More than a decade ago, the Bay Area’s philanthropic community played a major role in the completion of a Polish institution that continues to give the world a new understanding of Jewish history and also solidifies the revival of Jewish life in Poland.
In September, on the 10th anniversary of the grand opening of Warsaw’s POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews, I had the honor of leading a California delegation to participate in the three-day celebration.
Our group included two of our sons and other board members of Taube Philanthropies, of which I am the president, together with academics and other museum donors.
It was an occasion to remember, celebrate and advance the vision and perseverance of a group of Bay Area philanthropists, led by Tad Taube, my husband and the Taube Philanthropies chairman, who worked tirelessly with scholars and leaders in democratic Poland to reshape the historical narrative by highlighting a millennium of Polish Jewish experience and achievement.
Tad left Poland as a child in the summer of 1939 — just before the start of World War II. He grew up in the United States but always treasured his Polish Jewish roots. Through his philanthropies, he chose to make his personal legacy a public one, and our family proudly stands with him.
Our trip to Warsaw allowed me to see the power of community collaboration in action. The creation of the museum was a huge challenge and required the efforts of many institutions and individuals both in the U.S. and abroad.
A solid foundation was laid by donors like Ronald Lauder and Sam and Tzipi Tramiel, Poland’s Ministry of Culture, which subsidized the building of the museum; the city of Warsaw, which donated the land; and a worldwide community of scholars and curators who rethought how to bring alive the thousand years of Polish Jewish history and culture.
As the building rose on its foundations, a pressing need emerged for funding to create the imaginative exhibitions and educational programs that would soon make POLIN the talk of the museum world. This is when the Bay Area philanthropic community stepped in, with $20 million of finishing money that filled the beautiful building with life and excitement.
The Bay Area philanthropic community’s keen awareness of the power of shared memories and of informing future generations spurred their united efforts to build this majestic museum. The many Bay Area visitors to the museum each year attest to its continued support, and the multitudes who come from around the world affirm its mission. Most important are the school children from across Poland and the European Union and the high school and college students from across the United States, who come every season and whose understanding of the Polish past includes a rich 1,000-year Jewish history.
Taube Philanthropies helped lead the effort to fund this new symbol and embodiment of Jewish life and culture. Collaboration is at the center of our family’s philanthropic vision, especially in far-reaching initiatives such as revitalizing Jewish community and culture in Poland. We at the foundation are devoted to keeping Tad’s legacy fresh and alive. A worldwide community of Jews with Polish ancestry continues to collaborate with us and others to support Jewish life and institutions in the cities and towns of their family origins and travels.
That we celebrated POLIN’s 10th anniversary milestone against the backdrop of growing populism and antisemitism around the world is a reminder of the museum’s purpose and value as an antidote to hatred that has been too often directed at the Jewish people. It makes clear that history need not determine the future. It reminds us of the power of community and of joint action to fulfill a common goal, no matter how challenging. It also reminds us of the power of collaboration not only to cherish and build, but to protect ourselves against hostile ideas and forces that too often mark our world.
I hope this symbol of humane belief and action will serve as a model for other nations to follow as they shape their own cultural institutions. They will need patience and perseverance. It took 20 years, almost a generation, to build POLIN, but the process has strengthened the bonds of community among Jews everywhere. Tad’s legacy will continue to guide us as we move forward in advancing our hopes for a better world, a better future.