A Jewish physician in Kraków: Reflections on medicine, memory, and humanity

My journey to Kraków began long before I boarded a plane in Orlando.

From my home in Central Florida, I traveled thousands of miles to Kraków to attend the 2026 Congress of the European Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine. On the surface, it was another international medical meeting. In reality, it became something far deeper: a journey through history, memory, friendship, and the enduring bonds that unite people across nations and faiths.

As an observant Jewish physician, and as the son and grandson of Polish Jews whose lives were forever shaped by the tragedies of the twentieth c...