I will be as the dew unto Israel; he shall blossom as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon. (Hosea 14:6)

Israel Returns, an organization that aims to strengthen the connection between descendants of Jews and the State of Israel and the Jewish people recently brought sixteen young Polish Jews, many of whom have only recently discovered their Jewish roots, for a special seminar.

According to YNet, The participants, between the ages of 18-35, most of whom were raised Catholic, came from a variety of cities throughout Poland, primarily Krakow, Katowice, Warsaw, Lodz and Gdansk. For many it marked their first time visiting Israel.

“There is a growing thirst among young Poles with Jewish roots to learn more about their Jewish religious and cultural heritage,” said Israel Returns Chairman Michael Freund.

“This awakening would have been unthinkable just 25 or 30 years ago, but since the downfall of Communism, an increasing number of Poles have sought to reclaim and affirm their Jewish identity. We owe it to them to assist them in any way that we can.”

Freund added that “with the start of the new Jewish year just a few weeks away, it is fitting that these young Poles have come to Israel to rekindle their bond with the Jewish people. They represent the future of Polish Jewry, which despite decades of suffering and persecution is now beginning to thrive.

“There can be no sweeter revenge for what was done to us seven decades ago in Poland than to reconnect as many of these young Polish Jews as possible with Israel and the Jewish people.

The special program is run by Israel Returns’ Polish-speaking staff of Rabbis and teachers is designed to further educate the newly discovered Jews on their religious heritage as well as both ancient and modern-day Israel. Among the topics covered are the laws of Shabbat; the upcoming festivals of Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur and Sukkot; and the weekly Torah portion. They also enjoyed daily lessons in spoken Hebrew.

Today, there are approximately 4,000 Jews registered as living in Poland, but experts suggest there may be tens of thousands of other Jews in Poland who to this day are either hiding their identities or are simply unaware of their family heritage.

In recent years, a growing number of such people, popularly known as the “hidden Jews of Poland,” have begun to return to Judaism and to the Jewish people.