Marysia Ambrozy has participated in a lot of events honoring those who helped Jews during the Holocaust, but a recent ceremony in Wroclaw, Poland, made her cry for all the wrong reasons. In May, two elderly sisters were recognized by Yad Vashem for helping their impoverished parents feed, house and hide nine Jews during the… More ▸
For anyone interested in European and Jewish history, “Fear” is essential reading, documenting the monstrously anti-Semitic environment to which Polish Jews returned, and then fled, after World War II. The historical text from Polish historian Jan Gross — who achieved fame several years ago with “Neighbors,” his account of the Jedwabne pogrom — is as… More ▸
Did you hear the one about the four rabbis? An American, an Israeli, a Swede and a Pole draw straws for positions, each hoping to get the congregation of their dreams. The good news: They all win. The surprise: They’re all going to Poland. That’s how the joke could easily go, but it’s not a… More ▸
Even a decade ago, almost no one could have predicted that Poland, of all places, would serve as a refuge for Israeli children. But a country that some Jews still think of as ground zero for European anti-Semitism is among the first in Central and Eastern Europe to sponsor a free getaway for young Israelis… More ▸
Handsome, articulate and full of sympathetic words for the “Jewish nation,” Polish Education Minister Roman Giertych is asked to account for years of anti-Semitic statements made by members of his party, the League of Polish Families. His indirect reply might be interpreted as a desire to obscure his party’s past, or an honest attempt to… More ▸
Political pandemonium erupted in Poland following an Israeli diplomat’s condemnation of Education Minister Roman Giertych, whose party has a history of anti-Semitism. Israeli Ambassador David Peleg told Israeli Radio last Friday in Krakow that Israel would not speak to Giertych or continue cooperating with his ministry on programs involving Israeli student visits or Holocaust education…. More ▸
Known at home as the farmer’s fanatical friend and known abroad for praising Hitler’s economic policies, Andrzej Lepper says he has been misquoted, misunderstood and misused. Yes, Poland’s deputy prime minister is a permanently tanned populist, former pig farmer and agricultural union chief who blockaded roads in 1990s protests, poured manure on local officials and… More ▸
Anyone who thinks the planned $58 million Museum of the History of Polish Jews doesn’t have the support of general Polish society might have to reconsider. Eleven leaders from the country’s top business and employer associations joined forces recently to announce their endorsement of the museum and to urge members to contribute financially. “For all… More ▸
Eleven years ago, at ceremonies marking the 50th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, misunderstandings between Poles and Jews ran so deep that even a rabbi’s desire to say the Mourner’s Kaddish reportedly disturbed some Polish politicians. In fact, there were so many debates over the tenor of the event that two separate ceremonies were… More ▸
Poland, the last country in the former Eastern Bloc to address restitution for individuals whose land, businesses and homes were confiscated by the Nazis and then the Communists, is coming closer to passing a long-awaited restitution law. A draft resolution that will be introduced to a parliamentary committee in June would, for the first time,… More ▸
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