This is the third time that long-term volunteers from abroad are helping us prepare for the festival, thanks to a grant from the European Union through the European Solidarity Corps and this year also with a support from the Mosaic Foundation

Elisha Offenbach-Bar

Dawid Wedekind

Hi! I’m Elisha, born and raised in Israel! For work, I host apartments on Airbnb. I never find myself bored in my free time, as I have many hobbies as well! I like to study philosophy, build computers, play video games – there isn’t a passing day I don’t spend at least a few hours listening to music! And I play the drums!

I decided to come specifically to the Jewish Culture Festival for multiple reasons! I had the pleasure of visiting Kraków during last year’s festival and I really enjoyed it! The atmosphere, the workshops, the performances, and the people involved in the festival – all were captivating, interesting, and super fun!

As this is my second time attending the festival and my first time as a volunteer, I find myself becoming more and more interested in the history of the city – and especially fascinated by its connection to my own heritage. Rabbi doctor Ozjasz Thon, a direct relative of mine, was a rabbi and preacher of the Tempel Synagogue, and that personal connection made me choose this very place to take my photo. Being here has deep meaning for me, and it adds another layer to my experience.

I’m hoping to learn even more about the history of Kraków, especially the Jewish community’s story, and I look forward to meeting fun and interesting people from around the world. I’m excited to see how a cultural festival like this comes together from the inside!

I don’t really have any concerns, I’ll be sad when it’s over!

I’m David, I’m from Krefeld, Germany. Outside of volunteering, I love going out with friends to cafés, museums, the cinema – basically any kind of activity. I also really enjoy sports. I usually go for a bike ride or a run every day. Right now, for example, I’m training for a half-marathon that I want to do together with my friends.

When I’m not spending time with friends or doing some kind of sport, I love reading a good book. I read a variety of books, not anything specific, just whatever I find interesting at the moment. The most recent one I read was the biography of Steve Jobs.

I decided to take part in the Jewish Culture Festival as a volunteer because I felt like I didn’t know much about Jewish culture itself, apart from what I was taught in school about the Holocaust in history class. I thought volunteering at the festival would be a great opportunity to learn more about the culture in all its dimensions. Somehow, I also feel a sense of responsibility for that as a German.

Apart from that, I thought meeting people from other nations and cultures who are coming to the festival as volunteers and visitors would help me broaden my horizons and learn more about different cultures and about myself.

I’m hoping to make a meaningful contribution to the success of the festival. I’m looking forward to meeting new people, which I believe will help me improve my understanding of other values and perspectives. Besides that, I hope that gaining insights into other cultures will encourage me to reflect on my own values and worldview. Obviously, I’m also expecting to deepen my knowledge of Jewish culture, especially here in Kraków.

One of my concerns is that I might meet people during the festival who aren’t entirely comfortable with me being here as a German. The other concern would be that I’ll witness anti-Semitic incidents during the festival.