This June, I will be traveling to Poland and challenging myself to ride 60 miles/97 km from Auschwitz-Birkenau
to the JCC in Kraków's Kazimierz neighborhood (the old Jewish section) during the 2025 Ride For The Living.
This year’s ride is particularly poignant year as it is the 80th Anniversary of the liberaton of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camps. It is also taking place at an extraordinary moment now with continued hostilities in Ukraine and Israel and an increased need to combat antisemitism in our own communities -- in Europe and North America.
And yet, there is a thriving Jewish community in Kraków, right in the shadow of one of the biggest atrocities in human history.
Today, JCC Kraków is a beacon of hope, reconnecting Jews to their culture and community.
I am so incredibly excited to support this organization as I embark on the
10th Annual Ride For The Living!
Money raised during Ride For The Living will provide necessary support to the Jewish Community Center of Kraków, which serves as the focal point for the revival of Jewish life in Poland.
With over 1,100 Jewish members, including a Senior Club with
60 Holocaust survivors, a Hillel with almost 70 members, and the FRAJDA Preschool & Nursery, Kraków’s Jewish community is flourishing.
Additionally, in the last three years, JCC Kraków has been a key partner in providing humanitarian assistance to over 400,000 Ukrainians, 98% of whom are not Jewish and hundreds of displaced Israelis after October 7 attacks.
I hope you will consider helping make a difference in the lives of hundreds of Jews in Kraków who deserve the opportunity to flourish in a vibrant, welcoming, and modern Jewish community. I would be very grateful for your support.
PS - For royal fans, Prince Charles was the royal founder of the Kraków JCC in 2002 and, as king, he continues as the patron; his latest visit was in January 2025 at the commemoration ceremonies for the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau.