Mirosław Reczko is a graduate in history and English philology. He is passionate about the history of the Ciechanowiec region. He served three terms as Mayor of Ciechanowiec. For over a dozen years Mirosław has been devoted to restoring the memory of the Jewish residents of the Białystok region through both academic studies and preservation of the tangible heritage of the local Jewish community. Taking into account that people seem to be more and more positive towards Jewish topics, I try to be very active in many corners of my province. We organize meetings, we talk with the people. When I studied in the United States, I had the honour to meet Professor Rabbi Richard Hertz, who was an absolutely unique figure within the community of American Jews. Aside from his activity in the religious sphere, he was also the builder of a beautiful temple in West Bloomfield. He also served as an adviser to US presidents, mainly to Dwight Eisenhower. It was in West Bloomfield that I have first come across the Yizkor Book of Ciechanowiec. Back then, I treated it as if it were one of the holy scriptures. It was something truly special. Years later, I was most happy to be able to participate in translating the book which will be published in Polish in a couple of months. At the same time, I collaborate with editors in the United States who are translating the book into English. My adventure with Memorial Books began precisely then, with the Book of Ciechanowiec. Being a historian, I am of the opinion that one should definitely rely on the facts. Whatever we read or hear in the media, both nowadays and back then, what we can come across in few scholarly publications, these are in the overwhelming majority people’s opinions, not at all based on facts. And even if they are based on facts, the facts are chosen in a very selective way. In order to be able to talk about what really happened, what took place over the long period when Jews resided in the Polish lands, during the Second World War, I am afraid we must search for the facts. Memorial Books are a true mine of such facts. To me, Memorial Books are vital also for purely practical reasons. It is not just about translating them and thus making them accessible to people, it is about inspiring the local community. Aside from the academic dimension, I am also interested in practical matters. These two buildings right here used to serves as synagogues before the war. According to the agreement signed with the Jewish community at a time when I was town mayor, both buildings were returned, or rather transferred to our local  Jewish community of Ciechanowiec and we gradually renovated them with the intent, as agreed with the Jewish community, to accommodate cultural institutions there.