WESOŁEGO ALLELUJA OR WESOŁYCH ŚWIĄT WIELKANOCNYCH?POLISH AMERICAN — JOURNAL PAGE 6 • MARCH 2015 www.polamjournal.com 1 POLISH AMERICAN YORK NEW BOSTON, AT PAID PERIODICAL POSTAGE AND ADDITIONAL ENTRY OFFICES AND ADDITIONAL ENTRY DEDICATED TO THE PROMOTION AND CONTINUANCE OF POLISH AMERICAN CULTURE JOURNAL IT FIGURES: GORTAT MAKES THE BIG TIME ESTABLISHED 1911 MARCH 2015 • VOL. 104, NO. 3 | $2.00 www.polamjournal.com PAGE 10 HOLOCAUST MUSEUM SHOWS BIAS • IT’S 1K FOR COACH K • DOBA IS NG’S “ADVENTURER OF THE YEAR” POLISH FRANCISCANS TO BE BEATIFIED • TRELIŃSKI DEBUTS AT THE MET • HISTORIC SLONIM TAPESTRIES RETURNED STUDY IN POLAND THIS SUMMER! • TO DANCE AGAIN WITH PANI ADA • OLD POLISH LENTEN FARE NEWSMARK Royal Ride Brzezinski: US PHOTO: ANDY GOLEBIOWSKI Should Deploy POLAND, RUSSIA CLASH OVER ANNIVERSARY. (NEWS.PL) — Russia has slammed Polish foreign minis- Troops to Baltics ter Grzegorz Schetyna over his support for Poland’s plans WASHINGTON — The to host V-E Day tributes in Gdańsk that would clash with United States and its allies Moscow’s own event. should deploy troops to Bal- “This is the newest in a line of clumsy attempts by the tic states to deter Russia from Polish politician to cast doubt upon the results of World staging a PHOTO: MSNBC War II, and the role of the Soviet Union as the winner in possible that war,” said Russia’s deputy foreign minister Grigory incursion Karasin. in those Schetyna said in an interview with Poland’s RMF countries, FM that President Bronisław Komorowski’s recently an- f o r m e r nounced proposal to host EU leaders in Gdańsk on May 8, p r e s i - seventy years after the end of World War II, is “an interest- d e n t i a l ing idea.” national Schetyna sparked Russian ire in the lead-up to the 70th security adviser, Zbigniew anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi German death Brzezinski, told lawmakers. camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau. The foreign minister had The foreign policy expert, emphasized that Ukrainian soldiers’ liberated the camp, al- who served under President though these soldiers fought as part of the Soviet Union’s Jimmy Carter, told the Senate Red Army. Armed Services Committee Meanwhile, Poland’s foreign ministry said in a state- that he feared Russian Presi- ment that it is “astonished” by the “brutality” of Karasin’s dent Vladimir Putin might language. The statement also reiterated that both Nazi Ger- AN OLD-FASHIONED SLEIGH RIDE, known better in Polish as a kulig, was part of the try to take control over Baltic many and the Soviet Union invaded Poland in September fi rst-ever Polish Winter Festival, sponsored by the Western New York Division of the Polish countries in a lightning move 1939. American Congress. The event, held Feb. 8 at Chestnut Ridge Park in Orchard Park, N.Y., that could take NATO by sur- featured sleigh rides, sledding, tobogganing, live Góralska Kapela (Polish folk singers) in prise. NATO BRACES FOR POTENTIAL AGGRESSION. traditional costume, Polish food and beverage, along with a roaring fi replace to keep warm A nightmare scenario NATO defense ministers agreed to set up command units, and have conversation. Face painting and crafts were available for children. could be that “one day — and staffed with national and NATO soldiers, isix eastern Eu- Kulig organizer PACWNY Director Jim Lawicki said the goal was to give individuals and I literally mean one day — he ropean allies as part of a new strategy in response to the families a chance to experience the sights and sounds of a visit to the Polish mountain just seizes Riga and Tallinn ... Ukraine crisis, NATO’s chief said. town of Zakopane during the winter. That would literally take him Creating the units in Poland, Romania, Bulgaria and one day. There’s no way they the three Baltic countries is one of the most concrete steps could resist,” Brzezinski said. NATO has taken to show that the alliance will protect its A Pole in the Midst of the Irish Famine “And then we’ll say how eastern allies, some of which are nervous about Russian An interview with scale U.S.-bound horrible, how shocking, how intentions following Moscow’s annexation of Ukraine’s Prof. Christine Kinealy i m m i g r a t i o n outrageous. But, of course, Crimea region. from Ireland. we can’t do anything about NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg denied the on Paul Strzelecki Into the it,” he said, without risking a creation of the units could be considered provocative by he Great Famine refers to a seven breach of ma- potential nuclear confl ict. Russia. year long (1845-52) period lign neglect The United States needed “It is completely within all our international obligations in Irish history in which one stepped vari- to make clear to Russia that and what we are doing is defensive and it is proportionate,” million people died of starvation. ous charitable it would deploy US forces if he told Reuters in an interview. Often called the “Potato Fam- souls, attempt- it tried to invade the Baltics, ine” in the United States, that term obscures ing to provide he said. CHANGING TIMES. The crisis in Ukraine has become a Tthe fact that man-made factors greatly exac- some relief for “I think deterrence has to catalyst for a joint strategy between Poland and Germany, erbated the suffering. British agricultural and Ireland’s starv- have meaning. It has to have boosting military cooperation between the two countries. economic policies exploited Ireland during the ing. One of those teeth in it. And it has to create In an unprecedented move, Germany will send about 1,700 period, e.g., amidst mass hunger, large quanti- souls was Pol- a situation in which someone troops to Poland for participation in Polish-German NATO ties of meat and grain continued to be export- ish Count Paweł planning an action like that exercises. ed from Ireland to Britain. Prevailing laissez- S t r z e l e c k i . has no choice but to antici- Although preparations are ongoing, it is clear that the faire thinking prevented the taking of strong Prof. Christine pate what kind of resistance joint troops will participate in NATO’s “Sober Strike” ex- governmental measures to alleviate the high Kinealy, director will lie in counter,” he said. ercises at northwest Poland’s Drawsko Pomorskie military mortality rate, literally evident in the dead on PROF. CHRISTINE of the Irish Great “I do recommend pre-po- training facilities in June. streets and in bogs. The British civil servant KINEALY. Expert on The Hunger Institute sitioning of some forces,” in Drawsko Pomorskie is just south of the town of Szc- responsible for relief efforts — Sir Charles Great Famine credits Pol- at Quinnipiac those countries, he said, but zecin, the regional capital. Trevelyan — in Scrooge-like terms wrote ish count for saving many University in in a way that was not pro- It has been announced that additional Polish, German of Ireland’s “surplus population.” At the end lives. Hamden, Con- vocative. and Danish troops will reinforce NATO’s Szczecin head- of the Great Hunger, in addition to the mil- necticut, author “An American company quarters, Multinational Corps Northeast. The headquarters lion dead, another million emigrated, reduc- of Charity and the Great Hunger in Ireland. (of troops) in Estonia is not south of the town of Szczecin is frequently used in NATO ing the island’s population by 20-25% (rates The Kindness of Strangers, and contributor to going to invade Russia,” he exercises. comparable to Poland after World War II). a new book, Mayo: History & Society talked said. That emigration laid the foundation for large- See “Strzelecki ...,” page 4 See “Brzezinski,” page 3 MOSCOW CONTINUES GAMES. A court in the Russian city of St. Petersburg has ruled that Polish diplomats must Visit our website: move out of the building used by the Polish Consulate Discover Wonders of General. In passing the judgement, St. Petersburg’s Arbi- www.pattours.com tration Court cited alleged arrears amounting to over USD For brochures, $1 million, ordering the Polish government to pay its dues call: to the city authorities. POLAND 1-800-388-0988 Russia maintains that Poland broke off a deal in 1993 We have the largest selection of tours from May to October which allowed for the real estate to be used for Polish dip- lomatic purposes free of charge. However, the Polish For- Pilgrimages • Family Reunions • Unique Cultural Tours eign Ministry does not agree, saying that, as Russia has Airline tickets • Discount hotel rates • Car Rental rent-free access to real estate in Poland, the agreement is mutual. Specializing in travel to Poland for over 42 years 2 www.polamjournal.com POLISH AMERICAN JOURNAL • MARCH 2015 ALMANAC EDITOR’S DESK / Mark Kohan SPEAK UP / Letters to the Editor Follow us on Facebook or visit us Holocaust Museum Shows Bias on the internet at: Preparing for Easter polamjournal.com The Polish equivalent for the decided to help Ukraine by sending The 2015 Calendar published much to help the Museum. English word “Lent” is “Wielki humanitarian aid. by the United States Holocaust Yet, the USHMM Calendar for March Q Marzec Post,” which translated means “the Memorial features twelve Jewish 2014 lauds 12 Jewish survivors of Great Fast.” REMINDERS. If you have a press survivors of the Holocaust. In de- the Holocaust. In the description “When one does a thing, it ap- According to the late Katyn mas- release or story you’d like to share fense of the Christian Poles, and on the first page, it states (in part): pears good, otherwise one would sacre survivor and Katyn Fami- with other readers, be sure to send it other non-Jewish victims, Holo- “The Holocaust survivors not write it.