The Auschwitz Jewish Center (AJC), located in the town of Oświęcim, Poland—just minutes from the site of the former Auschwitz concentration camp—has announced the addition of kosher food options and prayer services. These new offerings aim to support the needs of Jewish visitors making the emotional and spiritual journey to one of the most infamous Holocaust memorials in the world.
A Town Erased by History
Before the Nazi occupation, Oświęcim had a significant Jewish population. Jews made up over half the town’s residents, with dozens of synagogues, kosher eateries, and communal institutions. That vibrant life was wiped out when the Nazis built the Auschwitz death camp on its outskirts—a place where over one million Jews were murdered during the Holocaust.
Today, the town is home to a single restored synagogue: Chevra Lomdei Mishnayot. Next to it sits the Auschwitz Jewish Center, which works to preserve the memory of the Jewish community that once lived in Oświęcim while providing resources for those visiting the nearby memorial site.
Kosher Meals for a Sacred Journey
As part of its expanding services, the AJC is now offering shelf-stable kosher meals to visitors for a small fee. For observant Jews, this offers a meaningful and respectful way to maintain kosher dietary practices while engaging in Holocaust remembrance at Auschwitz-Birkenau.
The rollout of kosher meals is timed ahead of Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, observed this year on April 23. It coincides with the March of the Living, an annual international event in which thousands of participants march from Auschwitz to Birkenau in tribute to victims of the Holocaust.
Prayer in the Town’s Last Synagogue
The AJC is also reinstating prayer services in the Chevra Lomdei Mishnayot Synagogue—the only surviving synagogue in Oświęcim. These services offer Jewish visitors a rare and powerful space for spiritual reflection and connection as they process the weight of the Holocaust’s legacy.
Preserving Memory, Supporting Visitors
Leaders at the Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation say these new services reflect a commitment to honoring the memory of the past while supporting the Jewish present. Offering kosher food and opportunities for prayer ensures that Jewish travelers can maintain their traditions while visiting this site of profound loss and remembrance.
Meal reservations, prayer service schedules, and guided tours can be coordinated directly through the center for those planning visits to Auschwitz and Oświęcim.
