Jewish Community Centre of Kraków

The Jewish Community Centre of Kraków (JCC) is a Jewish educational and cultural centre in Kazimierz, at ulica Miodowa 24. The building stands in the garden at the back of the Tempel Synagogue, in the part adjoining the neighbouring tenement houses. It is not a museum with a permanent exhibition, but a place where a contemporary community is active.

How the centre came about

During a visit on 12 June 2002 the Prince of Wales learned that the Kraków Jewish community needed a meeting place outside the synagogue. The initiative was supported by two international organisations: World Jewish Relief and the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee. Construction began on 14 November 2006, and the official opening took place on 29 April 2008 in the presence of the Prince of Wales and his wife.

What goes on here

The centre runs a seniors' club, the Hillel GIMEL programme for students, a club for young families, clubs for teenagers and for people in their thirties, and the FRAJDA nursery and crèche, opened on 4 September 2017. The calendar includes weekly Shabbat dinners, courses in Hebrew, Yiddish and Arabic, and workshops and lectures on Jewish history and traditions. According to the centre's website, its members come from many countries, from small children to people who survived the Holocaust. There is also a café, Cafe Hafuch.

Events open to guests

Regular initiatives include the annual 97 km Ride For The Living cycle ride, organised since 2014, and "7@nite Synagogues at Night", that is, evening visits to Kraków's synagogues. If you are visiting Kazimierz, a good complement is the Old Synagogue, and not far away stands Oskar Schindler's Enamel Factory.

Practical information

• Address: ul. Miodowa 24, Kraków, Kazimierz district.
• Check admission to events and opening hours on the centre's website jcckrakow.info before your visit.