Event program
The “Still Standing” project is an innovative undertaking aimed at using movement and dance as tools of commemoration, in which the body is treated as a living sculpture created in relation to the place. “Still Standing” aims to recall and commemorate places related to the common Polish-Jewish history. In the spring of 2024, a new edition of “Still Standing” took place, which consisted of organizing a series of educational workshops-sessions for Krakow youth and young adults, focused on the history of the former Jewish sports club Makkabi Krakow, which had a stadium in Krakow. The aim was to revive the memory of Krakow's Jewish past and its continued presence in the material and urban fabric of the city (the stadium currently still operates as the football stadium of the Nadwiślan Sports Team). Although few Krakow residents are aware of the history of the KS Nadwiślan stadium, its presence in the same place (with a continuous function) is unique in the context of Jewish heritage in Krakow, with most of the facilities no longer existing or having undergone a significant change of function. The commemorative activities at the former Maccabi Stadium site offered a novel approach to commemoration: “Still Standing” is a fleeting activity that aims to engage the community and create a social memory of the place, rather than leaving a permanent mark. It also draws on the secular Jewish past, avoiding the conventional and stereotypical representations of the Jewish community often found in commemorations that typically focus on religious Jews in traditional dress. Instead, it highlights the secular Jewish youth who were active in the sports club.
In preparation for the main event, we hosted a promotional event on March 21, 2024. This was a one-hour session with educator Miriam Singer, during which over 150 young people could ask any questions they had about Jews and Judaism. The event aimed to raise awareness and engage young people in the themes of the “Still Standing” project, as well as to address questions about the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
The project involved six organizations: FestivALT, KS Nadwiślan, Makkabi Warszawa, Cricoteka, the Zapomniane Foundation, and the Urban Memory Foundation. KS Nadwiślan expressed interest in the project and actively participated in it, providing space for workshops and supporting recruitment by distributing information about the activities to its members. Makkabi Warszawa, a post-war iteration of the Jewish sports organization in Poland, also became a partner in the project. The project is part of initiatives supporting national and ethnic minorities and regional languages by building awareness and memory of a shared history, as well as those aimed at breaking stereotypes and counteracting racial and ethnic discrimination.
KS Nadwiślan Stadium / former Makkabi Club
