Poland has been an important Jewish cultural centre for ages. Between WWI and WWII 3,5 million Jews lived in Poland, creating the largest Jewish community in Europe.

Jews’ connections with Poland are as old as Poland itself. First Jewish merchants arrived in Poland in the 10th century. Following the Crusades in Western Europe, Jews from Germany, Bohemia, Hungary, Spain, Portugal, Italy and Turkey moved to Poland. Jewish population could practice its religion and a Jewish parliament was established in Lublin in the 16th century. In the 18th century the Hasidic movement was born. The 19th and 20th century brought rapid development of Yiddish literature and Isaac Bashevis Singer, writer and Nobel prize winner, also of Polish origin.