On 20-24 of August 75 years have passed since the greatest tragedy in the history of Kielce – the
liquidation of the Kielce ghetto where approximately 27 thousand Jews were forced to live. The Jan
Karski Society organized a two-day celebration, which commemorated the victims. It started with a
mass was celebrated on Friday, 25 August in the Capuchins’ church in Warszawska street in memory
of the victims. After the mass, candles were lit at the Menorah monument and then a performance
by young people from a theatre group operating at Stefan Żeromski theatre took place at the
Institute. The program, which consisted of memories of witnesses to the liquidation of the ghetto
and fragments of the Lamentations of Jeremiah, was developed by the young people themselves.
On Saturday, 26 August, a pilgrimage of 40 people to Treblinka death camp where the Kielce Jews
were transported murdered, took place. On the way to Treblinka, the pilgrims visited Polin Museum
of the History of Polish Jews. At the Treblinka death camp, Bogdan Białek, president of the Society,
made a speech and the pilgrims read fragments of recollections about the ghetto or prayed with
Psalms. The ceremony was led by a Pallottine, Jerzy Firczyk from the Karczówka monastery.
