Central and Eastern Europe (CEE)

Central and Eastern Europe is an region, which includes Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Ukraine. It is one of the fastest growing economies in the EU. Poland is part of the Visegrad Group of countries which includes Hunagry, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic. Together these countries consist of an important voting block in European institutions. Israel ties with Eastern Europe continue to grow politically and economically.

The painful history of the Holocaust continues to have a significant impact on bilateral ties, including the recent controversy over Poland’s Holocaust law. In recent years, bilateral ties have grown and Jewish cultural revival in Poland has flourished. Many Israelis and Jewish communities around the world trace their roots to Poland and travel there to participate in educational programs.

Israel and Poland share substantial strategic interests, including a close relationship with the United States and cross-border security concerns. This shared outlook translates into close defense cooperation, intelligence sharing, joint military training and exchange of technology and expertise.

Trade relations between the two countries has grown rapidly, amounting over $1 billion in 2017 – a 10% increase over 2016. A growing number of Israeli companies and investors are active in the Polish economy, while Polish companies are forging partnerships in Israel’s high-tech economy.

ELNET in Central and Eastern Europe

ELNET Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) began first as a local office for Poland, and was expanded to include the entire CEE region in 2023. The office organizes senior delegations and cooperates with the Warsaw Security Forum bringing top Israeli experts and officials to the conference. ELNET-Poland sponsors the annual Poland-Israel strategic dialogues in partnership with the National Security Bureau of the Polish President.

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Professional Team »

Marta Kubica

Chief Executive Officer, ELNET CEE
Marta Kubica brings 15 years of professional and academic experience in Polish-Jewish and Polish-Israel relations. She spent ten years at the Embassy of Israel in Poland, where she supported the Executive Office in liaising with state and local government officials, business, academia, churches and the Jewish community. For the past two years, Marta served as Diplomatic Protocol Specialist at the U.S. Embassy Warsaw. She served as chairwoman of the Jewish Studies students’ association and established an academic exchange program between the Jagiellonian University in Krakow and Ariel University in Israel.

Anna Miszewska

Deputy Director, ELNET CEE
Anna Miszewska started her professional career working in a TV station, first as a journalist, then as a news editor. Since 2009, she has been associated with the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, and since 2010 with the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation, where she was responsible for international relations and fundraising. In 2015-2018, she was the General Director and member of the Foundation's management board. Then she took the position of director for development at the Association of the Jewish Historical Institute of Poland. She is a volunteer of the Refugees Welcome initiative, a member of the Program Council and the Audit Committee of the Congress of Women.

Joanna Olszewska

Executive Assistant & Project Manager, ELNET CEE
Joanna has recently returned from Switzerland where she has been working as a Global Program Manager for Hult/EF. She is a graduate of Collegium Civitas in Warsaw (BA) and the University of Haifa (MA in in diplomacy studies). Her educational background is in International Relations, Diplomacy, and Negotiations. During her studies, Joanna did an internship in the International Security Policy department of the Polish MOD. She also worked as a research assistant for CEPA (Center for European Policy Analysis). Her academic area of interest and focus was the nuclear relations between the West and East.

Sara Okinczyc

Project Assistant
Sara Okinczyc brings a wealth of experience to her role. For the past two years, she has served as an analyst at Santander bank, specializing in financial crime across the UK and Spain. Previously, Sara worked as an office manager in the IT sector. She is a graduate of the Business Management faculty. Sara's international journey began after high school when she lived in Spain, sparking her passion for diverse perspectives and global experiences.

Executive Board Members »​

Eric Edidin

Chairman
Marta Kubica brings 15 years of professional and academic experience in Polish-Jewish and Polish-Israel relations. She spent ten years at the Embassy of Israel in Poland, where she supported the Executive Office in liaising with state and local government officials, business, academia, churches and the Jewish community. For the past two years, Marta served as Diplomatic Protocol Specialist at the U.S. Embassy Warsaw. She served as chairwoman of the Jewish Studies students’ association and established an academic exchange program between the Jagiellonian University in Krakow and Ariel University in Israel.

Advisory Board Members »

Amb. Zvi Rav Ner

Born in Swidnica. In 1957, he immigrated to Israel with his parents. From 1969 to 1972, he served in the military, and from 1972 to 1976, he pursued studies at the Department of Media Communication and the Department of Hebrew Literature at Tel Aviv University. Since 1977, he has been associated with the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Throughout his extensive diplomatic career, he held positions in Helsinki, Bucharest, and London, including directorship of the Central Europe Department. From 2009 to 2014, he served as Israel's Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Poland.

Amb. Agnieszka Magdziak-Miszewska

Born in Warsaw (1957), Agnieszka is a prominent figure in Polish literature and theater studies with an illustrious career spanning both journalism and diplomacy. Her journey began with her association with the editorial board of the monthly magazine "Więź" in 1983. She assumed key advisory roles within the Chancellery of the Prime Minister and served as the chief advisor to the Prime Minister for Polish-Jewish relations. Her contributions extended to her role as a member of the International Auschwitz Council and as Poland's ambassador to Israel from 2006 to 2012. Notably, in 2012, she was honored with the Knight's Cross of the Order of Rebirth of Poland for her exceptional contributions to foreign service and diplomatic activities benefiting the nation.

Amb. Maciej Kozłowski

Born in 1943, Maciej is a distinguished historian, writer, and diplomat, Ambassador Maciej Kozłowski embarked on his diplomatic journey in 1990, serving as the Counselor-Minister Plenipotentiary at the Polish Embassy in Washington. He assumed the position of ambassador of the Republic of Poland in Tel Aviv from 1999 to 2003, contributing significantly to the bilateral relationship between the two nations. With an extensive portfolio that includes authoring numerous articles and books, he continues to contribute to academia as a lecturer at Collegium Civitas.

Piotr Dubno

Piotr Dubno graduated from Warsaw School of Economics, Finance and Banking faculty. He also holds a CFA Charter, MBA from the University of Minnesota and a Polish stock broker’s license. Throughout his carrier he held a number of executive as well as supervisory positions and roles, he has carried out his responsibilities in the fields of finance, sales & marketing and IT. He is a member of several professional associations, including the Polish Business Roundtable (PRB).

Marian Turski

Born in Druskienniki, Lithuania (1926), Marian Turski is a prominent Polish-Jewish historian, journalist, and social activist. He has dedicated his life to preserving the memory of historical events and advocating for social justice. With his experiences as editor-in-chief of the daily Sztandar Młodych and as the head of the historical department and columnist of the weekly Polityka, he has played a pivotal role in shaping public discourse. As a survivor of the Litzmannstadt Ghetto and the Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camp, he has contributed significantly to the International Auschwitz Council and currently serves as the Chairman of the Council of the Museum of the History of Polish Jews Polin in Warsaw.

Piotr Puchta

Born in Warsaw (1957), Piotr is a career diplomat, former Ambassador of Poland to Egypt, and Polish Representative in the Palestinian National Authority in Ramallah. Piotr served also as the director of the Africa and Middle East Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and represented Poland in the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA).

Konstanty Gerbert

With a journalistic career spanning over four decades, he has dedicated himself to covering Israel and the Middle East. His diverse experiences include serving as a university lecturer, a war correspondent in Bosnia, an investigator of the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide, and a supporter of free media in Russia and Ukraine. He was associated with the KOR and played a key role as a co-founder of the Jewish Flying University. He contributed as a journalist for the underground press. An accomplished author with 14 books to his credit, including "Final Solutions: Genocidaires and Their Work" (2022), and "Peace with a View of War: 75 Years of Israel," Konstanty is also a host of ELNET podcast, “The Overpromised Land”, first Polish podcast about Israel.

Contact Information »

Warsaw
E-mail: poland@elnetwork.eu

ELNET-CEE Website >>