Born on 27th December 1951 in Krakow, Henryk Halkowski, son of Salomon, was a publicist specialising in the history of the Krakow district of Kazimierz. A long-time member of the Jewish Religious Community in Krakow.   Henryk Halkowski was a graduate of the Faculty of Architecture at the Krakow University of Technology as well as Philosophy at the Jagiellonian University. A passionate world traveller who lived in a kibbutz for some time. Henryk Halkowski’s intellectual legacy includes works like: Legendy z Żydowskiego Miasta na Kazimierzu pod Krakowem (Legends of the Jewish City in Kazimierz near Krakow), Opowieści rabina Nachmana z Bracławia (Stories of rabbi Nachman from Braclaw), Potęga obyczaju (The Power of Tradition), Żydowskie życie (The Jewish Life), Żydzi w Krakowie (Jews in Krakow), 700 lat historii…

Helena Rubinstein, called the Empress of  Beauty by Jean Cocteau, a multimillionaire and a feminine symbol, was born on 25th December 1872 in Krakow.  Helena was the eldest daughter of  Gitel and Herzl Rubinstein, who lived together with their extensive family at Szeroka 14/ 4. Their low social status and level of life were a source of embarrassment for Helena. She dreamt of a different life, thus at the age of 17, she left Krakow and vowed never to come back there again..Helena Rubinstein achieved an incredible global success. She can be called the mother of modern make-up products. At the time of her death, her net worth was approx.$100 mln.She was a muse for the top artists of her times. Helena Rubinstein was painted by Pablo…

Born on 22nd December 1926 in Podwołczyska near Tarnopol, Janina Ruth Buczyńska was a lawyer and a social activist, closely related to artistic and academic groups in Krakow. She recalled WWII as most Jews who survived it, namely as a horrific ordeal. After WWII, she found herself in Krakow where she graduated from the Faculty of Law at the Jagiellonian University.  Throughout her life Janina Ruth Buczyńska was closely connected with Piwnica pod Baranami. Her written works were published in the Krakow edition of ”Przekrój” . She was always willing to offer legal advice to the opposition activists. Moreover, Janina Ruth Buczyńska was an active supporter of  the Centre of the Jewish Culture in Krakow (Centrum Kultury Żydowskiej). Stanisław J. Jaźwiec recalls Ruth Buczyńska as a truly…

Born on 19th December 1820 in Pressburg (modern-day Bratislava), Szymon Schreiber was a rabbi of  the Jewish Religious Community in Krakow.  He held this position between 1861–1883. Schreiber was one of the first orthodox rabbis who took an active part in political life by co-founding an orthodx political party called Machzikej ha-Dat. As the party representative, he received a parliamentary seat at the Viennese Imperial Council and joined the Polish Party (Koło Polskie). Despite this, he was an avid opponent of the Polonisation process of the Jewish intelligence who, at that time, would eagerly join the University.   Instead, he wanted to set up a yeshiva in Krakow which would focus the youth more on religion. He opposed the construction of the Tempel Reform Synagogue.Szymon Schreiber  died on…

Born on 12th December 1880 in Krakow, Józef Kornitzer was the second last pre-war rabbi of the Jewish Religious Community in Krakow. He held this position between 1925–1933. A Pressburg (modern-day Bratislava) yeshiva graduate who worked as a rabbi in Wynohradiw, Czechoslovakia. In 1927, Polish president, Ignacy Mościcki visited the Old Synagogue. Józef Kornitzer was a grandson of Szymon Schreiber, a well-known Krakow rabbi (1861-1883). His own son, rabbi Samuel Kornitzer who acted a dayan, was murdered in Auschwitz.Józef Kornitzer died on 28th April 1933 in Krakow and was buried at the Jewish Cemetery at Miodowa 55.