“For a few days, Krakow returned to its days of glory,” said one of the city’s elderly Jewish residents tearfully, upon witnessing the hundreds of rabbis filling its streets. Krakow—a city once rich with sages and scholars, graced by world-renowned rabbis and home to generations now resting in its soil—was nearly wiped out in the horrors of the Holocaust. This past week, it merited to host hundreds of rabbis from Jewish communities throughout Europe, who gathered for three days of Torah discourses and Rabbinic deliberations on the pressing challenges currently facing Jewish communal leaders across the continent.

The conference was held as a landmark celebration marking 25 years since the founding of the Rabbinical Centre of Europe— 25 years of devoted work, boundless dedication, and the strengthening of Jewish communities across Europe. A quarter of a century during which an impressive vision became reality, and the Centre was established, with Divine assistance, as a central pillar of Jewish life in Europe.

The RCE’s founding was inspired by the heartfelt request of European community rabbis, and with the endorsement of prominent Torah authorities and Chassidic leaders, past and present. Their vision was to create a central body that would unite the full spectrum of Jewish life under an umbrella of mutual support, offering both spiritual and material assistance. That vision has come to life and continues to thrive. Today, the Centre is a vital and influential force in the lives of Jews throughout Europe.

The historic conference was preceded by months of intensive preparation, as the RCE’s leadership invested extraordinary efforts into organizing the event at the highest standards, aiming to provide the rabbis with the most valuable tools to support their sacred mission.

To support this goal, prominent rabbis and lecturers from Israel and around the world were invited to give classes and lectures on key topics relevant to the rabbis’ important roles and responsibilities

A Series of Focused Sessions

On Monday, 28th Iyar, hundreds of rabbis from across Europe began arriving at the luxurious Hilton Hotel in Krakow. Just by way of example, from Ukraine—where no flights are currently available—dozens of community rabbis traveled by organized ground transportation on journey of over 15 hours to reach the destination!

Each rabbi was personally welcomed in the hotel lobby by CEO Rabbi Arie Goldberg, Vice President Rabbi Yossi Bainhaker, and Secretary of the Rabbinical Council of Europe Rabbi Avraham Abba Turezki. The event team ensured a smooth and comfortable check-in process, accommodating the rabbis in the hundreds of rooms reserved especially for them.

In the afternoon, the rabbis entered the elegant lecture hall, where each seat was prepared with an attractive folder containing the commemorative magazine “Vayehi BeChatzi HaYovel”, published specially for the occasion and featuring a wealth of fascinating articles on the past, present, and future. The folder also included a detailed conference schedule and additional materials for the rabbis’ benefit.

Opening remarks were delivered by CEO Rabbi Arie Goldberg, who warmly welcomed the hundreds of rabbis who had made the effort to come from all corners of the continent to take part in these uplifting days.

As a gesture of respect to the host city, the opening address was delivered by the Chief Rabbi of Krakow, Rabbi Eliezer Gur-Aryeh, who welcomed the rabbis on behalf of the local Jewish community. He expressed deep appreciation to the Centre for choosing Krakow as the location for the conference. In his remarks, he captivated the audience with highlights from Krakow’s glorious Jewish history and revealed previously unknown findings from his own research.

Following this, a series of sessions began, addressing a variety of topics relevant to community rabbis. Among the speakers were: Rabbi Yosef Ben Porat, Rosh Yeshiva of Ashrei Ha’ish and one of the founders of the teshuvah movement; Rabbi Zamir Cohen, Chairman of Hidabroot and Rosh Yeshiva of Avnei Nezer; Rabbi Shneur Ashkenazi, Rabbi of the Central Synagogue of Rishon LeTzion and senior lecturer; Rabbi Natan Rosen; Rabbi Shimon Schneebalg, Chairman of Gadleinu—an organization for at-risk youth; and others.

The highlight of the first day was the appearance by the Rishon LeTzion, Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef shlit”a, who delivered a special lecture on various halachic rulings and issues relevant to the sacred work of community rabbis.

The first day concluded with a festive dinner for the hundreds of rabbis. During the meal, remarks were delivered by: Rabbi Zamir Cohen; Rabbi Avraham Baruch Pewzner, Rabbi of the Lubavitch community in Paris, France, and member of the Rabbinical Council of Europe; Rabbi Yonasan Hool, Dayan at the Federation Beit Din in London; Rabbi Mendy Chitrik, Chairman of the Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States and Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Turkey; and Rabbi Yehuda Teichtal, Rabbi of the Jewish community in Berlin, Germany.

 

Heartfelt Prayers on the Eve of Rosh Chodesh

On Tuesday morning, the eve of Rosh Chodesh Sivan, the Hilton Hotel resembled a Jerusalem or Bnei Brak shtiebel. Shacharit minyanim were held in every corner, and after the prayers, all the rabbis made their way to the dining hall, where a royal breakfast was served.

The morning and early afternoon hours were devoted to a series of sessions and lectures on important topics, delivered by leading rabbis and lecturers.

After lunch, the rabbis traveled to the city’s Jewish Quarter, where they gathered in the historic Beit Midrash of the Rema. The entire area was filled to capacity with hundreds of rabbis. Minchah was prayed with deep emotion, led by Rabbi Eliezer Simcha Weiss, a member of the Chief Rabbinate Council of Israel.

Following Minchah, the rabbis proceeded to the nearby gravesite of the Rema for a communal prayer, where they also recited the heartfelt Tefillat HaShlah for the eve of Rosh Chodesh Sivan. They continued to visit the resting places of other Torah giants—such as the Bach, the Magen Shlomo, the Tosfot Yom Tov, the Megaleh Amukot, and others. At each site, chapters of Tehillim were recited for the salvation of both the community and individuals, with Rabbi Gur-Aryeh, the local rav, offering a brief account of each tzaddik’s greatness at their sacred resting place.

A particularly moving moment occurred at the new cemetery, where the rabbis prayed together at the gravesite of the holy Ma’or V’Shemesh. His grandson, the Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Kalman Bar shlit”a—who is named after him—delivered a short address on the teachings of this great tzaddik and spent several long moments praying fervently for both communal and personal salvation.

The First Mikvah Since the Holocaust

From there, the rabbis continued to a deeply moving ceremony—the cornerstone laying for the first mikvah to be built in Krakow since the Holocaust. The new mikvah will be constructed with significant investment and great splendor, supported in part by the Rabbinical Centre of Europe.

The ceremony took place near the site of the future mikvah, with police halting traffic on the street to allow hundreds of rabbis to attend. Alongside the rabbis of Europe, a special delegation from the United States also participated, including Rabbi Avraham Meir Schwartz, Chairman of the Mikvah Fund, which is a partner in the project; Rabbi Avraham Yehoshua Waldman, head of the “Mikvah Rema” organization; and its CEO, Rabbi Yaakov Hammer, who have played a key role in supporting the construction of mikvaot throughout Europe.

The event was opened by the city’s Rav, Rabbi Gur-Aryeh, who shared that, with Divine providence, after years of effort, the final approvals had been received just days earlier, allowing construction to begin. He expressed heartfelt gratitude to everyone who contributed to this major project.

Following his remarks, addresses were delivered by the Rishon LeZion, Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef, shlita, and the Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Kalman Bar, shlita.

At the conclusion of the speeches, the rabbis and guests were invited to lay the cornerstone, accompanied by the emotional singing of “Amar Rabbi Akiva – Ashreichem Yisrael” by the crowd—celebrating the return of Jewish purity and the restoration of a glorious tradition.

 

An Evening of Tribute and Celebration

In the evening hours, participants gathered in the elegant ballroom of the Hilton Hotel for a festive event marking a quarter century since the revival of Jewish communities across Europe through the founding of the Rabbinical Centre of Europe. The event was held around lavishly set tables and accompanied by stirring Chassidic melodies performed by renowned singer Reb Dovid Eisenstein and the orchestra of Reb Dudi Feldman. The evening was skillfully emceed by Rabbi Akiva Kamisar, Rabbi of the Israeli community in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Opening remarks were delivered by Rabbi Menachem Margolin, Chairman of the Rabbinical Centre of Europe, who offered praise and thanks to the Al-mighty for having sustained us and brought us to this day. He briefly reviewed the RCE’s illustrious history—founded by the great Torah leaders of our generation—and its many plans for continued development and expansion.

Rabbi Yirmiya Menachem Kohen, Av Beit Din of Paris and member of the Presidium of the Rabbinical Council of Europe, was then invited to recite chapters of Tehillim for the welfare of the Jewish People. Another Presidium member, Rabbi Yaakov Dovid Schmahl, Dayan of the Shomrei Hadas community in Antwerp, Belgium, was honored with making a siyum on Masechet Chagigah.

The keynote addresses were delivered by the Rishon LeTzion, Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef, shlita, and the Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Kalman Bar, shlita. Both praised the leadership of the Rabbinical Centre of Europe for their 25 years of selfless dedication to reviving Jewish life across the continent.

Rabbi Yaakov Biderman, Rabbi of the Heichal Menachem Synagogue in Vienna, Austria, and member of the Rabbinical Council of Europe, delivered greetings on behalf of European rabbis. In a captivating address, he shared memories of the past and spoke about the essence of a true Torah leader.

The guest of honor, community activist and advocate Rabbi Dovid Henig of New York, received a special award of recognition from the rabbis for his tireless support and far-reaching government advocacy in Washington on behalf of Jewish communities in Europe. He then delivered a heartfelt message of thanks.

Following the awarding of semichah certificates to graduates of the wedding and kiddushin officiation courses, the special event concluded very late that night. The rabbis retired for a brief rest—filled with inspiration, strengthened in spirit, and ready to continue their sacred mission.

The Heartrending Memorial Ceremony at Auschwitz

Eighty years later, the silence of Auschwitz remains unchanged. The tracks are the same. The ashes still rest in the soil. But this time—marching along the railroad tracks—were hundreds of rabbis from across Europe, carrying with pride the names of those who did not survive, responding with a thunderous silence: never again.

After three days and a series of moving events, the Quarter-Century Conference concluded with a powerful memorial ceremony marking eighty years since the end of the Holocaust. The ceremony took place in the vast courtyard of the Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camp, and it was attended by hundreds of rabbis and led by the Rishon LeTzion and the Chief Rabbi of Israel.

Before the ceremony, the rabbis—some of them second- and third-generation descendants of Holocaust survivors—toured the Auschwitz camp. Tears flowed freely as they walked among the barracks bearing witness to the atrocities and torture our brothers and sisters endured, Hashem yikom damam. Only a few, through Divine providence, survived to carry forward the eternal legacy of the Jewish people.

It was a heart-wrenching sight to see hundreds of rabbis walking together in sorrow along the long path of the death train tracks toward Birkenau, praying and singing aloud: “Let it be known among the nations before our eyes, the revenge of the spilled blood of Your servants,” until they reached the site between the two crematoria where the ceremony was held.

The event began with a stirring speech by renowned lecturer Rabbi Natan Rosen, who offered a faith-filled perspective on the horrors that took place in these camps—a site that stands on sacred ground, sanctified by the blood of two million holy martyrs who gave their lives for the sanctification of G-d’s name.

Rabbi Arie Goldberg, RCE CEO opened with chilling words: “Who can speak in a place like this? And yet, something must be said: Years ago, the world stood by and was silent. Right here—not far from where Jews were murdered for simply being Jews—the world was silent. Indifference kills.”

Rabbi Goldberg addressed the governments of Europe: “Eighty years have passed, and still, the world remains silent. In this dreadful place, we all raise a cry: Do not remain indifferent to attempts to pass anti-Jewish laws. Do not stand idly by when Jewish institutions face hostility, and open expressions of anti-Semitism echo in the streets. We have seen where indifference and neglect lead. We cannot remain silent! Eighty years later—the memory lives on, and the message is clear: No more silence. No more looking away.”

The Rishon LeTzion, Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef, struggled to find words in the face of such horror. “There is no word that can describe the feeling in this dreadful valley of slaughter. But we must rise above the pain and know that true revenge is to continue everything those cursed ones sought to uproot—to live for the sanctification of G-d’s name in the very place where our ancestors were murdered for it.”

The Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Kalman Bar—whose own family members perished here—choked up with tears. He compared the atrocities that took place here to those committed against Jews during the Simchat Torah War. He moved the audience deeply with a heartbreaking story of a young boy, on the eve of his bar mitzvah, who alone survived from his entire family and requested to wear his grandfather’s tefillin. The tefillin were rescued from the ruins of their home—because that is true remembrance.

Rabbi Michael Schmerla, Av Beit Din of Strasbourg and a member of the Rabbinical Council of Europe, completed a masechta in memory of the holy martyrs and recited Kaddish.

Following this, the Rishon LeTzion and the Chief Rabbi of Israel, together with ten rabbis representing European countries, lit memorial candles in honor of the kedoshim.

The prayer Kel Malei Rachamim was recited by Rabbi Simcha Steinberg, Rabbi of Eindhoven, Netherlands. The ceremony concluded with a powerful rendition of Ani Maamin, which echoed into the distance.

More Than a Milestone

At the conclusion of the memorial ceremony, the rabbis returned to their home countries—among them Romania, France, Belgium, Germany, and Spain—carrying a clear message in their hearts: The only response to hatred is continuity. Continuity of Jewish life, continuity of Torah institutions, continuity of a proud, courageous, and radiant Jewish presence.

Krakow’s ancient streets have not witnessed a scene like this since its Jewish community was consumed by fire and blood. On the sidewalks where Jews once walked in fear during the dark nights of decrees and horrors, now walked hundreds of rabbis—in broad daylight and with a sense of sacred mission. Krakow, once known as the “Jerusalem of Poland,” was again cloaked in a spirit of holiness.

They came from across the continent—from France, Romania, Belgium, Germany, and the former Soviet Union. Rabbis and Torah scholars, emissaries and spiritual leaders—who came to celebrate twenty-five years since the founding of the Rabbinical Centre of Europe and to proclaim to the world: “Judaism lives. Torah lives. And we—we are its torchbearers.”

This was not a conference of speeches alone, but a journey of restoration, of strength, of restoring honor to Torah in places that had fallen silent. Prayer at the gravesites of tzaddikim throughout the generations, the stirring cornerstone-laying ceremony for the first mikvah in the city since the Holocaust, and the emotional gathering that concluded the event at the Auschwitz extermination camp—turned these days into a resounding sanctification of Hashem’s name, one that will not soon be forgotten.

Twenty-five years of the Rabbinical Centre of Europe is not just a milestone—it is a call to action. In a place where they sought to erase—we will write anew. In a place that once fell silent—we now declare with a loud voice: We are still here—until Moshiach comes.