Bente Kahan was born in Oslo, Norway in 1958, trained as an actor in Tel-Aviv and New York and began her career in the classical theatres of Habima, Israel’s national theatre, and Nationaltheatret in Norway. In 1990, she founded Teater Dybbuk – Oslo whose aim is to convey Jewish-European culture and history through drama and music. In addition to full-scale works, Ms. Kahan often appears alone with her guitar or collaborates with European klezmer bands such as Gjertrud’s Gypsy Orchestra (Norway), Di Gojim (The Netherlands), Jowel Klezmorim (Germany), Sabbath Hela Veckan (Sweden) and Chudoba (Poland). Bente Kahan tours internationally and is repeatedly called upon to perform in connection with official commemorations paying homage to the victims of the Holocaust. Her work unfailingly receives critical praise by newspapers and audiences alike. Ms. Kahan is a major force in the cultural and Jewish communities of Wrøcław, Poland. The FBK foundation she established in 2006 aims to present Jewish culture and history to a large audience primarily in Wrøcław and Lower Silesia, Poland, and to renovate and preserve Jewish heritage in the region. Its first major project is to complete the renovation of “The White Stork Synagogue” in Wrøcław, a historical building from 1829, which Ms. Kahan was appointed Director of in 2005. After renovation, the Synagogue will include a Jewish Museum devoted to the history of the Jews of Wrøcław and the preservation of the rich heritage of the city’s decimated Jewish community. The Wrøcław Center for Jewish Culture and Education, also located in the Synagogue and administrated by FBK, organizes cultural and educational events year around, serving as a house for learning and culture, a place for tolerance and understanding and existing as a vital Jewish heart in the middle of Europe. In 2006, Bente Kahan received the Wrøcław Mayor’s Prize for her work.