WHERE WE COME from Our Jewish Heritage in Poland-- Past, Present & Future
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
WHERE WE COME FROM Our Jewish Heritage in Poland-- Past, Present & Future October 17-27, 2006 San Francisco Bay Area, California Presented by the Jewish Heritage Initiative in Poland, Taube Foundation for Jewish Life & Culture EVENT REPORT Editor: Alice Z. Lawrence; Assistant Editor: Anna Goldstein WHERE WE COME FROM: Our Jewish Heritage in Poland— Past, Present & Future October 17-27, 2006 San Francisco Bay Area, California Presented by the Jewish Heritage Initiative in Poland, a partnership program of the Taube Foundation for Jewish Life & Culture ROM OCTOBER 17 THROUGH 27, the Taube Francisco; Jewish Music Festival, East Bay Jewish Foundation for Jewish Life & Culture Community Center; Judah L. Magnes Museum; F(TFJLC) in San Francisco held a series of cul- San Francisco Jewish Film Festival and Taube tural and academic events entitled “Where We Center for Jewish Studies, Stanford University. Come From: Our Jewish Heritage in Poland—Past Distinguished guests from Poland included Present & Future,” bringing Polish and American Dr. Eleonora Bergman, executive director, Jewish grantees to the San Francisco Bay Area. The festi- Historical Institute, Warsaw; Kate Craddy, proj- val’s fundamental message ects coordinator, Galicia was a revelation to many: “This is the first time, to my Jewish Museum, Krakow; that Jewish culture is being knowledge, that Jewish cultural Konstanty Gebert, journal- rediscovered and renewed renewal in Poland is the focus of ist/publisher of Midrasz by both Jews and Chris- attention here in the U.S. This is Magazine and Polish repre- tians in Poland and that the thanks to Tad Taube's extraordinary sentative of the TFJLC; flowering of these cultural, vision. After more than 60 years, it is Anka Grupinska, director, intellectual and social insti- Centropa-Poland and time to pay attention and to support tutions is not only reclaim- author of Holocaust histo- the renewal of Jewish culture in ing Jewish heritage but ries; Daniela Malec and Poland—past, present and future.” also strengthening the Piotr Nawrocki, co-direc- —Dr. Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett, future of both Judaism and tors, “Czulent” Polish Jew- democracy in Poland. Keynote Speaker ish Student Union, Cosponsors for the Krakow; Janusz Makuch, events included the Center for Jewish Studies, director, Jewish Culture Festival, Krakow; Mag- Graduate Theological Union; Center for Russian, dalena Matuszewska, Warsaw program coordina- East European and Eurasian Studies, Stanford tor, Jewish Heritage Initiative in Poland, TFJLC University; Congregation Emanu-El, San Fran- and Yale Reisner, co-director, Lauder Genealogy cisco; Institute for Slavic, East European and Project, Jewish Historical Institute, Warsaw. Eurasian Studies, University of California, Berke- Participating American scholars included Dr. ley; Hillel at Stanford; Taube Center for Jewish Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett, Professor of Life, Jewish Community Center of San Francisco; Judaic and Hebrew Studies at New York Univer- Jewish Family and Children’s Services of San sity and the Chief Consultant to the Museum of W HERE W E C OME F ROM, OCTOBER 2006 1 the History of Polish Jews, Warsaw; Dr. Samuel Kassow, Distinguished Professor of History, Trin- “We Polish Jews exist, and we would like ity College, Hartford, and Consultant to YIVO to be recognized and appreciated by those and the Museum of the History of Polish Jews, of you who are the descendants of Polish Warsaw; Dr. Arnold Eisen, Chancellor of the Jew- Jewry. Please know that you have ish Theological Seminary, New York; Dr. Steven J. partners in us, that we are not only the Zipperstein, Director, Taube Center for Jewish guardians of the 'remnants' but are also Studies, Stanford University; Dr. Zachary Baker, ready to share this heritage with you. Reinhard Family Curator of Judaica and Hebraica Come visit us. We may be relatively small Collections at Stanford; Shana Penn, visiting in numbers, but we are part of a thriving scholar, Center for Jewish Studies, Graduate The- new democracy and renewed ological Union; Dr. Gabriela Safran, Associate Jewish community.” Professor, Department of Slavic Languages and -- Dr. Eleonora Bergman Literatures, Stanford University and Eleanor Shapiro and Zohar Weiman Kelman, GTU gradu- Executive Director ate students. Jewish Historical Institute Throughout the series, panel discussions explored questions such as: • What kind of recovery and continuity of Jewish • How are Jews making news in Poland today? life in Poland is possible, given the Nazi geno- How is this news reaching the wider world? cide’s near-mortal blow? What has been lost? What is being recovered and by whom? How do • What about the third generation in Poland since these new developments shape Jewish conscious- the war? How are these young people exploring ness/culture in Poland? What are their influences and interpreting the past? How are they coming on Poland’s mainstream culture? Why does the to terms with their identity as Jews? Jewish world at large resist these developments? • Is Poland an ally of Israel? In what way? How is • In today’s Poland, who is a Jew? Who decides? news about Israel reported in the Polish press? What are the sources and locations of cultural learning and identity? • How can Jews who have Polish backgrounds tell their stories and trace their roots? What • What accounts for the growing interest in secu- resources are available to help them recapture lar Jewish culture among Jews and Christians in their rich past? Poland? What are its products? What has been its pattern of development, and where is it going? Events were varied, ranging from the formally How does it compare to trends in other parts of academic to the gregariously social, but all had post-Communist Europe? common outcomes: informative presentations, provocative discussions, enthusiastic audience • How are artists expressing communal loss, participation and palpable excitement about the tragedy and recovery using cultural resources and growing connections between American Jews and various mediums to commemorate and educate? the new Poland. W HERE W E C OME F ROM, OCTOBER 2006 2 Chronology of Events Tuesday, October 17 Taube Foundation for Jewish Life & Culture. Welcome dinner at the Four Seasons Restaurant Guests enjoyed excellent food, lively hospitality hosted by Tad Taube, Founder-Chairman of the and beautiful views of the city. Host Tad Taube welcomes Daniela Malec of Janusz Makuch and Tad Taube enjoy the oppor- Krakow, where Tad himself was born. tunity to converse. Michael Alpert chats with Dr. Eleonora Bergman Dr. Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett and Yale in Polish, Yiddish, English and Hebrew. Reisner listen to their tablemates. “Our program is oriented toward life -- researching, revitalizing, reestablishing every aspect of our being that existed in Poland prior to the episodes of death. The good news is that there are visible signs that our efforts have been extremely successful. The imprint of our foundation is everywhere -- in the churches, in the government, amongst the people. There is now a great interest and recognition by virtually all Poles of the need to reestablish and revitalize the accomplishments and life of the Jewish people.” -- Tad Taube, Chairman Taube Foundation for Jewish Life & Culture W HERE W E C OME F ROM, OCTOBER 2006 3 Wednesday, October 18 the upcoming Magnes show featuring her father’s Afternoon reception and preview of the 2007 Pol- art, “They Called Me Mayer July: Painted Memo- ish exhibitions at the Judah L. Magnes Museum, ries of a Jewish Childhood in Poland Before the Berkeley, with Chief Curator Alla Efimova and Holocaust.” One aspect of the mission of the Guest Curator Dr. Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett. Taube Foundation for Jewish Life & Culture is to Attendees were warmly welcomed by Magnes showcase the richness of prewar Jewish life in Board Treasurer Jay Espovitch, Founders Rebecca Poland by sponsoring traveling exhibitions and and Seymour Fromer, Executive Director Terry presentations such as this one. The preview illu- Pink Alexander and Judaica Curator Elayne minated Mayer Kirshenblatt’s life in his shtetl, Grossbard. Ms. Grossbard highlighted the Polish vividly and charmingly rendered in his detailed components of the Magnes collection, emphasiz- and colorful style. All the day’s participants dis- ing the graphics depicting traditional Jewish life cussed their enthusiastic anticipation of the from the early 20th century. upcoming Magnes exhibitions. Dr. Kirshenblatt-Gimblett gave a preview of From left: Anka Grupinska, Jay Espovitch, Shana From left: Daniela Malec, Terry Pink Alexander and Penn and Kate Craddy at the Magnes Museum. Magdalena Matuszewska. “An important focus of Magnes exhibitions and public programs are themes related to Polish Jewish heritage. The Magnes aims through its presentations of Polish Jewish heritage to foster intergenerational dialogue, education and audience development and encourage Americans to learn about Jewish life in Poland prior to and after World War II.” Dr. Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett describes her --Alla Efimova father's art. Chief Curator, Judah L. Magnes Museum W HERE W E C OME F ROM, OCTOBER 2006 4 Wednesday, October 18-Thursday, October 19 Symposium: “Renewal and Resistance: The Revitalization of Jewish Culture in Post-Holocaust, Post-Communist Poland” Cohosted by the Center for Jewish Studies at the Graduate Theological Union and the Institute for Slavic, East European and Eurasian Studies at UC Berkeley. Support provided by the Taube Foundation for