In 2016, the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), an organisation with a membership of (then) 31 countries – including Poland – developed and formally adopted a working definition of antisemitism. It is a valuable educational tool to combat hatred discrimination, and counter antisemitism in Poland and the world.

By opposing racism, antisemitism, xenophobia, and the denial of genocide, we collectively uphold the memory and truth of the Holocaust and oppose those who undermine it. We call for social and political engagement in countering antisemitism and Holocaust denial. Only through decisive action will future generations understand the causes of the Holocaust and reflect on its consequences and oppose antisemitic ideologies.

The events organised on National Independence Day, which took place in Kalisz on November 11, 2021, were a public manifestation of antisemitism. As part of the celebration of this important holiday, a copy of the Kalisz Statute of 1264, granting rights to the Jewish community, ensuring their safety and freedom of religion, was burned. Public propagation of hatred against the Jewish community in Poland shows how important it is to counteract antisemitism.

Therefore, we, the undersigned, representing Jewish organisations in Poland, express our support for the non-legally binding working definition of antisemitism of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA):

„Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.”

To guide IHRA in its work, the following examples may serve as illustrations:

“Manifestations might include the targeting of the state of Israel, conceived as a Jewish collectivity. However, criticism of Israel similar to that leveled against any other country cannot be regarded as antisemitic. Antisemitism frequently charges Jews with conspiring to harm humanity, and it is often used to blame Jews for “why things go wrong.” It is expressed in speech, writing, visual forms and action, and employs sinister stereotypes and negative character traits.

Contemporary examples of antisemitism in public life, the media, schools, the workplace, and in the religious sphere could, taking into account the overall context, include, but are not limited to:

• Calling for, aiding, or justifying the killing or harming of Jews in the name of a radical ideology or an extremist view of religion.
• Making mendacious, dehumanizing, demonizing, or stereotypical allegations about Jews as such or the power of Jews as collective — such as, especially but not exclusively, the myth about a world Jewish conspiracy or of Jews controlling the media, economy, government or other societal institutions.
• Accusing Jews as a people of being responsible for real or imagined wrongdoing committed by a single Jewish person or group, or even for acts committed by non-Jews.
• Denying the fact, scope, mechanisms (e.g. gas chambers) or intentionality of the genocide of the Jewish people at the hands of National Socialist Germany and its supporters and accomplices during World War II (the Holocaust).
• Accusing the Jews as a people, or Israel as a state, of inventing or exaggerating the Holocaust.
• Accusing Jewish citizens of being more loyal to Israel, or to the alleged priorities of Jews worldwide, than to the interests of their own nations.
• Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, e.g., by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor.
• Applying double standards by requiring of it a behavior not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation.
• Using the symbols and images associated with classic antisemitism (e.g., claims of Jews killing Jesus or blood libel) to characterize Israel or Israelis.
• Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis.
• Holding Jews collectively responsible for actions of the state of Israel.

Antisemitic acts are criminal when they are so defined by law (for example, denial of the Holocaust or distribution of antisemitic materials in some countries).

Criminal acts are antisemitic when the targets of attacks, whether they are people or property – such as buildings, schools, places of worship and cemeteries – are selected because they are, or are perceived to be, Jewish or linked to Jews.

Antisemitic discrimination is the denial to Jews of opportunities or services available to others and is illegal in many countries.”

• Recognizing that criticism of a particular policy or practice of the Israeli government does not have to be antisemitic if it is based on the same standards that apply to the governments of other countries:
• we will use the IHRA definition, including in training and education, as a tool to engage and educate policymakers, law enforcement, educators, and leaders of non-Jewish communities;
• we will encourage the use of the IHRA definition as a guide for teachers, judges, prosecutors, and law enforcement officers to identify antisemitic activity or determine whether an alleged act was motivated by antisemitism;
• we will be guided by the definition in our work and the work of the organizations we represent.

Signatories (in alphabetical order in the Polish language)

American Jewish Committee Central Europe

Jewish Community Center – JCC Warsaw

Jewish Community Center in Krakow

Prof. Moses Schorr Foundation

Hillel Poland Foundation

Puszke Foundation (Fundacja Puszke)

Maccabi Warszawa

Michael Schudrich – Chief Rabbi of Poland

„Children of The Holocaust” Association

FestivALT Association

Association of the Jewish Historical Institute of Poland

Association Jewish Combatants and Victims of World War II

Social and Cultural Association of Jews in Poland

The Board of the Union of Jewish Religious Communities in Poland on behalf of:

Jewish Community in Bielsko-Biała

Jewish Community in Gdańsk

Jewish Community in Katowice

Jewish Community in Kraków

Jewish Community in Legnica

Jewish Community in Łodź

Jewish Community in Poznan

Jewish Community in Szczecin

Jewish Community in Warszawa

Jewish Community in Wrocław

Beit Polska – the Union of Polish Progressive Jewish Communities in Poland

Lauder-Morasha School

Jewish Association B’nai B’rith in Poland

Jewish Association Czulent