July 10, 2026
July 10 marks the 85th anniversary of the Jedwabne Pogrom, when at least 340 Jews were burned alive in a barn by their Polish neighbors, incited by the occupying Nazi German forces, as confirmed by Poland's Institute of National Remembrance. Eighty-five years later, the atrocity remains a painful symbol of Poland's ongoing reckoning with Holocaust history—and a target for those seeking to distort it.
This year's commemoration, organized by the Chief Rabbi of Poland and the Jewish community of Warsaw, brought together senior Polish political leaders, diplomats, Holocaust remembrance officials, representatives of AJC, and survivors' families to honor the victims. Despite attempts by extremists to disrupt the event, the commemoration proceeded peacefully under police protection, allowing mourners to gather and pray. AJC thanked Polish law enforcement for helping ensure the safety of participants.
Yet the campaign led by extreme right activists to rewrite history continues. As they did during last year's commemoration, far-right activists again sought to disrupt this year's memorial while promoting Holocaust distortion. Boulders erected near the memorial site bearing false inscriptions that deny or distort the established historical record remain in place, and extremists have established a so-called "information center" adjacent to the memorial to promote Holocaust distortion. These developments follow a series of antisemitic incidents over the past year, including Holocaust denial and blood libel promoted by far-right Polish politician Grzegorz Braun, and come amid a reported 67% rise in antisemitic incidents in Poland in 2024. Together, they underscore the escalation of efforts to distort Holocaust history and intimidate Poland's Jewish community.
Here is what to know about antisemitism in Poland, the ongoing controversy surrounding Jedwabne, and what AJC is doing in response.
What Was the Jedwabne Pogrom?
The Jedwabne Pogrom took place on July 10, 1941, when at least 340 Jews were brutally murdered by their Polish neighbors. For decades, the atrocity remained little known. It gained national attention in the early 2000s following the work of historian Jan T. Gross.
The pogrom remains deeply painful because it demonstrates that, alongside the immense suffering endured by Poland under Nazi occupation, some individual Poles participated in the murder of Jews. AJC played a pivotal role in uncovering the truth about Jedwabne by supporting historical research, partnering with Polish civil society, and contributing to efforts that culminated in Polish President Aleksander Kwaśniewski's historic 2001 apology.
Parallel to years of public debate, scholarly research, and Kwaśniewski's formal apology, nationalist and far-right groups continue to deny or distort the historical record, making Jedwabne a flashpoint in ongoing debates over Holocaust memory, historical truth, and national identity in Poland.
How Is Holocaust History Being Distorted Today?
Efforts to rewrite the history of the Jedwabne Pogrom have intensified in recent years. During the 2025 commemoration, extremist groups erected boulders near the memorial bearing inscriptions that deny Polish participation in the pogrom, challenge the established historical record, and promote antisemitic narratives. The boulders remain in place and continue to serve as a gathering point for those seeking to undermine historical truth.
During this year's commemoration, extremists also erected a large cross bearing an inscription that builds on last year's installation of boulders, further reinforcing efforts to deny the historical record and spread antisemitic narratives.
In 2026, Holocaust distortion surrounding Jedwabne became even more organized. Activists associated with the Movement for the Defense of Poles established a so-called "information center" in shipping containers on land adjacent to the memorial. The installation disputes the findings of historians and Poland's Institute of National Remembrance regarding the participation of local Poles in the murder of their Jewish neighbors. One of the containers bears the slogan "The earth does not lie," referencing demands for renewed exhumations that proponents claim would overturn the historical record. Survivors' families have described the installation as a form of Holocaust denial and a deliberate attempt to desecrate the memory of the victims.
Holocaust distortion has also entered Poland's political discourse. Grzegorz Braun, a far-right Polish Member of Parliament and Member of the European Parliament, is under investigation after publicly denying the existence of the gas chambers at Auschwitz and promoting the antisemitic blood libel. In a radio interview, Braun falsely claimed that "ritual murder is a fact" and that the gas chambers at Auschwitz were "a fake." These remarks constitute Holocaust denial and the promotion of one of history's oldest and most dangerous antisemitic conspiracy theories.
Braun, affiliated with the nationalist Confederation party, has a long record of antisemitic incitement. In December 2023, he disrupted a Hanukkah celebration in the Polish Parliament by using a fire extinguisher to extinguish a menorah while calling the holiday "satanic." He has also disrupted Holocaust remembrance events and targeted Jewish community leaders.
How Have Poland and the International Community Responded?
The 85th anniversary commemoration demonstrated both the resilience of Poland's Jewish community and the commitment of many Polish leaders to preserving historical truth. Political leaders from across the political spectrum, diplomats, Holocaust remembrance officials, representatives of churches of different faiths, and AJC stood alongside the Jewish community in Jedwabne. Among the dignitaries in attendance were Minister Wojciech Kolarski and Professor Grzegorz Berendt, representing the President of Poland, Speaker of the Polish Parliament Włodzimierz Czarzasty, Speaker of the Polish Senate Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska, Members of the Polish Parliament, Israeli Ambassador to Poland Yaakov Finkelstein, and diplomats from several countries, including U.S. Department of State Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues Ellen Germain, Chair of Yad Vashem Dani Dayan, and Director of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Michaela Küchler. AJC was honored to accompany the family of Jedwabne survivor Shmuel Waserstein at this year's commemoration and in meetings with Polish government leaders. During the visit, AJC and the Waserstein family also met with Polish Justice Minister Waldemar Żurek to discuss the government's role in safeguarding historical truth, combating Holocaust distortion, and fighting antisemitism. Waserstein's postwar testimony became one of the earliest and most important eyewitness accounts documenting the pogrom. His family has called for the removal of both the boulders and the so-called "information center," describing the latter as a "denial museum" that desecrates the victims' memory and spreads historical falsehoods.
“The Jedwabne Pogrom is a deeply painful memory for the Polish people,” said Agnieszka Markiewicz, Director of AJC’s Shapiro Silverberg Central Europe Institute (CEI). “It is heart-wrenching that less than a century ago such a heinous crime was possible. But with that pain comes a responsibility. The Jedwabne Pogrom is a warning of what can happen when we allow antisemitism and hate to go unchallenged. The movement to deny these crimes is yet another example of why Poland must adopt a national strategy to combat antisemitism. Democratic Poland has already done the hard work of officially recognizing what happened on July 10, 1941. Now, just as the government confronted our difficult past, it is imperative that it takes action against those who would deny and distort history and spread antisemitism. We must preserve the massacre site as a place of mourning and memory and work to combat anti-Jewish hate and rhetoric whenever and wherever it appears.”
What Is AJC Calling For?
Many people throughout Poland remain deeply committed to remembrance, historical truth, and honest dialogue about a painful past. But continued efforts to distort the history of the Jedwabne Pogrom are not simply an attack on memory—they are a test of Poland's commitment to confronting antisemitism and defending democratic values.
AJC is calling on the Polish government to:
- Hold accountable individuals who distort Holocaust history and incite antisemitic hatred.
- Remove the boulders near the Jedwabne memorial that deny the historical record, dishonor the victims, and promote antisemitism.
- Remove the so-called "information center" that promotes Holocaust distortion and contradicts the findings of historians and Poland's own public institutions.
- Continue supporting open and honest examination of all aspects of Poland's wartime history.
- Adopt, implement, and enforce a comprehensive national strategy to combat antisemitism and foster Jewish life. AJC has already provided substantial recommendations to support such a strategy and continues to advocate for its full implementation.
As this year's 85th anniversary demonstrated, preserving the truth about Jedwabne requires continued vigilance. While Poland's democratic leaders have reaffirmed their commitment to Holocaust remembrance, ongoing efforts to distort history and spread antisemitism underscore the need for continued action. AJC stands in solidarity with Poland's Jewish community and all those committed to preserving historical truth and fostering Polish-Jewish dialogue and relations.
