People with Israeli flags attend the International March of the Living at the former Auschwitz Nazi German death camp, in Brzezinka near Oswiecim, Poland, May 6, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Kuba Stezycki

The Auschwitz Jewish Center (AJC) will begin offering kosher meals to visitors of the Polish town of Oświęcim (Auschwitz) starting next week, a move that will mark the first time kosher food will be available to purchase in the once-flourishing Jewish community and home to the infamous Nazi concentration camp since the Holocaust.

AJC’s offering of kosher food, plus the new addition of Jewish prayer services to its program, will start on April 23 — just in time for Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day (Yom HaShoah), which begins that night, and the 2025 International March of the Living pilgrimage. Tens of thousands of Jews from around the world participate in the annual walk from Auschwitz I to Auschwitz II-Birkenau, the Nazis’ largest death camp where 1 million Jews were murdered during World War II. This year’s march will take place in late April and run through early May.

AJC will offer shelf-stable, packaged kosher meals for purchase, for a small fee, beginning mere days after the conclusion of the Jewish holiday of Passover. Visitors who want to reserve meals, participate in tours, or attend prayer services can contact the Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation, which maintains the Auschwitz Jewish Center.

Before the Holocaust, more than half of the population of Oświęcim was Jewish and the city had over 30 synagogues, as well as kosher butchers, bakeries, and restaurants, according to the AJC. Today, the Auschwitz Jewish Center houses the last remaining synagogue in Oświęcim from the pre-Holocaust era. The center is a museum and an educational center dedicated to fighting hatred and bigotry by teaching lessons about the Holocaust from the very site of the most notorious Nazi concentration camp. Since its restoration and reopening in 2000, the center has seen more than 800,000 visitors.

“Opening the town’s first post-war kosher concession is a powerful reminder of the resilience of Jewish life in this city,” said Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation Director General Jack Simony in a released statement. “Our responsibility is to honor the legacy of the Jewish community that once thrived here and provide a space where visitors can learn about the past and experience a piece of that living history. This concession is more than just a place to eat — it symbolizes continuity, resilience, and hope for future generations.”

“As more and more visitors come to Auschwitz to learn about the Holocaust, many also choose to visit the Auschwitz Jewish Center,” added Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation Chairman Simon Bergson. “Opening the city’s first post-war kosher concession was a natural step, ensuring that Kosher-observant visitors could pray or reflect in our synagogue while also enjoying a kosher meal.”

The Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation also provides direct humanitarian aid to victims and survivors of mass atrocities and genocides, including Ukrainian refugees and those affected by the Hamas-led deadly massacre in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

Only one Jewish person reportedly lives in Oświęcim, 34-year-old Hila Weisz-Gut, and she works at the Auschwitz Jewish Center.