MEDIA ADVISORY: FEBRUARY 25, 2013

MUSEUM OF THE HISTORY OF POLISH JEWS TO HOLD HISTORIC FIRST PREVIEW ON 70TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE WARSAW GHETTO UPRISING: U.S. DELEGATION TO ATTEND LED BY HONORABLE TAD TAUBE 

WHEN:         

April 18-19, 2013

WHERE:      

Warsaw, Poland

WHAT:         

On the 70th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, on the site where the Ghetto once stood, a major new cultural institution will open its doors for the     first time. On April 19, 2013, the Museum of the History of Polish Jews will hold a preview opening, offering the first public access to its distinctive architectural design and innovative exhibits, showcasing 1,000 years of Jewish life in Eastern Europe and Jewish contribution to Western civilization.

The Museum’s first media tour will be held on April 19 for accredited press.

World leaders including Israel President Shimon Peres and Poland’s President Bronisław Komorowski, together with Museum chief architect Rainer Mahlamäki, will participate in this historic event.

WHO:            

A U.S. delegation of 30 major donors and supporters co-hosted by the Taube Philanthropies and Koret Foundation of San Francisco, which together have provided the largest private donation to the Museum to date, will attend the preview.  Honorable Tad Taube, head of both Foundations and Honorary Consul for the Republic of Poland, will lead the VIP delegation.  Born in Poland, he escaped Warsaw as a child within weeks of the Nazi occupation.

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

• A special performance by the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Zubin Mehta conducting.
• Official public commemorative ceremony marking the 70thanniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, with two surviving Ghetto fighters honored.
• VIP preview of the new Museum, including a stunning replica of a 17th-century wooden synagogue, built using only authentic techniques and materials of the era.
• Concert commemorating the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising performed by Cantor Yaakov Lemmer of New York and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. The concert will take place in the Museum’s auditorium. 

MEDIA RESOURCES

• International press may apply for financial assistance from local Polish Embassies to support travel expenses.
• Advance access to experts, personal stories, and background information is available.
• A press center will be accessible in the Museum beginning on April 18.
• The City of Warsaw has set up a special website about the commemoration of the 70thanniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, which will be updated regularly: http://www.getto.waw.pl/lang/en
• The accreditation process is being conducted by the Press Department of the City of Warsaw and will begin in mid-March. Information is available at http://www.getto.waw.pl/press_and_media/lang/en 

ABOUT THE TAUBE FOUNDATION FOR JEWISH LIFE & CULTURE

The Taube Foundation for Jewish Life & Culture was established in 2001 by its founder and chairman, the Honorable Tad Taube.  Based in the San Francisco Bay Area and with an office in Warsaw, the Taube Foundation makes philanthropic investments primarily in the Bay Area and Poland, in scholarship, heritage preservation, arts and culture, education, and institution building. The Foundation is committed to collaborative giving for greatest charitable impact and actively partners with individual donors and other foundations. 

For additional information, contact Shelley Hébert shebert@taubephilanthropies.org or visit www.taubephilanthropies.org.

ABOUT THE KORET FOUNDATION

Since 1979, the San Francisco-based Koret Foundation, a private philanthropic organization, has invested over $500 million to strengthen the Bay Area region, Israel, and most recently, Poland.  Koret invests in strategic, collaborative solutions to leverage its grant-making dollars.  By funding market-based solutions to impact social policy issues, Koret is committed to supporting Bay Area anchor institutions, the Jewish community, and educational opportunities.

For additional information, contact Cathie Bennett Warner cathie@cbwgroup.net or visit www.koret.org.

ABOUT THE MUSEUM OF THE HISTORY OF POLISH JEWS

The Museum of the History of Polish Jews is a multimedia narrative museum and vibrant cultural center in Poland, the epicenter of world Jewry for centuries prior to the Holocaust and the ancestral home of the majority of Jews today.  Its distinctive glass and copper geometric structure, designed by Finnish architect Rainer Mahlamäki, faces the memorial to the heroes of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.  The Museum is the first public-private partnership of its kind in Poland: the Ministry of Culture financed the entire capital project; the City of Warsaw donated the land; and the non-profit Association of the Jewish Historical Institute financed the Core Exhibition and educational programs.

For additional information, contact Nitzan Reisner nreisner@jewishmuseum.org.pl or visit www.jewishmuseum.org.pl/en/cms/home-page/. 

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U.S. CONTACT: Shelley Hébert
shebert@taubephilanthropies.org
650-814-5611

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