Jewish, Polish American Leaders Discuss Divisions Between Them and Ways to Unite

Jews and Poles here recently buried a hatchet that was sharpened 800 years ago when Poland invited oppressed European Jews to establish a new community within its borders, an event which, according to one Jewish spokesman, began a “saga that has known the face of more than one tragedy.” The occasion was a meeting at the Sherman House of about 60 American Jewish and Polish American leaders to discuss the differences that divide the two ethnic communities and ways to bridge them. The meeting was jointly sponsored by the Polish-American Congress and the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith. A. Abbot Rosen, a spokesman for the conference, said neither group attempted to gloss over the prejudices each has against the other. But the meeting was described as signaling “a new epoch in the saga of Jewish-Polish relations” in this city.

According to Dr. Joseph Lichten, the ADL’s director of intercultural affairs, “Our communities owe it to each other to exchange information on all subjects, both negative and positive, which bear on their group relations.” He acknowledged that “some tenacious and real differences do exist,” of an historical and religious nature. One has been the casting of Jews in the role of Christ-killers. The problem was eased considerably by the Vatican 11 statement on the Jews which absolved Jewry of deicide. Lichten also rejected the widely held blue collar stereotype of Polish Americans. He said also that the events of World War II and varying claims of Jews and Poles about the Polish people’s role in the Nazi slaughter had engendered ill feelings. But, he observed, the Jews and Poles were often good neighbors in peace and allies in war. “They fought together against the Czars of Russia,” Lichten said.