Genealogy / Jewish Roots of Poland [638]

Amathyst

Nice ;-)

But what I meant is an ethnic ghetto (I guess Jews had a right to choose their place of living in the country of freedom and democracy, or were they compelled there?):

"..Other ethnic ghettos were the Lower East Side in Manhattan, New York, which, until the 1990s, was predominantly Jewish..." (same source)

And of course I understand that Jews were conditioned this way through the centuries of separation. But we are talking about facts here - not a moral judgement.

The answer to your second question:

Not sure if the Muslim population in France consists of Algerians only, but yes.
Let's say: all the French citizens of Arabic or/and Persian descent that happens to be Muslims :-)

"...The Jews (Hebrew: יְהוּדִים‎), also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation..." Wiki

So yes, as far as Jews are concerned - religion is a nationality.

Genealogy / Jewish Roots of Poland [638]

LOL

all those domestic historians..;-)

Jews are generally very close society (see: [Ghetto]) so they didn't mix a lot with the rest of population and if they did - it happened mostly in the big cities.

They lived mostly in a large cities (with some exceptions of course - there were small towns populated mostly or only with Jews) and the most of Poles lived in small towns and rural areas before the World War II.

So, Jews were tolerated in Poland (not like in the 'European' countries that wants to teach us tolerance nowadays ;-)) but not to the extent that there were some kind of massive race mixing in Poland (besides like a said before Jews in Poland were a close society those days).

But I agree, some Poles have Jewish ancestors and some are Polonized Jews but they still consider themselves to be Poles (how many Turks in Germany truly consider themselves to be Germans? Or Muslims in France to be French? ;-))

Law / How much does the average Pole have in cash savings? [38]

Yup, I'm gonna buy a beer six-pack. It will increase in value when temperature goes high :-)

Genealogy / Polish-Ukranian roots and genes [72]


Nasty, but it's very likely.

Life / SOME OBSERVATIONS ABOUT POLAND AND POLISH SOCIETY [297]

In one of the previous posts Sun and Moon mentioned the condition of Polish public toilets...well, I live in London and I have to say that British public toilets are the mess. Of course if you find one that is. Most of the time you have to use the toilet in the nearest pub.

One more think - I used to rent a room in a Polish house with Polish family in northern part of London. Every room, kitchen, toilet in the house was extremely clean.

I couldn't say the same think about a British house where I used to live with Britons in the west London.

Law / How much does the average Pole have in cash savings? [38]

Not much. I live from hand to mouth. Studying and part-time working. My current savings are about £250, heh

History / Lusatian-Sarmatic obsession of Poles [153]

I can proudly call myself a Pole, even if I like to eat a lot of bratwurst/kielbasa/sausage prepared by my grandmother (small nobility banished from Lithuania by bolsheviks)

[honest question - is sausage was first made in Poland or Germany?]

Do you think we are closer relatives to Serbians and Balkans or to Germans?

Or maybe any other options? I, for example, know a few Slovakians, even Hungarians from Slovakia and Lithuanians that speak fluent Polish and they're identifing with polish culture.

What's your opinion?

PS: yes, I already know your opinion Brathwurst Boy and yours Crow, let others speak :-]

History / Why Poles love Russia [105]

There's a difference between Russia and USRR. USSR murdered more russians than poles (of course Katyn is a genocide and a terrible mass murder on Polish nation) to be honest. USSR was a worst enemy of Russia and russians (WWII - unequipped cannon fodder, syberia, gulags, femine, mass murders) than of Poland. So we should all hate USSR and blosheviks but we don't have to hate each other.

Love / How do Polish boys feel about foreign girls? [163]

Respond or not respond? This is a question.

Respond. Yes always leads to something good ;-]

Love / How do Polish boys feel about foreign girls? [163]

I put stick into a hornet's nest :-]
That wasn't my intention, I just simply stated an obvious truth that English chicks tent to be fat (ok, not fat then, lets call it corpulent). And I prefer slim girls. End of the story. One day maybe I'll find slim and graceful English girl and then I'll post a rectification.

Love / How do Polish boys feel about foreign girls? [163]

It's difficult to say. All my life I've been dating Polish girls only.
My brother, however, is dating English woman, and I have to admit that I'm not her biggest fan (to make things even funnier she openly admits that most of English men are hopeless).

Celtic girls are of my taste. They have more grace and they're less likely to grow fat in their 30's :-].