Month: October 2015

Everyone smiles in the same language

The NDS Community in Cracow The community of Cracow was founded in 2004. November 10th was the official date of the beginning of the community of “Our Lady of Sion” – „Notre Dame de Sion” in Cracow, given in the letter of welcome by Cracow’s Cardinal Franciszek Macharski. Sr. Ania (from Poland) and Sr. Anne Denise (from France)  started together the new community in Cracow. They started to work with Christian people to show them the Jewish roots of Christianity in different ways. They prepared spiritual retreats in the Center of Dialogue and Prayer in Oswiecim as well as in different parishes in Poland. Also in the community house there are regular meetings. Sr. Ania taught religion for 7 years in different high schools of Cracow. One of these schools was for a protestant community. It was an occasion to start with young people. This community is also a place of formation for our Congregation. For some years it was a Novitiate house for the European Region. Now the community is very happy to welcome …

Cracow and the Jewish Community in Poland

My name is Alejandra and I am from Guatemala. I am having an apostolic experience in Krakow. I read some books and visited some of the synagogues and the Jewish quarter in Krakow and I am a volunteer in the Jewish Galicia Museum. First of all I would like to explain about the history of the first Jews in Krakow. The first Jews who arrived in Polish territory were merchants. They were fluent in Arabic, Persian, Greek, Spanish and “Slav” languages and their arrival occurred simultaneously with the formation of the Polish state. One of them was Ibrahim Ibn Jacob, the author of the first extensive account about Poland. Interestingly, the very first mention of the name of Krakow (Karako) comes from him. The influence of the Jews in Poland was brought about mostly by their persecution in Western Europe, which increased during the crusades. The first Jews arrived in Poland in 1097 or 1098 from Prague and Germany. In the middle of the 14th century they had occupied 35 Silesian towns. Regarding the social …

“Just to be.”

July-September 2015 For our longer apostolic experience (5 months), I am helping in the Ein Karem guesthouse, volunteering in caring for the Migrant’s children in the Kehila (the Hebrew- speaking Catholic Community in Jerusalem), as well as visiting some of the Filipino families in Jerusalem who are bringing their children to the Kehila. In addition to my apostolic experience I have been studying Modern Hebrew for the past three months. I also had the opportunity to participate in some of the classes in the English Biblical program during the month of September, where we focused on the gospel of Matthew. Having the opportunity to do my apostolic experience as a member of the Apostolic Community in Ein Karem has taught me many things. Living in Ein Karem while doing my volunteer work in the guesthouse and in the Kehila, as well as studying Hebrew, enabled me to realize that the essence of ministry/apostolate and mission is love, mercy, compassion, commitment, sharing life, sharing meals, walking with people, befriending them, and service. Furthermore my apostolic experience …