Life / Being a Jew in modern-day Poland; Israeli Jew who is of Polish descent [279]

More positive news from Poland , hopefully strengthening Polish Jewish relations, and as always education is the key.

Holocaust survivor duo to perform in Warsaw.
The idea to bring the band to Warsaw comes from the From the Depths Foundation, which protects Jewish heritage in Poland. The foundation plans to set up an educational centre in Warsaw.

thenews.pl/1/11/Artykul/263536,Holocaust-survivor-duo-to-perform-in-Warsaw

Life / Being a Jew in modern-day Poland; Israeli Jew who is of Polish descent [279]

" older gentile Europeans whom I've met and spoken to at length are in my estimation "de-fanged" anti-Semites"
Then they won't be around much longer, it's the younger generation you need to look to in Poland, they are the future.

Life / Being a Jew in modern-day Poland; Israeli Jew who is of Polish descent [279]

Lyzko last visit 95!! that's 21 years ago, Poland was still emerging from being a closed state anyone different would draw attention.

"He continued that they suspected I was Jewish. "
But no one beat you or your friend up..

With your skill in the Polish language you should fit in well if you come and visit now, lots new to see and do since 1995.

I honestly do not believe you being Jewish will bring you any harm here today.

Please take a moment to read the article below, I am not the only " incurable optimist"

Poland is the safest place in Europe for Jews today
jewishjournal.com/opinion/article/poland_is_the_safest_place_in_europe_for_jews_today

Life / Being a Jew in modern-day Poland; Israeli Jew who is of Polish descent [279]

Tell me Lyzko how long ago was it that you lived in Poland as a jew? (Did you ever live in Poland)

Have you been to Poland recently and experienced hatred towards Jews?

There is more hate towards Jews in other EU countries, the UK for example where the opposition government appears to be taking an anti Jewish stance.

Life / Being a Jew in modern-day Poland; Israeli Jew who is of Polish descent [279]

"Dirty Jew!", "Filthy kike!" etc., Sorry Lyzko Take a look at who posts anti Jewish clap trap here on this forum, yes it's usually your American compatriots.

I have spent plenty of time living and working in the USA, when I lived in Texas all you would hear down the sports bar was anti Jewish anti black claptrap.

"indeed an incurable optimist, dolno! ", not really Lyzko , I live for and work towards a better future.

" but an incurable IGNORAMUS as wellLOL", Was that personal comment really called for,

Life / Being a Jew in modern-day Poland; Israeli Jew who is of Polish descent [279]

"life has moved on "

Exactly we have moved on from the past , I don't hate the Russian people although the soviets killed half of my family, I have no hatred for the Jewish people, and since my return to Poland over the last 3 years, I have not once heard anyone say anything anti Jewish.

Albeit I have had to listen to plenty of people on this forum picking on Jews but non of them appear live in modern day Poland.

Life / Being a Jew in modern-day Poland; Israeli Jew who is of Polish descent [279]

".I don't remember from my lifespan ever hearing anything anti Jewish in Catholic church."

Neither have I in my lifetime, here in Poland nor in the UK, for over some 50 years

Life / Being a Jew in modern-day Poland; Israeli Jew who is of Polish descent [279]

Lyzko It Just seems to me that most of the Jew haters on this forum don't live here.

Maybe it's also the case that people who live here are the minority on this forum I don't know, maybe the mod knows.

Life / Being a Jew in modern-day Poland; Israeli Jew who is of Polish descent [279]

"every Polish anti-Semite,"

It would be interesting if you did a list list of people who rant on about Jews on this forum who actually reside in Poland, then also do a list of those ranters who reside outside of Poland.

The result would be interesting.

"A great deal of this negative advertising"

Yeah a great deal of it happens here.

No tree can be judged solely by its rotten fruit; for every weed, there grows a blossom.

We need more blossom.

Life / Being a Jew in modern-day Poland; Israeli Jew who is of Polish descent [279]

What annoys me here is that so many posters who don't live in today's Poland rant on about Jews , how bad they are etc etc, yes the odd Rabbi may have been assaulted by the odd random lunatic skinhead, but assaults against minorities are not the norm here, I read more terrible things in the UK press, people die , Muslim guy got killed going to mosque for instance.

All this negative posting by people who don't live here just portrays Poland as some kind of hateful place that it is not, there are countries with bigger issues when it comes to race and religion , France Germany and the USA for a start,

Life / Being a Jew in modern-day Poland; Israeli Jew who is of Polish descent [279]

"I've heard people (usually older people) ranting out loud about particular ethnic groups "

Yep old gits who live in the past.

Life / Being a Jew in modern-day Poland; Israeli Jew who is of Polish descent [279]

"You do see that sometimes however it has its risks. ( kipa)"

For sure Saudi Arabia, Palestine or any Labour party event held in England

Life / Being a Jew in modern-day Poland; Israeli Jew who is of Polish descent [279]

Lyzko "mixed metaphors" notwithstanding"

Sorry you would have to explain all that to me I never paid attention in English class, I don't understand what a ""mixed metaphor" is although I have heard it mentioned before, I certainly cant be bothered to look it up on the internet.

For future reference I also do not know what a verb or adverb or vowel is .

But im ok with Cartesian products bodmas 345 and stuff like that.

Life / Being a Jew in modern-day Poland; Israeli Jew who is of Polish descent [279]

"Jewish" symbolism aka wearing a kipa outdoors, being seen in a schreimel and paeis in public

Lyzko I have absolutely no reason to lie to you, I have seen even individual Jews in the main town near my village wearing the kipa

Ok I don't know for a fact if some 80 year old bat may have said something bad to the guy down the road , but from what i saw nobody batted an eyelid.

Life / Being a Jew in modern-day Poland; Israeli Jew who is of Polish descent [279]

"I think that as dolnaslask said it is different generation"

We are that different generation , it was a different story during the bolshevic wars for instance when it was seen that certain sides were take by minority groups in Poland, pain anger and intolerance ensued, my grandfather lived and fought though those times.

BUT this is old history now , just the same as the war with Germany in WWII, Its OVER, the new generation of poles do not carry the baggage of the old days, this is the same for the young people of Germany today. we have moved on to a better future.

Only the random lunatics live in the past, and if they are not careful they will turn into a pillar of salt.

Life / Being a Jew in modern-day Poland; Israeli Jew who is of Polish descent [279]

"The latter I have on good authority" That is not good enough take it first hand from someone who lives here , see below.

We have bus loads of Jewish people in Silesia wombling round looking at the places where their family once lived, I have never seen or read about any trouble for Jews here , the local businesses are more than happy to have Jewish visitors, It is a nonsense to think that modern Poland is anti semitic, most poles under the age of sixty have never has a chance to know Jewish people let alone draw negative conclusions.

Law / Refused Poland's citizenship from Polish president, what to do now? [47]

" polish citizenship by president.is there any chance to get"

Not really to be honest, Unless you you have carried out some exceptional works to the benefit of Poland, or an exceptional family connection situation that would be hard to put through the normal channels.

News / Russian criticism of Poland - Soviet war memorial removal [332]

", I didn't mean to." I get your point now from your last post, and no offence taken.

I guess I am the result of two generations of Poles who have fought the Soviets, and have a strong imprint and detail of the damage that this has caused.

I have no problems with modern day Russians or Germans, Politicians are another matter, I can fully understand the younger generations wish to move forward in a positive way ,and indeed reconciliation is always a good way forward.

But when I see a monument that glorify s the soviet contribution to Poland it hurts on a very deep and personal level.

My wife said she likes some of the old statues and would have one in the back garden, maybe I need to lighten up, but this would be against a backdrop of the pain and loss that my family suffered at the hands of the Soviets, there lies my dilemma.

News / Russian criticism of Poland - Soviet war memorial removal [332]

BTW we used to call the palace of culture Stalin's house, my aunt used to tell my cousin to watch he didn't do anything wrong because Stalin would get him.

News / Russian criticism of Poland - Soviet war memorial removal [332]

"*I wouldn't do it to 'show the Soviets' but to make sure that even though we respect the fallen soldiers whatever nationality they are they were not the force freeing Poland but in fact occupying it "

I would agree with that.

"demolish Palace of Culture and in fact think it's a moronic idea

I see it casting a shadow of old Soviet oppression in Warsaw.

You have every right to your opinion that may differ to mine , I certainly would not try to demean you by inferring that you are moronic.

News / Russian criticism of Poland - Soviet war memorial removal [332]

" It's part of our history. Maybe with an information next to the monument reminding that Soviets occupied " Lenka I completely agree

See my posting #37 on this thread.

News / Russian criticism of Poland - Soviet war memorial removal [332]

"He was an officer in the Red Army."

He saw the light but he was Part of only a brave minority.

I think the mass bullets in the head at Katyn may have given a conscience to the soviets who were delivering the bullets, but as history shows it was all part of a days work for a soviet .

Why do we want statues that glorify the soviet action in Poland.

News / Russian criticism of Poland - Soviet war memorial removal [332]

But i'm not angry, I live in free Poland today, but it is important to remember the mistakes of the past, it is important not to glorify the tyrants with statues depicting them as the saviors of Poland.

Lenka your family was lucky.

30,000 Silesian men (the majority of which had German roots, some having partially Polish roots)[citation needed] were deported to Soviet mines and Siberia, most of whom never returned : Source Wiki.

News / Russian criticism of Poland - Soviet war memorial removal [332]

I am not saying all Soviets were rapists, but most rapes, Murders and robberies were carried out by soviet soldiers.

My thoughts on war graves stand as posted above.

Don't forget that Stalin was the most prolific murderer of civilians during that time.

So don't be surprised that the majority of Polish people don't want memorials that glorify the Soviet soldier.

Simple war graves are not a problem.

News / Russian criticism of Poland - Soviet war memorial removal [332]

Many here jump down the through of a holocaust denier (Rightly so) but are in denial themselves when it come to the Soviets, no way can the be compared to the allied forces who were complying (In the most part ) to the Geneva convention.

"An interesting description for the likes of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn."

How can that be he was not a Soviet, far from it, there were also Germans who were not Nazis.

In those days the Nazis and Soviets had the support of the majority of their countrymen.

Harry please stop making silly comparisons.

News / Russian criticism of Poland - Soviet war memorial removal [332]

Soviets having a picnic in East Germany , could be up to 2 million rapes.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rape_during_the_occupation_of_Germany

News / Russian criticism of Poland - Soviet war memorial removal [332]

" Do you think Nazis were sweet and helped old grannies ", that is a whole different kettle of fish / rats, I wouldn't mind debating, but we are talking about the Soviets here, nothing more than a marauding rabble of murderers.

Where are the graves of the murdered / disappeared in Poland during the purges after WWII, Russia should give up its records so the families can have some peace and a place to mourn and place flowers

News / Russian criticism of Poland - Soviet war memorial removal [332]

I don't have an issue with soviet war graves and statues of the fallen Russian soldier, if there was one on top of my hill I would tend it. In the same way the graves of the fallen are tended to at Casino.

I do have issues with any statue that glorifies the Soviets as some kind of saviors, especially officers that have subsequently been proved as war criminals.

I ask the question who tends the graves of my Family murdered in Siberia, is their any mark of their very existence left .

News / Russian criticism of Poland - Soviet war memorial removal [332]

"In Ireland we had loads of British statues that meant nothing to the people." Just symbols of empire and the oppression of the Irish people, same in Poland with the Soviets.

News / Russian criticism of Poland - Soviet war memorial removal [332]

Back in those days Britain had empire and all the wealth derived from it , the Russians had their vision of empire and Poland and its spoils would be part of that.

The Russian soldiers back in those days had the same vision, my father and Grandfather said the majority saw the war as a gateway to personal wealth, If you look further than the murder and theft in Poland look at Silesia where the rapped murdered and stole from the German civilians.

My Grandfather knew them well when he fought against them in the Bolshevik war in 1919, they gave no mercy, anyone who did not hold to their beliefs was to be put to the sword, just like Isis sound familiar.

Those who died far away from home had their pockets stuffed with stolen gold.

There were many cases in Silesia where Russian soldiers died after the war had ended, usually fighting over their ill gotten gains.