The 29th Day of Judaism in the Catholic Church in Poland was celebrated this year under the motto: “Your people shall be my people, and your God my God” (Ruth 1:16).
The official observance of the 29th Day of Judaism in the Catholic Church, held on January 17th, 2026, commenced with a liturgical service in St Dorothy’s Chapel at the Church of St Catherine of Alexandria in Kraków. The assembled participants were formally welcomed by the parish priest, the Reverend Marek Krzysztof Donaj. Subsequently, an address was delivered by Ms Helena Jakubowicz, Chairwoman of the Jewish Religious Community in Kraków, who paid tribute to her late father, Tadeusz Jakubowicz, who had served for many years as the Chairman of the Community. She also expressed her sincere appreciation for the support extended to her and her family during times of difficulty, and conveyed her particular delight at the presence of His Eminence Cardinal Grzegorz Ryś in Kraków.
Cardinal Ryś presented the eighth point of the Ecumenical Charter, “Strengthening Relations with Jews and Judaism.”
„We are bound to the Jewish people by a unique and enduring relationship. Relations between Jews and Christians constitute an essential dimension of every Christian’s identity. The Jewish people are the people of the Covenant, whom God has never rejected; they remain the “beloved” and chosen people, “for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable” (Rom 11:29). They are our living and sustaining root (cf. Rom 11:18; 11:28–29). “From them, according to the flesh, comes the Christ” (Rom 9:5).
The Jewish people have never been replaced by the Christian Church; the Hebrew Scriptures have never been replaced by the New Testament; and the first Covenant has never been superseded by a new one. We recognize as a gift of the Holy Spirit the growing awareness of the profound bond that unites Christians and Jews. Together, we are able to read the Scriptures and to enrich one another through our respective interpretations.
We unequivocally deplore and condemn all forms of antisemitism, hatred, and persecution. We implore God’s forgiveness for anti-Jewish attitudes that have existed among Christians and humbly ask the Jewish people for reconciliation. Together with them, Christians are called to become guardians of the memory of the Jewish presence and heritage in Europe, which were destroyed and nearly erased by the Shoah.
We commit ourselves to the following:
• to oppose all forms of antisemitism and anti-Judaism within the Church and in society;
• to seek dialogue with the Jewish people and to intensify this dialogue at all levels, striving for cooperation and for joint Jewish–Christian initiatives in Europe and throughout the world;
• to deepen awareness of Jewish heritage within Christian theology and liturgy;
• to re-examine liturgical, catechetical, and homiletic texts in order to eliminate any forms of replacement theology;
• to renounce any institutional mission of a proselytizing nature directed toward Jews, while always remaining ready to bear personal witness to Jesus Christ.”
The participants then proceeded to the Higher Theological Seminary of the Archdiocese of Kraków, located at 8 Podzamcze Street, where a session entitled “Why Does the Catholic Church in Poland Celebrate the Day of Judaism?” was held.
As part of the programme, Sister Dr Tereza Huspekova and Dr Jakub Drath conducted an interview with the Metropolitan Archbishop of Kraków, His Eminence Cardinal Grzegorz Ryś.
The interview is available at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wfBLsmDhfw
On behalf of the Jewish Religious Community in Kraków, we wish to express our sincere gratitude for this meeting, which will undoubtedly mark a new chapter in our longstanding and positive relations. We extend our profound appreciation to the Metropolitan Archbishop of Kraków, who this year honoured the celebrations not only through his gracious words, but above all through his personal presence.
