(New York, July 15, 2025) – The World Jewish Restitution Organization (WJRO) strongly condemns the recent desecration of Jewish heritage sites in Dukla, Poland. Over the weekend, vandals defaced a monument commemorating Holocaust victims located at the entrance to the Jewish cemetery with a swastika and the inscription “Palestine.” A nearby former synagogue was also defaced with a vulgar slur and a painted Star of David.

“These hateful acts are not only antisemitic, but they are also attempts to erase Jewish history and desecrate memory,” said Gideon Taylor, President, World Jewish Restitution Organization (WJRO). “Polish authorities must take swift and serious action to identify the perpetrators and ensure the protection of Jewish heritage sites in Dukla and across the country.”

“At the same time this cemetery was being desecrated, Poland is working on a national strategy to combat antisemitism. We strongly urge the Polish government to make the protection of Jewish heritage sites a prominent part of that strategy,” said Mark Weitzman, Chief Operating Officer, World Jewish Restitution Organization (WJRO).

The Jewish cemetery in Dukla, where the monument stands, is a historic site representing the once-thriving Jewish community that was destroyed during the Holocaust. The nearby former synagogue, also a remnant of that community, remains a visible and symbolic part of Dukla’s Jewish history.

These Dukla Jewish heritage sites are under the care of the Foundation for the Preservation of Jewish Heritage in Poland (FODZ), which was established in 2002 by the Union of Jewish Communities in Poland and the WJRO to protect and commemorate Jewish heritage sites throughout the country.

Photos of the cemetery after the recent defacement can be found here and here.