A Hanukkah celebration was instead held in the lower house of parliament, the Sejm, on Monday, attended by Poland’s Chief Rabbi Michael Schudrich and, among others, the US ambassador to Poland, Thomas Rose.
"There is no place for hatred or antisemitism in the Polish Sejm," said Polish parliamentary Speaker Włodzimierz Czarzasty, a left-wing politician, during the ceremony.
Among those critical of Poland's president was Michał Szczerba, a member of the European Parliament from the Civic Coalition (KO), who said Nawrocki’s decision showed him to be “a hostage to the radical electorate,” pointing to the influence of far-right figures such as Grzegorz Braun.
Braun has previously put out Hanukkah candles with a fire extinguisher and has repeatedly faced penalties for antisemitic acts and for spreading Holocaust-denying fake news.
The tradition of lighting Hanukkah candles at the Presidential Palace was initiated in 2006 by Lech Kaczyński, also backed by PiS, and was maintained by all subsequent presidents regardless of political affiliation.
Warsaw, 21 December 2008. President Lech Kaczyński (left), Alon Simhajow (center) and Poland’s Chief Rabbi, Michael Schudrich (right). Photo: PAP/Radek Pietruszka
Warsaw, 3 December 2013. President Bronisław Komorowski (left) and Poland’s Chief Rabbi, Michael Schudrich (right), during a Hanukkah candle-lighting ceremony at the Presidential Palace. Photo: PAP/Paweł Supernak
Warsaw, 11 December 2023. President Andrzej Duda (right) and Poland’s Chief Rabbi, Michael Schudrich (left), during a Hanukkah ceremony at the Presidential Palace. Photo: PAP/Marcin Obara
Karol Nawrocki is the first head of state in nearly two decades to depart from the practice.
The decision also prompted comment from Poland’s foreign minister and deputy prime minister, Radosław Sikorski, who asked on social media whether the PiS leader would now “stand up for his brother’s legacy,” referring to Lech Kaczyński, who died in the 2010 Smolensk air disaster.
The controversy has unfolded against the backdrop of recent antisemitic violence abroad, including a deadly attack during Hanukkah celebrations in Sydney on Sunday.
Thomas Rose, U.S. ambassador to Poland, speaking during the Hanukkah ceremony in Poland's Sejm on 15 December 2025. Photo: PAP/Albert Zawada
Commenting on the massacre, Ambassador Rose wrote that the story of Hanukkah “isn’t just a Jewish story,” but one about defending identity and freedom, warning that antisemitism spreads when it is excused or appeased.
Sikorski responded publicly, assuring the US ambassador that most Poles respect other faiths, particularly Judaism, which he described as part of Poland’s spiritual landscape for a millennium.
Quoting Pope John Paul II, he added that antisemitism is incompatible with Catholicism.
Rose responded to Poland's top diplomat, emphasizing that his message was strong and appropriate, highlighting that the vast majority of Poles respect other faiths, including Judaism, and praising Saint John Paul II as one of the most outstanding and noble leaders of the 20th century.
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Source: IAR/PR24/X/@sikorskiradek/@TomRoseIndy