but on a personal level, that we can each say individually "I forgive you", and mean it.
I appreciate what you are trying to do, SB. To be honest, I've been thinking
about doing something to tighten the ties between Poles and Jews for a long time.
Like starting a local Polish-Israeli Friendship Association, promoting Jewish culture
and celebrating common Polish-Jewish history. Of course, it would be on a local,
very small scale, but if everyone worked locally on a small scale it might be
a beginning of something bigger. Who knows. I'm waiting for two of my friends
to finally come back from immigration and we will probably start something along
those lines.
But even if one can't (or doesn't have enough time to) actively promote Polish-Jewish
friendship, there's always something that can be done. Like subscribing to "Midrasz"
magazine for example...
midrasz.pl
...Ronald S. Lauder Foundation is withdrawing from Poland this year and "Midrasz" will
lose their financial support, so every little helps.
if you think the rift between Poles and Jews should be mended
I don't think there is a substantial rift between Poles and Jews. Sure, Poland still has
some anti-semtic Neanderthals and there are still those Jewish chutzpah boys in America,
but apart from that I think that both Poles and Jews are waiting for a revival of Jewish
life in Poland and re-establishing stronger Polish-Jewish ties. I strongly believe that it will
happen eventually.