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In a first-of-its-kind museum, mezuzahs keep memories of pre-war Poland alive

JL;DR SUMMARY Helena Czernek and Aleksander Prugar run the Mi Polin Mezuzah Center in Warsaw, where they document mezuzah traces—indentations left in doorframes by Jewish mezuzahs in pre-war Poland. A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.

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Tags

HolocaustJewish HeritagePolandMezuzahMemory PreservationJudaica ArtPre War Jewish LifeMi Polin Mezuzah CenterHelena CzernekAleksander Prugar

Places mentioned

Warsaw, Mazovia, Poland
"At the Mi Polin Mezuzah Center in Warsaw, Helena Czernek and Aleksander Prugar have collected and documented nearly 200 mezuzah traces."
Lodz, Łódź, Poland
"Czernek and Prugar collect a trace in Lodz, Poland."
Krakow, Lesser Poland, Poland
"When Czernek first came across mezuzah traces in Krakow, she saw another opportunity for an art project."
Szadek, Łódź, Poland
"I spoke with Czernek and Prugar on Zoom multiple times over the course of their weekend excursion to Szadek, Bechatw, Pabianice, Skierniewice and d."
Bielsko-Biaa, Silesia, Poland
"A mezuzah made from a trace found in Bielsko-Biaa, Poland."
Ukraine
"On trips throughout Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, Belarus and Romania, they have collected more than 165 traces."
Lithuania
"On trips throughout Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, Belarus and Romania, they have collected more than 165 traces."
Belarus
"On trips throughout Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, Belarus and Romania, they have collected more than 165 traces."
Romania
"On trips throughout Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, Belarus and Romania, they have collected more than 165 traces."
New York, United States
"They have been displayed in museums in New York, Warsaw, Vienna and Krakow."
Vienna, Austria
"They have been displayed in museums in New York, Warsaw, Vienna and Krakow."

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Cairo Item ID 58864
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Retrieved 2025-08-08 05:30:48 UTC
Curated 2025-08-08 08:30:33 UTC