In July 2025, POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews, in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland, launches a global network of remembrance dedicated to preserving and promoting the legacy of Polish Jews and their descendants. his initiative brings together Jewish museums, cultural institutions, and non-governmental organizations from around the world to ensure that this rich heritage remains a vital part of our collective memory.

This is especially important, as on June 26th we opened Bonds, an epilogue of POLIN Museum’s core exhibition. Bonds explores the enduring connections between Polish Jews and their descendants worldwide, emphasizing shared history, and identity. Furthermore, the international framework set up by these themes grants Bonds a unique position to dissect the ways in which the past and present remain intertwined. The gallery’s global themes align perfectly with our mission to foster international collaboration and strengthen ties between individuals and institutions committed to preserving Jewish heritage.

These collaborations will be founded on the mutual interest of all institutions of Jewish history and culture to preserve the rich, thousand-year history of Polish Jews, as Polish history is, inherently, Jewish history. Prior to the Second World War, Poland contained the largest Jewish population in Europe and the second largest Jewish population in the world. This population was decimated during the Holocaust, a tragedy that changed life for Jews everywhere. Presently, a significant amount of Ashkenazi Jews, who comprise a major proportion the global Jewish population, can trace their ancestry back to Poland. As the origin of such a significant amount of Jewish history, culture, and demography, the preservation of the history of Polish Jews is crucial to the protection of Jewish history at large.

Our vision goes beyond symbolic partnerships. We are creating a real, active network—one that fosters collaboration, knowledge exchange, and concrete action to ensure that the voices and stories of Polish Jews continue to be heard. 

Through this initiative, we will:

• Share expertise and best practices on the rich history of Polish Jews
• Facilitate intern exchanges and professional development opportunities to foster the next generation of individuals dedicated to the preservation of this history
• Work together on collections, genealogy projects, and digital archives such as the Virtual Shtetl to build an interconnected resource network
• Build and strengthen connections between institutions dedicated to the heritage of Polish Jews

We are proud to have the support of the Polish Foreign Ministry in building this alliance. Their vast network of embassies and individuals will help make interacting and organizing between partners easier and more streamlined.  The vast, shared Polish-Jewish history and dialogue is marked with many positive achievements, and even when concerning the darker and more painful chapters, POLIN and Polish Foreign Ministry remain committed to telling their story transparently.

We invite all organizations committed to the preservation and dissemination of the complex legacy of Polish Jews to join our alliance and help build an international community on equal terms. Our shared base of knowledge and the potential to expand it will enrich each other’s respective institutions in pursuit of our collective goal, while also safeguarding the heritage of Polish Jews against the rise of antisemitism and all other forms of racism and intolerance