term educational investment rather than reactive measures alone.
Looking Ahead
The Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation says it plans to expand international partnerships and educational initiatives aimed at strengthening historical literacy and cross-cultural engagement.
โOur commitment,โ Simony said, โis to ensure that the lessons of the past continue to inform the present.โ
As debates over history, memory, and identity continue across Europe, the foundationโs message emphasizes that combating antisemitism requires sustained effort rooted in education, cooperation, and leadership.
For Simony and the institution he leads, the survey findings serve not only as a warning but also as a call to deepen engagement between communities so that historical understanding remains a living force shaping the future rather than a memory confined to the past.
