Intercultural Polin Muzeum Ramadan Iftar Dinners

The Intercultural Ramadan Iftar Dinners are a beautiful evolution of a long-standing partnership and deep friendship between Dunaj Instytut Dialogu and the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews. Recognizing that fasting is a shared spiritual practice across the three Abrahamic religions, these events utilize the holy month of Ramadan as an open invitation to break bread, build bridges, and celebrate multiculturalism. In a true spirit of cooperation, the POLIN Museum generously covers the costs of the Iftar meal preparations, allowing POLIN staff and Dunaj volunteers to come together as one community to share these special evenings.

The events bring together institutional staff, collaborators, community leaders, and followers of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—including prominent figures such as the Chief Rabbi of Poland and the co-chair of the Polish Council of Christians and Jews. At the POLIN Museum, gatherings take place in symbolically rich spaces like the Fania Lewando room (named after the famous pre-war Polish-Jewish culinary pioneer), where Dunaj volunteers serve carefully prepared traditional dishes. Furthermore, this collaborative spirit extends beyond the museum's walls, as the POLIN Museum also sponsored the interfaith Iftar dinner hosted at the Jewish Community Center (JCC) Warsaw.

These gatherings matter because they transform a religious ritual into a lived experience of grassroots diplomacy and coexistence. Beyond sharing a meal, the program features intercultural workshops exploring shared values, live musical performances by interreligious dialogue bands, and the exchanging of handcrafted gifts. By gathering diverse communities around a single table—especially during challenging global times—this practice creates a tangible atmosphere of peace, breaks down mutual stereotypes, and powerfully demonstrates how diverse beliefs can unite under shared human values.