PolakwKanadzie
8 Feb 2011
Genealogy / Jewish Roots of Poland [638]
What a thread, let me just say that there is definitely a lot of anymosity towards Jews.
I come from a family of strong anti-semitic Poles. I recall one time a few years ago walking past a newly-opened Jewish restaurant in Warsaw, and asking my grandmother about this pretty enticing restaurant. "Pojebani Zydzie" and she spit into the ground with rage, that, quite frankly, I have never witnessed in anyone before.
I also recently found out her maiden name was Paryz. My father has black, curly hair, which is very unusual for a pole. My other grandmother, I suspect, is, too, Jewish. Both her parents were executed in the holocaust, and she was adopted as a small child. She's a "Catholic". Although she never goes to Church and doesn't celebrate Christmas. One of her ex-husbands' had the surname of Eiden, and was a pharmacist. She has black curly hair and is under 5 feet tall. She doesn't look Polish-- my mother said she's "Mongol". I called bull**** on that a long time ago-- PhD in Chemistry, and she happened to receive a "settlement" from the German government due to the war. I've never heard of non-Jews receiving **** all from the German government. I wasn't told much else. Her family was very wealthy from Lublin, which I have discovered recently was ~50% Jewish. She also coincidentally emigrated from Poland to Germany in the late 60's/early 70's, and has never returned since (right about the time the communists kicked out the remaining Jews). Nobody knows anything about my grandmother. The closest I've got was confronting my mother, who claimed I was full of **** and that indeed her family sheltered Jews. My mother also had me very young-- at age 18-- and gave me the middle name Beniamin, which is also a Jewish name. I'm quite sure my grandmother chose my middle name.
The fact is a very, very high percentage of Polish people have Jewish roots. It is bloody obvious, as hard as people may try to deny. And, I say, so what? It's interesting, but it doesn't really change much. Warsaw was nearly 40% Jewish. Lublin 50%, etc etc etc. One of my good friends, who hated Jews, was told by his grandmother recently that he's a Jew. He looks completely Polish.
Sigh. I am disgusted that so many Poles hate Jews. It is a very sad state of affairs. Poland has always been a tolerant nation, a model for democracy for over a 1,000 years.
If you're Polish and hate Jews, I say there is a >50% chance that you have a Jewish ancestor somewhere in your family tree.
What a thread, let me just say that there is definitely a lot of anymosity towards Jews.
I come from a family of strong anti-semitic Poles. I recall one time a few years ago walking past a newly-opened Jewish restaurant in Warsaw, and asking my grandmother about this pretty enticing restaurant. "Pojebani Zydzie" and she spit into the ground with rage, that, quite frankly, I have never witnessed in anyone before.
I also recently found out her maiden name was Paryz. My father has black, curly hair, which is very unusual for a pole. My other grandmother, I suspect, is, too, Jewish. Both her parents were executed in the holocaust, and she was adopted as a small child. She's a "Catholic". Although she never goes to Church and doesn't celebrate Christmas. One of her ex-husbands' had the surname of Eiden, and was a pharmacist. She has black curly hair and is under 5 feet tall. She doesn't look Polish-- my mother said she's "Mongol". I called bull**** on that a long time ago-- PhD in Chemistry, and she happened to receive a "settlement" from the German government due to the war. I've never heard of non-Jews receiving **** all from the German government. I wasn't told much else. Her family was very wealthy from Lublin, which I have discovered recently was ~50% Jewish. She also coincidentally emigrated from Poland to Germany in the late 60's/early 70's, and has never returned since (right about the time the communists kicked out the remaining Jews). Nobody knows anything about my grandmother. The closest I've got was confronting my mother, who claimed I was full of **** and that indeed her family sheltered Jews. My mother also had me very young-- at age 18-- and gave me the middle name Beniamin, which is also a Jewish name. I'm quite sure my grandmother chose my middle name.
The fact is a very, very high percentage of Polish people have Jewish roots. It is bloody obvious, as hard as people may try to deny. And, I say, so what? It's interesting, but it doesn't really change much. Warsaw was nearly 40% Jewish. Lublin 50%, etc etc etc. One of my good friends, who hated Jews, was told by his grandmother recently that he's a Jew. He looks completely Polish.
Sigh. I am disgusted that so many Poles hate Jews. It is a very sad state of affairs. Poland has always been a tolerant nation, a model for democracy for over a 1,000 years.
If you're Polish and hate Jews, I say there is a >50% chance that you have a Jewish ancestor somewhere in your family tree.