Opinion of Jewish revival in Poland

[woopeea]

You should see that video Alan:

watch?v=4rGAv2Je6o8

[Kwasny666X]

Polish people love people from israel... I'm jew living in Poland. This is very tolerate place for jew's

[alanheath]

@Kwasny666X I think the same!

[V8FordV8]

Catholic, Jewish, or Muslim...... A pole is a pole.

[alanheath]

@V8FordV8 I agree!

[hyperhumana]

Things american Jews are thinking about Poland are wery sad.

[AFRICA4AFRICANS]

Benjamin Freedman's 1961 speech ..youtube it

[KillaKowalski19]

i am very polish, and my grandfather won't tell my family about his family. I have realized that Poland was very Jewish in my grandparents time (he left during the Holocaust) . i have been researching the possibilities for my family that remains a mystery to me, and i realized that there is a huge possibility that he was jewish,and tried to hide his heritage to survive the holocaust. I welcome having jewish heritage, and if anyone has a comment on my situation, don't hesitate to reply!

[alanheath]

There are a lot of people in your position.

[AFRICA4AFRICANS]

@KillaKowalski19 ..you are jewish..yes but not the chosen people...but khazars..Benjamin Freedman's 1961 speech ..youtube it

[qopha]

@KillaKowalski19 It's curious to discover you have jewish ancestry. But if you lived all you life like a catholic pole, it you won't change who you are, even if you have a strictly matrilineal jewish heritage.

Anyways, if you're serious about researching about, a good place to start is a website called jewishgen.

[KillaKowalski19]

@qopha i hven't lived like a catholic pole at al...im not even baptized and haven't gone to church in over a year

[qopha]

@KillaKowalski19 Well, family history is often badly told and much information is lost forever from a generation to another.

There were jews who, even long before the WWII, started to live like the non-jews and even intermarry with them, part of then becoming regular poles, part of them staying jewish.

Certain polish-looking jews dropped for good their jewishness when they thought they had enough during WWII.

It doesn't help that most of the old documents were burned during WWII.

[TomJackson986]

jews.. i wouldnt go back there if i were you

[Musicofthissphere]

Me neither. I have watched some of the videos on here and these Poles are gross bunch. Did you see the video where they pet the Jewish statue on his big nose or where they scult cherubs of Jews, all with coins for good luck.Sick ignorant people these are. You couldn't pay me to sit next to these people in church

[SillyGrandpa]

This Jewish rabbi needs to understand that the destruction of the Jews in Poland was committed by the GERMANS !!! Hello !!! Get it through your heads once and for all !!!! When you get back to the USA and report to your Jewish congregations make sure you emphasize the fact that it was the GERMANS who committed the atrocities. The concentration camps on Polish soil were built by the GERMANS !!! The murders were committed by the GERMANS. There were no Polish concentration camps. They were GERMAN.

[alanheath]

And where does he say that it was not the Germans? Where does he say that the concentration camps were Polish?

[BratWody]

Some media say "polish concentration camps"  as a short cut maybe... or maybe not... :-)

[dudemantwo]

silly grandpa...what is your position on Jews?

silly grandpa...there were no Fascist collaborators in Poland?

[AFRICA4AFRICANS]

@SillyGrandpa ...germans..had a point...you khazars nearly destroy america.....holocaust?......pl­ease

[NativeNewYorkGuy]

@SillyGrandpa And antisemitism in Poland is as deep as the cult to Our Lady of Czetochowa.

[Gerzaj17]

@NativeNewYorkGuy And racism in USA is as deep as the kult to Super Bole for NuYorkors. Seriously perhaps you don't realize that Jews had the same rights as other citizens of pre-war Poland and they lifes and property were 1000s times better protected by Polish law and authorities then lifes and property of Blacks. I saw many photos of lynched Blacks among laughing white well dressed men women and children. Like after hunting with dead game. So if u want to blame a whole nation start yours first

[NativeNewYorkGuy]

@Gerzaj17 Yes racism did and does exist here in the USA, never denied it.

That however does not erase or make any less of the very deeply rooted Antisemitism of the Poles, its runs as deep as the cult of the Black Madonna of Czestochowa. That many actually collaborated with the Nazis in killing the Jews is well known. I'm not blaming a whole nation, a few Poles did save Jews but the vast majority welcomed their extermination.

[Gerzaj17]

@NativeNewYorkGuy No! Plz don't let us talk of human behaviour under nazi occupation. Another topic. Tell me how many there is and was mixed marriages btween White and Blacks (I hate the term Afroamerican :P). I hope in NYC more than f.e. in Alabama. In pre-war Poland it was quite normal, of course exept orthodox Jews and some of Poles. I don't deny there is Antisemitism here. When 2 groups of ppl live close to each other different biases are born. And mutual hatred too. Liking and indifference.

[Gerzaj17]

@NativeNewYorkGuy The collaborators were killed by underground state by the way. Poland is smthng like "democracy", the majority rules. Exmples of "antisemitism of Poles": Marek Borowski: former speaker of Sejm, one of most popular politician; Ludwik Dorn: former speaker of Sejm and home affairs minister; B. Geremek, A. Rotfeld (shoah survivors) former foreign affairs ministers. Few exmpls. The percentage of Blacks in USA is higher than Jwish decent ppl (not always declared thmslvs as Jews).

[Gerzaj17]

@NativeNewYorkGuy U know the antisemitism is a kind of racism it's obvious. In every large society there ur stupid wise biased naive brainwashed suspicious ppl. But Jewish antigoyism that we Poles meet from Israeli and specially American Jews is also kind of racism. As You probably know racists say: those Niggers (Polacks etc.) want to destroy us, our economy/culture/way of life so we must destroy them. Some of us buy this sick thinking. PS. I know spelling: New Yorkers Super Bowl Częstochowa :)

[BratWody]

Poland is NOT well known in american jewish communities. Poland has a bad PR there because not many american Jewish come to see that Poles are not Jew-eaters.

[dudemantwo]

Is Nadav an anti-Semite?

[BratWody]

Are the Jewish only Semites around the world? :-)

[AFRICA4AFRICANS]

@dudemantwo ..what is a semite...mr.ashkenazi

[ferdovit]

Jürgen Stroop wrote "When we invaded the Ghetto the Jews and the Polish bandits succeeded in repelling the participating units, including tanks and armored cars, by a well-prepared concentration of fire."The main Jewish battle group, mixed with Polish bandits, had already retired during the first and second day to Muranowski Square and was reinforced by a considerable number of Polish bandits". Another proof for legendary "polish antisemitism"

[Nadav34]

Jews accuse Poles and my people, Ukrainians of anti-semitism all the time. Its never ending!

[ferdovit]

The Holocaust Industry: is a book published in 2000 by Norman G. Finkelstein, which argues that the American Jewish establishment exploits the memory of the Nazi Holocaust for financial and political gain, as well as to further the interests of Israel. Finkelstein's parents were both Holocaust survivors who had been inmates of concentration camps :-)

[sukkot54]

a fair citation,

but it is curious to bring it up here, one wonders if ferdovit bothered to watch this video; its not about the holocaust, here the rabbi points out that most american jews are ignorant of what a beautiful country poland is.

look, you cant deny the historical reality of anti-semitism in christian history; but there is more to jewish history in poland than anti-semitism.

if there is a holocaust "industry" it in no way negates the reality of the holocaust or anything else.

[remedia1]

Ukrainians geve large number of People to SS Army. OUP and UPA murdered over 200 000 of civilians. It was planned masacte to kill other nations living in Volynia.

Nowdays Ukrainian nationalists build monuments of glory for bandits from Ukrainian Waffen SS! If you want to see the monuments of Hitlers visit Ukraine :(

[remedia1]

Jews from USA robbed Holocaust. It has never been their experience! Poles helped more Jews than "those frome Broolkyn".

[ferdovit]

What american Jews do for Jews in East Europe in 2 world war? Nothing! They even afraid making the films about holocaust it in the war times. In German-occupied Poland, all household members were punished by death if a Jew were found concealed in their home or property. This was the most severe law enforced by the Germans in occupied Europe and We Poles are on the first location on Righteous among the Nations list - 6066 righteous of polish ethnicity.

[sukkot54]

ferdovit understandably wants it to be appreciated by the jewish world, that all to often is full of derogatory stereotypes about poles and poland, the suffering of the poles under nazi occupation, the bright lights that existed in poland (righteous gentiles). this is very important.

plz see, too, the you tubes from menachem daum on this subject and his feature films.

[Nadav34]

Yes, I hate Russians also.

[alanheath]

For those that like to complain about the poor quality of my films this is your chance to have some input.

My Sony Cybershot - used for all films here but one - has given up on me. I do not want to buy a video camera - just a compact camera which I can carry around in my pocket.

What camera should I buy and why?

[fissiu]

LMB222 Jezeli brak wiedzy ,glupota powoduje strach ,obawe.. wniosek z tego.. ze im wieksza jest wiedza o "Narodzie Wybranym" tym wieksza nienawisc do niego tak jak w USA czy Kanadzie. Wyglada na to ze Im wiecej wiedzy tym nienawisc jest bardziej zrozumiala dla ciebie i tym gorzej ja zwalczyc. I tym trudniej pokazac ze osoba nienawidzaca nie ma racji. I nie wystarczy tylko pokazac ze nie ma sie rogow.

[UrsusC330]

hahahah, they came here to study history!? joke! they came to serch for some bussiness, cuz now you can make some in Poland.

[scarpia1965]

...if this ist the case, it's ok. Everyone will have some advantages.

[diana19666]

That is for sure!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[alanheath]

What evidence have you got that this person came to Poland to search for business?

[UrsusC330]

I said "they"! Trst me... if they are here it must be bussines.

[alanheath]

Yes, you said 'they' and Neil Katz clearly says that 'they' were looking at history.

[snowonweb]

It's all about history, when western europe prosecuted all jews, Poland knowing that jews do not have their own country, took the jews in. Many poles helped jews hide from gestapo but also many poles ratted the jews out, but overall I think Jews underappraciate what has Poland done for the jews in europe. Also a lot of jews went underground and changed to christianity during nazi invasion and these jews are just now reverting back to their original religion.

[alanheath]

Yes, I think in general that is it - people returning to their roots. Furthermore liberal Judaism has a very laisser faire attitude in the modern world.

[UrsusC330]

true

[kprzewozny]

I'm Pole and I'm ashamed to say that there are many anti-Semites in my country. They are very gaudy, much more than decent majority of Poles. For many of them Jews are responsibly even for hailstorms and whooping cough. In pre-war Poland 30% of citizens were Jews, they lived here from over 700 years. Germans murdered almost all of them.

[LMB222]

Don't overblow the anti-semitic question in Poland. It exists, but it's quite different. I've met more with stupidity and fear (due to lack of knowledge), rather than with real hatred (like in US or Canada). You see, fear is quite much easier to fight than hatred, because it's just enough to show that Jews don't have horns, do normal work (other than manual ;) and just live next to Poles.

[alanheath]

I would like to say how shocked I am at the amount of anti - Semitism I have seen on the web and it appears to be all coming from Americans. What I have witnessed as retorts to my videos on the Shoah on this site was a real eye opener.

[fissiu]

LMB222 Well it looks like .. if Poles had enaugh knowlege, less fear and they won't that stupid they should hate you like they do in US or Canada .. Guys I'm Polish I don't hate you I don't have fear... but I tell you something before you post something think twice .

[LMB222]

Spróbuj po polsku, bo nie rozumiem.

[Nadav34]

Bratik, ty rozumiyesh po-Ukrayins'ky? Zhydy tobi podobayut'sya? Ya zovsim ne lyublyu.

[LMB222]

Tak, Żydzi mnie się podobają, nie tylko dlatego, że jestem fizykiem.

[Nadav34]

Dlya takoyi prychyny zhydy tobi podobayut'sya? Chy be znayesh shcho v kozhnij krayini zhydy prozhyly, vony zh predaly uryada j narodu? Vony brudni obmanshchyky! zlovzhyvayut' vsikh zhydy, bo, na moyu dumku, nam povynni vykydaty z Krayiny! Zhydy nalezhat' v Izrayili, a ne i v Pol'shchi, i v Ukrayini, i tak dali..

Mozhemo kazaty todi - HET' ZHYDIVS'KOHO VIRUSA!

[LMB222]

W takim razie "Niet ukrainskiego wirusa!"

[Nadav34]

because they are the virus!

[LMB222]

Winners write history, not LOSERS!

You're one of the losers, so what shall you do other than shut up?

[Nadav34]

explain to me then why do Jews keep saying anti-semitism is so rampant in Poland today? Not really that I care, since I am Ukrainian, but I try to defend interests of Ukrainians, personally, I still think L'viv was original Ukrainian land and we now have it, but Poles and Ukrainians should be friends. Problem is here with Jews since they can still blame others for their mishappenings.

And one thing I hate is when Jews say oh, Ukrainians - they are geneitcally born anti-semites. Not true!!!

[LMB222]

Just be patient. Time will heal most issues.

I'm just back from a conference in Aachen, where I met a bunch of Israeli Jews. We approached them just like any other scientists (that is with losta beer and wine;), which seemed surprising for them.

I had a feeling they simply expected some negative feelings. They themselves have to work on it, not only you people.

[Nadav34]

I have been patient for quite sometime. But its not easy. Although my mother, a good-hearted Ukrainian catholic married a polish jew, I guess I have some jewish blood in me, though I blatantly deny it since I have been raised to not like Jews. But, I will take your advice. But, it is true that most Jews were communists during the rule of Stalin. Even one of my books in Ukrainian says that.

[LMB222]

Wow, your book in Ukrainian says it? It MUST be true then. After all, aren't most good books printed in Ukrainian?

Or was it Latin?

[Nadav34]

haha.. probably not, but I don't know.. I mean, my father is a Jew and my mother was a catholic.. so, I guess I have to learn more about Jews and JUdaism to get an understanding, but deep in my heart, I still have resentment towards Jews as I blame them for allowing Ukrainians to die in 1932-1933 during Holodomor. I have a 8 yr old child, and my wife is Belorussian... I am unsure what to raise him as, but I have told him how the Jews should be looked at. I wonder if its too late to undue it?

[LMB222]

Raise your child an atheist. That's what I'm doing. My children will decide on their own if they want to join a religion.

And as for Jews, you can blame them all you want (and you're probably right), but face it, what have Ukrainians (or Poles) brought to the world?

[Nadav34]

well, lets see.. teaching the world about our language, our culture, Pysanky- easter eggs and decorations - also showing the world that Ukraine fought the communist menace and now we are independent.

[LMB222]

OK, now compare the Jewish input in the development of the world.

Do it fairly, and you'll understand that it does not make sense to reject your Jewish ancestry.

After all, there are things in Ukrainian history one could be ashamed of, but you're not rejecting your Ukrainian background.

[Nadav34]

my jewish ancestry?? I have no such thing as far as I am concerned. Its just very difficult for me to accept Jews and to appreciate anything Jewish around where I am, since I have deep resentment towards the Jews and mostly Israel. And Ukrainians here would say the same thing.

[LMB222]

You make me realize Ukraine is waaaaay behind other European states, even easter European....

[POLAK1Nysa]

@LMB222 your ignorance is no excuse to slander people.

[00madcap00]

miszczu:) LMB nie obraz się ale polacy dali żydom schronienie, kiedy brooklińska rada żydów nie była jeszcze tak aktywna ;)

[jesaintlouis]

It is so strange being from America. Here there is very little antisemiticism. Why Nadav would you not love the Jewish part of yourself. I am proud to be Jewish and American.

[Nadav34]

I AM NOT JEWISH!!! My father is JEW.. my mother is Ukrainian Catholic and also her father and mother, of blessed memory fought in UPA and were apart of OUN= Organization of Ukrainian Nationslists and under Stepan Bandera and Shukhevych. I dislike judaism and pretty much jewish related stuff.

[remedia1]

Bandera and Shukhevych were nazi sh***

[alangleben]

The reform community in poland is slightly different though in its theology. Beit Warszawa in Warsaw beleive that if someone feels jewish, then they are Jewish, with very little in terms of conversion. Slightly different to most Reform or Liberal/Progressive beleifs worldwide.

[plukasz]

Are you joking? I don't know who told you this lie, but the truth is that convertion process takes at least one year in Beit Warszawa, including hebrew classes and ritual/ethic course, and of course circumcision and mikvah. No one is concidered to be Jewish if the person is not. Nonetheless the synagogue is opened to all Gentiles and people, who are just curious and would like to participate and learn about Jewish customs and teachings.

[jesaintlouis]

The American Jewish Reform stance is any one who considers himself Jewish, raised Jewish affirms his identity as Jewish Is Jewish

[Nadav34]

I regret my mother marrying a jew.. when she should have married a ukrainian or even a pole. Well, she did marry a Pole, but a JEW which I don't consider apart of Polish ancestry.

[jesaintlouis]

It is funny you would denigrate Jews and somehow hold the Ukrainaians and Poles to some high standard. How funny. The Jews are not responsible for the Ukrainian famine. Stalin is responsible for Ukrainian famine. I had heard that in Europe Jews are made scape goats for everything. I hope you are not representitive of all Ukrainians.

[Nadav34]

Listen, you not know history of Ukrainian famine. The Jews under stalin where part of NKVD and they would come in to Ukraine and terrorize peasants and finally they starved 7-11 million Ukrainians. I am not say all jews responsible, but most in USSR where Jews at the time that carried out most horrible crime against ukrainian people. And, yes I have more nationalist feelings for my own people than the jews.

[jesaintlouis]

Maybe so. Do you hate Russians? Since they are people which also participated in the cause of the famine. What About Georgians since Stalin was Georgian. The Jews did not cause the famine. There may have been some who benefited from it in ways just as there are other ethnic groups who also benefited as well.

[DonFredek]

thats the dumbest thing i heard

.

[DonFredek]

i meant nadav

[Nadav34]

You don't know your history, do you? How many "JEWS" were in the Communist Party of the USSR? And you have the nerve to tell me Jews not responsible for the famine? Who was Kaganovych? Who was Zinoviyev? Who was Kaminetz? And above all, who was Lenin? ALL JEWS.. Ukrainians are innocent people and those bastards killed many of our peoples. Forgive? I don't think so.

[remedia1]

In Communistic Party of the USSR were members with different orgins. Not only Jews ;)

Ukrainians are innocent people? Dont forgett about 22 000 Ukrainian soldiers in Waffen SS!

[Nadav34]

Not true. You mix Bandera with being anti-semitic. He wasn't. When will you jews stop blaming others for your hatred?

[sukkot54]

and who do you blame for your hatred, mr. nadav?

[alanheath]

Lenin was not Jewish - his father was a school inspector - a profession banned to Jews.

[NativeNewYorkGuy]

@Nadav34 What about the centuries of antisemitism the Jews endured in the Ukraine? No Jews died in the famine? None? What about the complicity of the Ukrainians with the Nazis in killing the Jews?

Ukrainians are far from innocent.

[RedsNMaduroMan]

@Nadav34 Jews suffered just as much if not more under communism. The religious communities were destroyed, the culture was pretty much banned, and MORE Jews than non-Jews percentage-wise were deported from the areas that the Soviet Union conquered. Those are facts. Jews who were Bolsheviks were traitors to their people.

[Nadav34]

Also, i think its waste of time try to revive(make live again) jewish community in Poland. I don't think it happen since no more jews in Poland, except maybe 3,000. Ukrainians, though maybe higher in Poland, esp in lower eastern poland.

[ellatb]

Very interesting. In North America there is a missconception that there are no more Jews in Poland.That is not the case.There are small communities of people who consider themselves Jewish and practise Judaism in cities like Cracow and Warsaw but there are also lots and lots of people who have Jewish roots but are assimilated. I actually know some presonally and they're really nice people. There are .It very good that the Jewish community in Poland is reviving.

[alanheath]

Thank you very much. The communities are now growing strongly. The reform Warsaw congregation is called Beit Warszawa and you can find information about activities on the internet.