San Francisco, Krakow celebrate sister-city partnership

Thursday, July 9, 2009 | by

San Francisco and Krakow, Poland signed a new sister-city agreement July 2 at Krakow’s town hall, completing a partnership orchestrated in part by Bay Area philanthropist Tad Taube.

The signing ceremony at Wielopolski Palace was attended by Taube, S.F. Polish Consul General Christopher Kerosky and Matthew Goudeau from San Francisco’s Office of Protocol.

 

Among the Polish dignitaries present was Krakow Mayor Jacek Majchrowski, who signed the document along with Taube and Kerosky. The event ended with an evening reception for 150 guests.

 

The partnership officially was announced in April. Those involved said they hope the relationship will help foster business, civic and cultural links between the two cities.

The ceremony attendees also included many members of the San Francisco Jewish and secular communities, including the Krakow-born Taube, who is an honorary consul for the Republic of Poland; Daniel Sokatch, CEO of the S.F.-based Jewish Community Federation; Jeffrey Farber, CEO of the Koret Foundation; Shelley Hebert, public affairs director for the Stanford Hospital and Clinics; and Shana Penn, executive director of the Taube Foundation.

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom was originally scheduled to attend, the San Francisco Chronicle reported, quoting Taube as saying “[but] his schedule got fairly tight because of his political plans and the baby.”

The ceremony was one stop on a 10-day Poland Jewish Heritage Tour, a trip organized by the Taube Foundation for Jewish Life and Culture, of which Tad Taube is chairman.