About this talk

Before World War II, Warsaw was home to the world's second-largest Jewish community, after New York. Of the approximately three million Polish Jews murdered by Nazi Germany, many were from Warsaw and the surrounding region. After the war, many survivors left Poland, while others chose to stay. Some Jewish children were separated from their families, placed with Polish families or institutions, and grew up without knowing their Jewish heritage until adulthood.

Over the past 20–30 years, many young Poles have begun rediscovering their Jewish roots—roots that were often hidden by parents and grandparents who had survived the Holocaust. I am one of them, and I want to share my family's story with you.

As a city guide, I will also take you on a virtual tour of the surviving sites and traces of the Warsaw Ghetto and show you how Jewish life in Warsaw is being revived today.

About Łukasz

Łukasz Godlewski was born in Warsaw in 1982, and his family has lived in the city since the nineteenth century. He studied the Psychology of Intercultural Relations at SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities and volunteered with the Jewish Community of Warsaw and Polish Humanitarian Action.

Since 2013, he has worked as a city guide in Warsaw, after completing his training with PTTK, Poland's oldest guiding organization. In 2018, he became a licensed guide at the Royal Castle in Warsaw. He feels fortunate to share his passion for history, art, and architecture with people from around the world.