Last Monday, we joyfully welcomed the year 5786 at the Kupa Synagogue, located at 27 Miodowa Street in Krakow.

The festive Rosh Hashanah dinners—celebrated on September 22 and 23, marking the first and second days of the Jewish month of Tishrei—brought together not only members of the Jewish Religious Community in Krakow but also many invited guests and friends of the Community.

As in previous years, we were honored by the presence of representatives from the U.S. Consulate General in Krakow. This year, we had the pleasure of celebrating alongside Stephanie Holmes, the Acting U.S. Ambassador to Poland and Chargé d’Affaires ad interim, as well as Gretchen Cureton, U.S. Consul General in Krakow.

Joining the celebration was also Mr. Artur Buszek, the Mayor of Krakow’s Representative for Non-Governmental Organizations.

We were especially pleased to welcome students from a Yeshiva in Israel and representatives from the University of the National Education Commission in Krakow, who added to the spirit of community and shared reflection.

These two days were filled with joy, meaningful traditions, and rich symbolism—each element expressing our hopes for a prosperous and sweet New Year. Among the most cherished symbols were

· shofar (horn), which is blown repeatedly, is meant to call the faithful to spiritual awakening and repentance.

· apple, challah bread, and carrot slices dipped in honey symbolize a happy and sweet coming year,

· pomegranate fruit symbolizes abundance,

· fish head – “may God make us the head and not the tail.”

Members of the Holocaust Survivors Community took part in a lunch organized by Gretchen Cureton, US Consul General in Krakow, on the occasion of the Jewish New Year celebrations.