Michael Shapot

This June, Chaye and I will be participating in the Ride For The Living, an incredible 60-mile journey from the darkness of Auschwitz-Birkenau to the light of JCC Krakow. We'll be riding alongside hundreds of participants from around the world in a powerful tribute to Jewish resilience and renewal.

Last June we visited Krakow and shared Shabbat dinner at the JCC.  We were surprised to learn that, just an hour from Auschwitz, Jewish life has been reborn and thriving for almost two decades. Today, 80 years after the Holocaust, JCC Krakow is home to 1,200 members, including 56 Holocaust survivors, dozens of young families, children attending the first Jewish preschool in Krakow since the war, and an entire movement of young people just now discovering their family's long-suppressed Jewish heritage.  This community’s strength reaches far beyond its gates: JCC Krakow has supported more Ukrainian refugees than any other organization of its kind in the entire world;  they’ve now supported over 450,000 Ukrainians since Russia’s invasion.

Before leaving Krakow last year we decided that, if we were able, we would participate inthe 2026 ride from Auschwitz, the site of unimaginable horror, to JCC Krakow, which has brought community, comfort, friendship and hope into the lives of so many.

Ride For The Living is JCC Krakow’s largest annual fundraiser, and is completely funded by the friends and family of participants.

In these tumultuous times, where anti-semitism is on the rise, we feel it critical to reinforce the JCC's mission of building and sustaining a vibrant, welcoming and compassionate community.

We are exceedingly grateful for your support.

Michael & Chaye