Foundation History and Mission

The Jan Karski Educational Foundation grew out of the successful Jan Karski US Centennial Campaign, established in May 2011, which led to Karski being recognized by President Barack Obama on May 29, 2012, with America’s highest civilian honor the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which was bestowed upon Karski posthumously.

In the midst of World War II, Jan Karski was dispatched by the Polish Underground to inform Western Allies about the reign of terror in German Nazi-occupied Poland - including the ongoing slaughter of the Jewish population – and to seek intervention.

Karski’s courageous mission, against all odds in the darkest of hours, qualifies him as Humanity’s Hero. His testimony sets the record straight about what the world knew about the Holocaust when there was still time to act. His lifetime of service to humanity – as an emissary, as a distinguished educator at Georgetown University, and as a voice of conscience – places him in the first rank of world figures from the twentieth century.

In the fall of 2012, the Jan Karski Educational Foundation established two sister Foundations, one in the US and one in Poland, with a mission to instill in people - especially youth - the values of leadership, courage, and integrity, as exemplified by the life of Jan Karski.

To meet this mission, our tactics include advocating Karski’s extraordinary legacy with educational projects and public events, including:

• Promoting the award-winning graphic novel Karski’s Mission: To Stop the Holocaust and Karski’s wartime memoir Story of a Secret State as “must-read” materials in Holocaust, world and European history curriculums at the middle, high school and college levels;
• Providing support to a feature film Remember This, based on the original stage production Remember This: The Lesson of Jan Karski, created by The Laboratory for Global Performance and Politics at Georgetown University;
• Organizing a tour of the traveling exhibition about Karski’s life and mission The World Knew: Jan Karski’s Mission for Humanity;

• Sponsoring participation of young Polish talented scholars and civil servants in the Georgetown Leadership Seminar;

• Honoring those who demonstrate the values represented by Karski through their action with the annual Spirit of Jan Karski Award;

• Presenting worldwide the award-winning documentary Karski & The Lords of Humanity by Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Sławomir Grünberg about the courage and empathy of the individuals and indifference of the global powers towards the Holocaust victims;

• Organizing and participating in conferences and panel discussions to advance understanding and cooperation between Poles and Jews;

• Educating Americans about Polish history – particularly Poland’s contributions to the Allied effort in World War II.

Our work will continue as long as young and old seek inspiration about how to act with courage when conditions are at their worst, how to become messengers for truth and to act on behalf of oppressed peoples everywhere.

 Here's a brochure that explains the Foundation: jkef-brochure-2022.pdf 

Click the book cover to buy "Story of a Secret State" with 30% discount - use discount code TX10