Arthur Szyk (1891-1954) Ride of the Valkyries (from The Niebelungen series) New York, United States, 1942 Ink, pencil, and watercolor on board The Taube Family Arthur Szyk Collection, The Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life, University of California, Berkeley, 2017.5.1.94

Volume 24, No. 2 Gazeta Spring 2017

A quarterly publication of the American Association for Polish-Jewish Studies and Taube Foundation for Jewish Life & Culture Editorial & Design: Fay Bussgang, Julian Bussgang, Dr. Antony Polonsky, Shana Penn, Vera Hannush, Alice Lawrence, Maayan Stanton, Agnieszka Ilwicka, LaserCom Design. Front Cover: Arthur Szyk (1891-1954) Ride of the Valkyries (from The Niebelungen series) New York, United States, 1942; Ink, pencil, and watercolor on board; The Taube Family Arthur Szyk Collection, The Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life, University of California, Berkeley, 2017.5.1.94. Back Cover: Inside the Tykocin synagogue; photo: Anna Sierko/Virtual Shtetl. TABLE OF CONTENTS Message from Irene Pipes ...... 2 Message from Tad Taube and Shana Penn ...... 3 FEATURE STORIES

30 Years of Jewish Studies at the Jagiellonian University From the Research Centre on the History and Culture of Jews in Poland to the Institute of Jewish Studies Michał Galas ...... 4 Literary Estate as Mirror of Persecution: The Papers of Naftali Hertz Kon Ina Lancman ...... 9 NEWS UC Berkeley’s Magnes Acquires Arthur Szyk Art Collection, with Taube Gift ...... 14 Database to Help Survivors Reclaim Property in Warsaw Julian and Fay Bussgang ...... 16 A Square in Paris Named for Marek Edelman Julian and Fay Bussgang ...... 17 Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum Appeal to Germany and Austria ...... 18 AJC Central Europe Opens in Warsaw ...... 18 Restoration Returns Dignity to Bagnowka Jewish Cemetery in Białystok ...... 19 EXHIBITIONS Jewish Museum in Tykocin Synagogue Marks 40th Anniversary with Revamped Exhibition Jewish Heritage Europe ...... 20 Exhibit on the History of the Old Synagogue, Kraków On Display through November 2017 Jewish Heritage Europe ...... 22 The Hirszenberg Brothers On Display in Łódź and Warsaw Adam Klimczak and Anna Łagodzińska ...... 23 CONFERENCES International Workshop on “A Present Past” Dr. Antony Polonsky ...... 24 Conference on the Conceptualizations of the Holocaust in Germany, Lithuania, Poland, and Ukraine since the 1990s Dr. Antony Polonsky ...... 26 Conference on Writing Jewish History in Eastern Europe Dr. Antony Polonsky ...... 28 International Colloquium on Polish Jewish History as Reflected in Poland and Israel Dr. Antony Polonsky ...... 31 “Museums and Their Publics at Sites of Conflicted History” Małgorzata Pakier, Ph.D...... 33 “Generations and Genealogies”: 4th Annual Polish Jewish Workshop Dr. Geneviève Zubrzycki ...... 35 BOOK REVIEW Przemoc filosemicka? Nowe polskie narracje o Żydach po roku 2000 (Philosemitic abuse? New Polish narratives about Jews after 2000) Dr. Elżbieta Janicka and Dr. Tomasz Żukowski Agnieszka Ilwicka ...... 37 AWARDS Father Stanisław Musiał Award Ceremony Dr. Antony Polonsky ...... 40 Professor Jerzy Albrycht Decorated Julian and Fay Bussgang ...... 42 Professor Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett, Chief Curator of POLIN Museum, Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences ...... 42 Bente Kahan Honored ...... 43 POLIN Museum Wins 2017 Europa Nostra Award ...... 44 ANNOUNCEMENTS JCC Krakow Hosts Annual Ride for the Living, June 22-25, 2017 ...... 45 Jewish Music & Poetry Project Nanette McGuinness ...... 46 CALLS FOR APPLICATIONS Human Rights Summer Program Dara Bramson ...... 47 “Chone Shmeruk - In Memoriam - on the 20th Anniversary of his Death” Conference POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews, May 24, 2017 ...... 48 “March ’68. Fifty Years Later” POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews, March 13-15, 2018 Agnieszka Dulęba ...... 49 Global Education Outreach Program (GEOP) Interdisciplinary Research Workshops.... 51 OBITUARIES Zygmunt Bauman (November 19, 1925-January 9, 2017) Dr. Antony Polonsky ...... 52 Yosl Bergner (October 13, 1920-January 18, 2017) Dr. Antony Polonsky ...... 54

Halina Paszkowska Turska (June 10, 1927-March 26, 2017) Dr. Antony Polonsky ...... 56

GAZETA SPRING 2017 n 1 President of the American Association Message from for Polish-Jewish Studies

Irene Pipes Founder of Gazeta

Dear Members and Friends,

A lot of exciting events have taken place since my last letter, which I shall summarize briefly.

In late January the Polish Embassy in London hosted the launch of Polin Volume 29 with the theme “Writing Jewish History in Eastern Europe.” A second launch took place in March at the Marcell and Maria Roth Center for the Research on the History and Culture of Polish Jewry and Polish-Jewish Relations at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków. Irene Pipes

Antony Polonsky was able to attend all including a ceremony awarding the Father Stanisław Musiał prize for two outstanding figures in Polish Jewish dialogue.

He is now working on Volume 30, which will be dedicated to Jewish education in Eastern Europe.

I hope you had a happy Passover,

Irene Pipes President

2 n GAZETA VOLUME 24, NO. 2 Message from Chairman and Executive Director Tad Taube and of the Taube Foundation for Shana Penn Jewish Life & Culture

his issue of Gazeta reminds us that the act of writing – something we do every day with hardly a second thought – is an activity that Tgoes to the heart of our humanity. In one of the two feature articles a daughter describes her long struggle in Poland to recover the writings of her journalist/poet father, Naftali Hertz Kon, who had been imprisoned by the Soviets under Stalin and later by the Polish Communist government. His need to bear witness to the horrors he experienced made him into a clandestine scribbler, tracing his words on shards of glass and fooling his guards into thinking his coded poems were simply exercises in higher Tad Taube mathematics. The act of writing the truth helped him sustain his humanity as he bore witness to history.

Other articles in this issue present a far less dramatic kind of writing – the carefully reasoned cogitation of scholars. Jewish studies scholarship is flourishing in Poland. Michał Galas’s feature article on 30 years of Jewish studies at the Jagiellonian University tells a remarkable story of persistence and success in bringing Jewish studies to both public and scholarly awareness in Krakόw, indeed in all of Poland. Though not a dramatic story, it is an impressive one.

Shana Penn Naftali Hertz Kon was definitely not a detached observer of life, but he surely would have appreciated the importance of dispassionate scholarly writing. And we, when reading about witnesses like Kon and scholars like those in Krakόw, may see two expressions of the same need to write about a shared history and reflect on our own humanity.

Tad Taube and Shana Penn Chairman and Executive Director

GAZETA SPRING 2017 n 3 FEATURE STORIES Michał Galas 30 Years of Jewish Studies at Director the Jagiellonian University Institute of Jewish Studies Jagiellonian University From the Research Centre on the History and Culture of Jews in Poland to the Institute of Jewish Studies

his academic year Jewish Studies. In 1980 Prof. Professor Gierowski recalled we are celebrating 30 Jacek Majchrowski, now his meeting with them. “With Tyears of Jewish studies at mayor of Kraków, organized several colleagues I welcomed the Jagiellonian University. a conference on the Bible the whole Israeli group at in world religions, inviting To recognize the history of a meeting in Collegium Rabbi Dr. Izaak Lewin. In Jewish studies in Kraków and the 1983/84 academic year Maius. We got on famously. some of its achievements, we Prof. Jerzy Wyrozumski, Shmeruk possessed so much organized two conferences Prof. Jan Małecki, Dr Tomasz warmth and sincerity that dedicated to our founders, Gąsowski, and Dr Andrzej quickly the formality of Prof. Józef Gierowski (Nov. Link-Lenczowski started a the meeting turned into an 23-24, 2016) and Prof. Chone series of open lectures on the informal direct exchange of Shmeruk (May 24, 2017; see history of Polish Jews at the views.” Shmeruk’s visit and p. 48). Other celebratory events Institute of History. Professor his remarks about the creation Józef Gierowski later recalled include presentations by our of the Centre for Research that “the numbers of those graduates and meetings of the interested exceeded our into the History and Culture alumni. Here I would like to wildest expectations.” of Polish Jews at the Hebrew touch on some history and University “gave direction to describe the current situation. At the beginning of the 1980s our future undertakings.” Prof. Gierowski, then rector The Beginnings of of the Jagiellonian University, The young Israeli academics Jewish Studies conducted discussions with remember it as a breakthrough Efforts at the Jagiellonian representatives of academic in their academic careers. University to arouse student centers abroad in an attempt According to David Assaf, and academic interest in to match foreign models and today a professor and head of Jewish studies began at experiences to Polish reality. the Institute for Studies into about the same time as the An event which brought Polish Jewry and Polish-Israeli initial steps at Polish-Jewish a veritable avalanche of Relations at the University of understanding were taking Tel Aviv, the meeting “was one place on the international consequences was the visit in of the formative experiences stage, such as conferences 1984 of Prof. Chone Shmeruk at Columbia and Oxford and students from the Hebrew in my life. Since then, tens universities and the creation University in Jerusalem to of thousands of Israelis have of Polin: Journal of Polish- the Jagiellonian University. been to Poland. But at the time, relations between the two

4 n GAZETA VOLUME 24, NO. 2 Michał Galas Director Institute of Jewish Studies Jagiellonian University

The center began [in 1986] with the international conference “The Autonomy of Jews in the Polish Commonwealth,” the first conference since World War II devoted to such a subject at any Polish university.

countries were in their early stages, and this was the first real contact between Israeli and Polish scholars since the Department of Jewish Studies on Batorego Street 12, Kraków, 1986-2010 Holocaust. The encounter with Poland (then still under 1984, with the participation Prof. Gierowski, who Jaruzelski’s martial regime) of Jagiellonian University became the center’s director, and its Jewish sites made an professors Jan Błoński, attempted to endow it with incredibly strong impression Józef Gierowski, and Jacek an interdisciplinary character on me, a young Israeli who Majchrowski, contributed to from its inception. Activities had grown up in a traditional the decision of the university at the center began with the home, with Yiddish-speaking senate to establish a center international conference parents originally from Poland, for Jewish studies. A senate “The Autonomy of Jews in but whose ears were not tuned resolution of June 1986 the Polish Commonwealth,” to anything that carried the created the Research Centre the first conference since flavor of Galut [the Jewish on the History and Culture World War II devoted to diaspora].” of Jews in Poland – the first such a subject at any Polish university institution of this university. In the inauguration The aforementioned kind in Poland. address Gierowski declared conference in Oxford, also in that “the time has come for

GAZETA SPRING 2017 n 5 reliable research into the past Thanks to the creation was transformed into the of Jewish society with the aim and activities of the Department of Jewish Studies, of defining the history of this Research Centre on the which became an independent mutual interaction without unit within the Faculty of bias and emotion.” He saw History and Culture History. Prof. Edward Dąbrowa his mission as “the launching of Jews in Poland, the was appointed the first head of and marking out of new Jagiellonian University the department. directions for research” as became a leading well as supporting academic From its inception the work at the graduate and post- institution in the field Department of Jewish Studies doctoral levels on the broadly of research into Jews offered BA and MA programs understood subject of the in Poland and Polish- in history with a specialization history of Polish Jews. Jewish relations. in Jewish studies. Courses included the history of ancient This vision and program initiative of the center’s staff Israel and the Hebrew Bible, has been systematically the Polish Society for Jewish contemporary Hebrew and developed. Activities Studies was formed in 1996. Yiddish literature, the history concentrate on documentation Thanks to the creation and of Jews in Poland and modern – bibliographies and archival activities of the Research Israel and the Diaspora, inventories, the organization Centre on the History and the history of Judaism, the of conferences and seminars, Culture of Jews in Poland, Holocaust, and Jewish culture and offering public lectures the Jagiellonian University and heritage, as well as Hebrew for university audiences. became a leading institution and Yiddish language classes. The staff members have in the field of research into assisted in the creation Jews in Poland and Polish- In 2012 the Department of of new institutions that Jewish relations. Jewish Studies was elevated promote Jewish studies in to become the Institute of Poland, such as the Centre of From Department to Jewish Studies, which soon Jewish Culture in Kraków. Institute moved from Batorego Street On the initiative of Prof. The breakthrough in the 12 in the city center to Józefa Gierowski the Commission organization of Jewish studies Street 19 in the heart of the on the History and Culture occurred in 2000 when the Jewish quarter in Kazimierz. of Jews was created at the Research Centre on the History This move gave us more Polish Academy of Sciences and Culture of Jews in Poland space and placed us next to and Arts PAU, and on the kindred institutions. Fourteen

6 n GAZETA VOLUME 24, NO. 2 faculty members and three administrative staff run the institute, which has three departments. The Department of Jewish History is directed by Prof. Adam Kaźmierczyk, the Department of Jewish Culture by Prof. Leszek Hońdo, and the Department of the History of Judaism and Jewish Literatures by Associate Prof. Michał Galas, who in 2016 was also elected to serve as the director of whole Institute of Jewish

Studies. Within the institute Institute of Jewish Studies on Józefa Street 19, Kraków, opened in 2012 are two other units. The first is the Marcell and Maria scholarly activities, but of for more than 1,000 students Roth Center for the Research teaching programs. In 2011 the who have received various on the History and Culture institute was the first in Poland degrees in Jewish studies. of Polish Jewry and Polish- granted permission to introduce Jewish Relations, which seeks specific BA and MA programs Outreach to popularize and support granting degrees in Jewish The members of the Institute studies into the heritage of studies. Each year, 120-140 of Jewish Studies collaborate Polish Jews and Polish-Jewish students study at the institute. with several Polish cultural relations. The second is the Under the aegis of the Faculty and academic centers and Centre for Studies on the of History the institute also institutions and help set the History and Culture of Jews offers more advanced studies, tone in many organizations in Krakόw, directed by and we currently have 18 that promote Jewish studies Dr. Edyta Gawron. doctoral students. in Poland, such as the Polish Academy of Sciences and Teaching Since 2000 the department Art’s Commission on Jewish Recent years have seen the and later the institute have History and Culture, the Polish development not only of offered educational programs Association for Jewish Studies,

GAZETA SPRING 2017 n 7 From its beginnings, standards and acting as an the Institute of Jewish academic model for other Studies has been a institutions in Poland and the world. In recognition leader operating at the of the achievements of the highest international entire Kraków Jewish scene, standards and acting Prof. Edward Dąbrowa was as an academic model elected president and Prof. Michał Galas treasurer of for other institutions in the European Association for Poland and the world. Jewish Studies (EAJS) at its congress in Paris in 2014. The and the Polish Society of next EAJS congress will take Yiddish Studies. The institute place in 2018 in Kraków. n works closely with the Jewish Poster from one of the many conferences of the Institute of Jewish Community, JCC Krakow, the Studies, this one featuring J.A. For further information visit Galicia Jewish Museum, the Gierowski in November 2016. www.judaistyka.uj.edu.pl and Kraków Municipal Museum [email protected]. of History, the Emanuel Tübingen; and in the Ringelblum Jewish Historical United States with Brandeis This essay is based on an Institute, and many others. University, the University of article by Michał Galas, Rochester, and Arizona State “Jewish Studies at the The Institute of Jewish Studies University, among others. In Jagiellonian University: also cooperates closely with addition the institute promotes From the Research Centre many academic centers, for its academic achievements on the History and Culture example the University of Tel through Scripta Judaica of Jews in Poland to the Aviv, the Hebrew University, Cracoviensia, published Institute of Jewish Studies,” in the Yad Vashem Institute, and annually since 2002. Academics of Jewish Heritage the Association of Cracovians in the Modern History of the in Israel. In Europe it works From its beginnings, the Jagiellonian University, ed. with University College Institute of Jewish Studies W. Kozub-Ciembroniewicz, London and the universities has been a leader operating trans. G. Torr (Kraków 2014), of Halle, Potsdam, and at the highest international 307-324.

8 n GAZETA VOLUME 24, NO. 2 Literary Estate as Mirror of Ina Lancman Persecution: The Papers of Daughter of Naftali Hertz Kon Naftali Hertz Kon Retired Chemist

Editor’s note: This piece I knew that if [my father’s] court and sentenced to one elaborates on a previous piece papers existed, I would year, which he served out in a by Tomasz Koncewicz, the spare no effort to claim Warsaw prison. lawyer involved in restitution of the Naftali Hertz Kon papers. them, and for that I would In the summer of 2010, I (See “The Great Yes and My need a lawyer on the spent ten emotionally difficult Grandmother’s Legacy,” ground in Poland. days reviewing my father’s Gazeta, Spring 2016.) 2,000-page investigation file destruction of Yiddish culture, at the Institute for National n the torture chambers institutions, and organizations. Memory in Warsaw. The seven of the NKVD and When my father returned from confiscated folders were not “IKGB, not only writers were the gulag in 1956, his literary there. I was advised to inquire made to disappear – but estate was no more than a few about them at the Warsaw their manuscripts as well,” batches of manuscripts he Regional Court that had writes Vitaly Shentalinsky, had managed to safeguard in sentenced my father in 1962. the Russian author of The anticipation of his second arrest. KGB’s Literary Archives.1 The I knew that if the papers practice was to burn literary But the loss of my father’s existed, I would spare no works. My father, the twice papers didn’t end in the Soviet effort to claim them, and for persecuted Yiddish poet, Union. In 1959, thanks to that I would need a lawyer on writer, and journalist Naftali my Polish-born mother and the ground in Poland. A few Hertz Kon, miraculously the Polish-Soviet repatriation weeks after my return home survived the torture chambers, agreement, my family was able to New York, I met Tomasz but his papers did not. to leave Ukraine for Poland, Koncewicz, a Polish lawyer the most liberal country in who immediately offered My father’s first arrest was at the Soviet bloc. Nineteen his help after I told him my the height of Stalin’s Great months later my father was father’s story. Terror in 1938; the second, in arrested by the Polish security 1949, came during the wave police, who seized 21 folders, He soon located my father’s of terror that focused on the seven of which were retained papers at the Warsaw persecution of Jews and the as material evidence of State Archives. Our heart- anticommunist propaganda. He wrenching three-year 1 The Harvill Press, London, 1997 was tried by a Warsaw regional battle for their restitution is

GAZETA SPRING 2017 n 9 described in his article in Writers write no matter Emes (Truth), and the Gazeta (Spring 2016). The what, even in prisons immensely popular Yiddish courts of the democratic and gulags. Between Theater in Moscow. Republic of Poland showed no willingness to rectify interrogations and As one of Eynikeyt’s reporters, the wrongs of the Polish beatings, the poems and my father traveled widely, communist regime, but we ideas kept on coming. sending dispatches from won in the end. the far-flung corners of “In the midst of the the country about Jewish The historical significance ‘unfathomably trying times,’ participation in the war effort of my father’s literary estate my father ‘often felt that the and postwar reconstruction lies both in its context and Almighty himself dispatched and the Nazi atrocities against its content. Most of it was to ‘Red Egypt’ to haul rocks the Jews on Soviet soil. produced in a short span – from for its Tower of Babel.” Within weeks of the closings, the year of his release from the And bear witness “in word 15 members of the JAC gulag until his death in Israel and pen” to the horrors of leadership and over a hundred in 1971 – and was written with the Stalinist regime, its war people associated with it, eyes on the Western audience against its own people, and my father among them, were and no fear of censure. His only its destruction of the Jewish arrested. Thousands of Jews fear was that of running out of world. He knew that world were arrested in the following time. “I have no shortage of intimately, and was a witness years. Admissions of guilt – topics and stories,” he wrote to its dismantling by Stalin. spying for America, allegiance shortly after arriving in Israel, During its climax in 1949, the to Zionism, conspiring “but how do I make up for the last four remaining Jewish to bring down the Soviet lost years, when my ‘cart’ is a institutions were closed government – were extracted mightily creaking one?” 2 down: the Jewish Anti-Fascist under torture. Committee (JAC)3 and its 2 All quotes, unless otherwise indicat- organ Eynikeyt (Unity), the My father didn’t sign a ed, are from my father’s biographical essay “In Place of Introduction” in Yiddish publishing house confession, and as a result his his collection of poems Farsrinbn in Zikorn/Written in Memory, Tel Aviv, torturers grew increasingly 1965. My translation is from the Yid- 3 Established in 1942, with Stalin’s dish-Russian translation by Alma Shin, blessing, JAC’s mission was to rally vicious. He received a pen name of Larissa Berni Shekht- world Jewry to donate funds to the permanent injury to the back man (http://www.newswe.com/index. financially stretched Soviet Union in its php?go=Pages&in=view&id=6086) fight against the Nazis. of his head and for the rest

10 n GAZETA VOLUME 24, NO. 2 Lawyer Tomasz Koncewicz (left) reviews Naftali Hertz Kon’s papers together with Kon’s daughters Ina Lancman (middle) and Vita Serf (right) at the Polish State Archives in Warsaw.

of his life suffered from My father, as well as the Few of those arrested survived headaches, insomnia, and whole world, would only the gulags. My father’s poor health. learn of the murders after Yiddish world had lost all its Nikita Khrushchev’s “secret” institutions and organizations His death sentence was speech at the 20th Congress of stature. The executed and commuted to 25 years in the of the Communist Party the perished had no graves. gulag. That’s where he was in 1956. The publication My father remembered them when, on August 12, 1952, of the speech, denouncing in a 27-stanza elegy, “Samuel the leaders of the Jewish Stalin’s personality cult and Halkin’s Jubilee.” 4 Its opening Antifascist Committee were “excesses,” coincided with lines, “The Yiddish world executed. Among them were the my father’s rehabilitation is stifled and suppressed/ leading lights of Soviet Yiddish and release from the gulag. Drowned in Jewish blood and literature: poets Peretz Markish, The news caught up with 4 Published in 1965, in Di Goldene Keyt/ David Hofsteyn, Leyb Kvitko, him as he was making his The Golden Chain, in Tel Aviv. It was included, in the English translation, in and Itzik Feffer, and the novelist way to Moscow, his first stop Great Yiddish Writers of the Twentieth Dovid Bergelson. They were my on the return to our home in Century anthology, selected and trans- lated by Joseph Leftwich. Jason Aron- father’s mentors during his 20s. Chernivtsy, Soviet Union. son Inc., 1969, 1987, pp. 482-486.

GAZETA SPRING 2017 n 11 misery...” are followed with It was thanks to those dignity,” poems, ballads, descriptions of the horrifying poetry smugglers, and and stories “were gestated and given birth to.” With no last days of many of the others to whom my father martyrs. One of them, a close money to buy pens and paper friend, was with him in one of had entrusted various of in the camp shop, he bartered the camps. “Hertz Rivkin, in his works, that “some of bread rations for a pencil the labor camp in Kazakhstan/ my poems and prose saw stub and scavenged for paper scraps that he sewed together Breathed his last, with his the light of day.” arms around me/I buried him as pages. in the blizzard, under snow and ice.” He repeated the process until The challenge was to keep the the poem lodged firmly in the scruffy “booklets” safe during Writers write no matter what, “secret, inaccessible safes/ the routine barracks searches. even in prisons and gulags. hidden in the head of mine.” Yiddish letters were a red flag, Between interrogations and Writing without having to so he used numbers, whole beatings, the poems and ideas wrestle with the inner censor and fractional, each a code kept on coming. To “satisfy felt like a triumph: for a letter. When questioned the powerful urge to write by the guards, he spoke of his and lighten the weight of all I For so long, biting my lips interest in number theory, a had been accumulating,” my I silence chose – unable to branch of higher mathematics. father went on writing. Since sing lies. He found camp employees inmates could not have pens Strangled and crashed them willing to smuggle out his or paper, he became adept – to face the world booklets. It was thanks to at “borrowing” small glass yesterday, today, tomorrow. those poetry smugglers, and panels he pried surreptitiously I prevailed – and proud others to whom my father had out of window frames along shoulders entrusted his various works, staircases and in shower stalls. and the weight they bore that “some of my poems and Back in the cell, he covered I kept. prose saw the light of day.” the glass with a paste of tooth powder and water and wrote After the prisons came the During the nineteen months on it with a match. Having camps, where amid the daily in Poland before my father’s memorized the text, he wiped “battle for every breath of arrest, I witnessed the almost the slate clean. air, and every drop of human maniacal energy with which

12 n GAZETA VOLUME 24, NO. 2 he worked to commit the of the confiscated papers. their independence and their contents of his booklets and That robbed the court of any singular dedication not to the “secret, inaccessible safes” wiggle room. ideology but their art. “The to paper. Alas, some of that writers belonged to one of the work ended up in the fateful My father left Poland for Israel most repressed professions,” seven folders. in 1965, knowing he would Shentalinsky writes. In the never see those papers again. Moscow KGB archives he Of all the previous losses of He remained disconsolate discovered the files of famous my father’s work, the loss of over their loss till his death in and as yet undiscovered those seven folders proved the Jerusalem at age 61. Russian writers and poets most painful. I witnessed his whose lives had been cut short grief as the two appeals for Now, when I think of these in the prisons and gulags. their return were denied. My papers, finally recovered in They number a staggering father’s attorney had argued, March 2013 and now in their 1,500 – a conservative unsuccessfully, that since his rightful place as part of my estimate, Shentalinsky sentence didn’t include the father’s archive at the YIVO believes. papers’ forfeiture, the decision Institute for Jewish Research to retain them was unlawful. in New York, a taunting ditty How many Pushkins, Tolstoys, Fifty years later, the courts he wrote in the gulag plays in Dostoyevskies, and Chekhovs of democratic Poland upheld my head: may have been there among the illegal decisions of their them? How many great works long-repudiated predecessors Do not sell in the shops of literature had the KGB – out of intellectual laziness Pens and paper, incinerated? Will we ever and moral morass, Koncewicz Pens and paper – dangerous know? One thing we do know: concluded (rather charitably, merchandise We are lucky that Pushkin, I thought). when together, they’re apt Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky, and to ignite Chekhov all lived in a The situation called for a when together, they fire different time. n creative move. In a brilliant conceal inside. stroke, Koncewicz filed a motion for the clarification The Soviet regime feared of the 1962 sentence as it writers’ creative, probing pertained to the ownership minds, felt threatened by

GAZETA SPRING 2017 n 13 NEWS UC Berkeley’s Magnes Acquires Arthur Szyk Art Collection, with Taube Gift

he extensive body of work “The Magnes is U.S., and the only one of Tof an artist and illustrator committed to exploring such size in the world housed whose subjects spanned some and documenting the at a research university — of the most profound events is particularly well suited cultures of Jews in the of the 20th century is now to study and showcase available to the world in a global diaspora, and the Szyk’s work. public institution for the first Taube Family Arthur time, thanks to a $10.1 million Szyk collection furthers “Arthur Szyk’s unique gift from Bay Area-based that goal. Our curatorial contributions to contemporary Taube Philanthropies to The art and political illustration task — and the academic Magnes Collection of Jewish have not yet been Art and Life at the University task of the larger recognized to the extent of California, Berkeley. The Berkeley community — his work deserves,” said Taube grant is the largest is to thoroughly examine Tad Taube, chairman of single monetary gift both to every aspect of Szyk’s Taube Philanthropies. “With acquire art and in the area of our shared Polish Jewish work and place it in Jewish studies in the history of heritage, and a relationship the university. proper context.” my parents developed with Szyk upon first arriving This gift provides students, War of Independence, World in the United States from scholars, and the public War II, and the Holocaust. Poland in the early 1940s, it access to the most significant is significant to me to ensure collection of works by Arthur The voluminous Szyk that Szyk’s remarkable works Szyk, a Polish Jewish artist collection, now known as the are available to today’s and and political caricaturist Taube Family Arthur Szyk future generations. Through who ultimately settled in the Collection, has moved from our philanthropic activities United States in 1940. Szyk a private owner to a world- at Taube Philanthropies, we used motifs drawn from the class university, exposing hope to create entrepreneurial Bible, history, politics, and new generations to a major opportunities. The elevation culture to pair extraordinary artist whose work is drawing of Szyk’s diverse, intricate craftsmanship with insightful significant interest in the portrayals of European, commentary on a diverse art world, decades after his American, and Jewish history, range of subjects including death. The Magnes — which and anti-Nazi political Judaism, the founding of the holds the third-largest Jewish propaganda, in the superb State of Israel, the American museum collection in the academic setting of UC

14 n GAZETA VOLUME 24, NO. 2 Berkeley provides an ideal and lived in London venue for Szyk’s monumental and Canada before collection.” moving to New York in 1940, where he “Arthur Szyk operated met Taube’s family. simultaneously in many countries, cultures, and While much languages, and he was a of Szyk’s art refugee for a good part of his is stylistically life,” said Francesco Spagnolo, reminiscent of curator of The Magnes medieval and Collection. “The Magnes is Renaissance committed to exploring and traditions, many of Arthur Szyk (1894-1951) Madness New York, 1941. Watercolor and gouache on paper. The Taube Family documenting the cultures of his works reflect the Arthur Szyk Collection, The Magnes Collection of Jews in the global diaspora, social and political Jewish Art and Life, University of California, Berkeley, and this collection furthers that unease that gripped Accession No. 2017.5.1.70 goal. Our curatorial task — and the world during other publications that featured the academic task of the larger his lifetime. A harsh critic of the artist’s work. Berkeley community — is Hitler and Nazi totalitarianism, to thoroughly examine every a number of his most famous Potential partnerships include aspect of Szyk’s work and pieces portray what Szyk called a portion of the collection place it in proper context.” the “madness” of his times. being sent on loan to the New York Historical Society Born into a middle-class Polish The newly acquired collection for a major exhibition Jewish family in Łódź in 1894, represents a range of Szyk’s opening in September 2017, Szyk lived a life framed by artistic activities, including potential international two world wars, the rise of many of his most valuable museum collaborations, totalitarianism in Europe, and works. They include 450 and cooperation with the the birth of the State of Israel, artworks, comprising paintings, Digital Humanities initiatives before his death in 1951. Much drawings, and sketches from at UC Berkeley. n of his work centered on these across the artist’s lifespan. historical experiences. Szyk Accompanying Szyk’s artwork http://www.magnes.org/about/ was raised in Poland, educated in the collection is a wealth of news/taube-family-arthur-szyk- in France, traveled to the documents, including books, collection-magnes Middle East and North Africa, newspapers, magazines, and

GAZETA SPRING 2017 n 15 Database to Help Survivors Julian and Fay Bussgang Reclaim Property in Warsaw Co-editors, Gazeta

he World Jewish was published. Since the list Restitution Organization of properties does not include T(WJRO) is urging Holocaust names of the owners, it may survivors and their descendants be difficult for heirs to identify to act promptly to revive whether a family member claims regarding properties in had previously made a claim. To help survivors and their Warsaw lost by their families heirs identify properties and during World War II or in reactivate claims, WJRO the subsequent Communist has created a new website, takeover. “Property Restitution in Warsaw.” It includes a A law that took effect on searchable database matching September 17, 2016, states that owners with properties and once such Warsaw property uses a special protocol to has been published in a Polish recognize alternative spellings newspaper by the City of of names. Warsaw, claimants have six months to claim their property This new property law applies and three months following only to claims already made that to prove their right to and does not address people the property. Claimants who who have not filed claims, nor take no action before the does it pertain to properties deadline will have their claims outside Warsaw. n terminated, and the property will be transferred permanently For more detailed information to the state treasury or to the about the database see City of Warsaw. http://wjro.org.il/our-work/ property-restitution-in- The City of Warsaw has compiled a list of 2,613 warsaw/. street addresses that have open property claims, and on February 22, 2017 the initial list of 48 properties

16 n GAZETA VOLUME 24, NO. 2 Julian and A Square in Paris Named for Julian and Fay Bussgang Fay Bussgang Co-editors, Gazeta Marek Edelman Co-editors, Gazeta

he City Council of Paris named a square for Marek TEdelman (1919-2009), the last surviving leader of the 1943 Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. The square is located in the 11th arrondissement at the intersection of the rue de la Fontaine au Roi and the rue du Moulin Joly. Onet News Marek Edelman quotes Edelman’s son, Alexander, who lives in Paris, He opposed the postwar Communist government as remarking, “This is the first (which interned him in 1981) place in the world that carries and supported the Solidarity my father’s name.” movement. Although his wife left for France in 1968, Marek Edelman was a member together with their two of the Bund, the Jewish children, Edelman continued to socialist labor organization, live in Łódź until his death in which was a leading organizer 2009 at age 90. Edelman was of the three-week uprising in the recipient of the Order of the Warsaw Ghetto. While the White Eagle in Poland and most of the other leaders were of the Legion d’Honneur in killed, he escaped through the France. n sewers to the Aryan side of Warsaw and later participated Source: http://www.reunion68. in the general Warsaw Uprising se/?p=50056 in August and September 1944.

After the war, Edelman became a cardiologist and practiced in Łódź. As one of the few survivors of both uprisings, he was highly regarded in Poland.

GAZETA SPRING 2017 n 17 Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum Appeal to Germany and Austria

n January 2017, the director generations will only remain private materials created by of the Auschwitz-Birkenau intuitive. We ask you to help.” members of the SS camp staff. IState Museum appealed to the “We kindly ask the public to German and Austrian publics Museum Director Dr. Piotr M. hand over any documents, to donate documents, photos, A. Cywiński explained that photos, personal letters, diaries, personal letters, or other analysis of the perpetrators or other materials that are in private hands. We have called materials associated with the relies on a relatively narrow range of historical evidence, on the most prominent German SS staff of the Auschwitz- “mainly on the accounts and Austrian media for help Birkenau concentration and and memories of former and publication of our appeal,” extermination camp. “Without prisoners, preserved camp he added. “Today, we need new a comprehensive analysis documentation, and postwar sources for a comprehensive and understanding of the court trial materials.” The picture of the history of motivation and mentality of appeal seeks to increase the Auschwitz and the Holocaust,” the perpetrators, our efforts number of sources such as emphasized Dr. Cywiński. n to wisely counsel future

AJC Central Europe Opens in Warsaw

n late March 2017, more than for Relations with 100 AJC leaders from across the Jewish Diaspora, Ithe United States gathered to has joined the AJC’s celebrate the opening of AJC’s Central Europe Office newest office – AJC Central as the Senior Program n Europe – in Warsaw. and Policy Officer. Ajc.org Sebastian Rejak, formerly the Special Envoy of Poland’s David Harris, AJC CEO; photo: Krzysztof Bielawski/ Minister of Foreign Affairs POLIN Museum

18 n GAZETA VOLUME 24, NO. 2 Restoration Returns Dignity to Bagnowka Jewish Cemetery in Bial/ ystok

n article in the Boston Globe by Cindy Cantrell Adescribes a remarkable effort by Amy and Josh Degen to assist in the restoration of the Bagnowka Jewish cemetery in Białystok. The couple had traveled in 2015 from their home in Groton, Connecticut, to Poland to attend a forum on post-World War II Polish- Amy and Josh Degen are helping to restore a Jewish cemetery in Białystok. Jewish relations. Amy is a Holocaust educator who lost relatives in the Holocaust, and donations and returned to effort-returns-dignity- Josh is a landscape contractor. Bagnowka in 2016 with a jewish-cemetery-poland/ During their visit with local six-member group. Working CghwBSzcaiW2lmnloQEmiJ/ resident and Jewish advocate with local volunteers they story.html?event=event25&s_ Lucy Lisowska, the couple cleaned and reset 301 stones campaign=sm_gp&hl=en-US observed the devastation in six days. The Degens have of the Bagnowka cemetery, opened a second fundraising which once contained an campaign on GoFundMe estimated 30,000 headstones to pay for their restoration and monuments. Watching a efforts this summer, which local group working to restore aim to repair an additional the site, Josh realized they 500 headstones and could work much faster with monuments. n better equipment, and instead of resetting two headstones a For more information, search day could do 50 or more. Białystok at gofundme.com.

The couple launched a http://www.bostonglobe. fundraising campaign through com/metro/regionals/ GoFundMe and private west/2017/01/27/restoration-

GAZETA SPRING 2017 n 19 EXHIBITIONS Jewish Museum in Tykocin Jewish Heritage Synagogue Marks 40th Anniversary Europe with Revamped Exhibition

he Jewish Museum in the 1, 1976, as a branch of the 17th-century synagogue Podlaskie District Museum in Tin Tykocin marked its 40th Białystok. It was one of the anniversary on December 17, few Jewish museums to open 2016 with a day of events or operate in Communist-ruled that included the inauguration East Central Europe. of a revamped permanent exhibition and interior Brilliantly colored paintings, renovations in the works for including the texts of prayers, the past two years. were conserved on the sanctuary’s soaring walls and A massive masonry building central four-pillar bimah, and with a high mansard roof, the ritual objects were displayed synagogue was desecrated in a few glass cases with little during World War II but contextual explanation. In the rebuilt and restored in the Inside the Tykocin synagogue; photo: building’s low side tower, one Ruth Ellen Gruber (1990) 1970s. It opened on November circular room was arrayed like

Inside the Tykocin synagogue; photo: Anna Sierko/Virtual Shtetl

20 n GAZETA VOLUME 24, NO. 2 wooden cabinet of the ark. The massive bimah has also undergone conservation. The reconstructions were based on interwar photos taken by Szymon Zajczyk, the researcher whose photos are the only documentation of many masonry and wooden synagogues that were destroyed in World War II. Zajczyk’s photos are conserved at the Institute of Art of the Polish Academy of Sciences. Other sources Tykocin synagogue from the outside; photo: Ruth Ellen Gruber (1990) included archival photographs at Beit Hatfutsot in Israel. n the study of a rabbi, and in The synagogue was voted http://www.jewish-heritage- another a table was laid as if one of the “new seven for a Passover seder. europe.eu/2016/12/11/poland- wonders” of Poland, in jewish-museum-in-tykocin- synagogue/%E2%80%9D It is a major attraction in the a readers’ contest little town, visited by at least by Polish National 60,000 people a year. Three years ago, the synagogue Geographic Traveler. was voted one of the “new seven wonders” of Poland, Financed by Poland’s in the third edition of a Ministry of Culture and readers’ contest sponsored National Heritage, the by the Polish edition of exhibit features replicas of National Geographic the original furnishings in Traveler magazine. the sanctuary, including the

GAZETA SPRING 2017 n 21 Exhibit on the History of the Jewish Heritage Old Synagogue, Krako´w Europe On Display through November 2017

temporary exhibit at the Old Synagogue Ain Kraków’s Kazimierz district illustrates the more than 500-year history of the Gothic building, which today serves as the venue for the Jewish history branch of the Kraków Historical Museum – the synagogue itself being the museum’s main exhibit. “The Mainstay of Tradition,” curated by Eugeniusz Duda, opened December 22, 2016, and will run until November Educational activities outside the Old Synagogue; photo: Ruth Ellen Gruber 30, 2017. Museum. Before World War at the Old Synagogue in Built in the 15th century and II a small museum of ritual 2014-16, with discussions remodeled many times, the objects and other treasures about Kraków rabbis between synagogue is the oldest of had been mounted in a room the Middle Ages and the the seven in Kazimierz and of the synagogue building. 20th century, the catalogue the oldest existing synagogue The interior features include illuminates the history of the in Poland. It was looted Gothic vaulting, a late- monument and the Kraków and devastated by the Nazis Renaissance stone ark, and rabbinate. The volume also during World War II and left a bimah surrounded by an includes a description of a partial ruin. Painstakingly elaborate wrought-iron grille. exhibits of both paintings and restored in 1956-59 by the graphic works. n government’s Monuments The exhibition catalogue Preservation Fund, the features illustrated articles http://www.jewish-heritage- building was then reopened to on the Old Synagogue’s europe.eu/2017/01/08/poland- house a permanent exhibit of architecture, history, and social krakow-exhibit-on-history-of- the Judaica collection owned role. Presenting material from old-synagogue/%E2%80%9D by the Krakόw City History archeological studies conducted

22 n GAZETA VOLUME 24, NO. 2 The Hirszenberg Brothers Adam Klimczak Anna Łagodzińska On Display in Łódź and Warsaw Museum of the City of Łódź

he Hirszenberg Brothers Some are still part of the décor – In Search of the of the dining room, while “TPromised Land” was organized others are held by the Museum by the Museum of the City of the City of Łódź and the of Łódź and the Emanuel Museum of Art in Łódź. Ringelblum Jewish Historical Institute in Warsaw. This unique The exhibition assembles some The Jewish Cemetery, by Samuel exhibition of works by artist Hirszenberg, 1892 100 works of the artists and Samuel Hirszenberg and his their artistic milieu, many on brothers Leon (painter) and Jewish factory owner in loan from Polish and foreign Henryk (architect) opened in Łódź. A symbol of class institutions as well as from November 2016 in Łódź and on and status, the building is private collectors. As a prelude March 30, 2017 in Warsaw at the biggest residence of this to the exhibition, a conference the Jewish Historical Institute, type in Europe. The children of the same title was organized where it will be featured until of Poznański, after their in 2015. Leading experts from June 2017. The curators of the father passed away, decided Poland and Israel discussed exhibition are Adam Klimczak to rebuild it and create a the oeuvre of Samuel, Leon, and Łukasz Grzejszczak from ballroom and dining room. and Henryk Hirszenberg and the Museum of the City of Łódź They entrusted the design to their contribution to Polish, and Teresa Śmiechowska from Samuel Hirszenberg, one of Jewish, and European culture. the Jewish Historical Institute. the most important Jewish Cooperation with the Jewish The Polish Ministry of Culture artists in Poland. It was not Historical Institute in Warsaw and National Heritage and the a random choice, for the began on that occasion. City of Łódź, together with the family had been supporting The Museum of the City of Trotec Group, provided support. Hirszenberg from early in his Łódź is releasing a bilingual career through a scholarship publication accompanying The main seat of the Museum and special commissions. the project. n of the City of Łódź is located in an impressive mansion The Museum of the City of http://www.jhi.pl/en/blog/ that once belonged to the Łódź holds a unique legacy 2017-03-22-the-hirszenberg- company established by Israel of Samuel Hirszenberg’s brothers-in-search-of-the- Kalmanowicz Poznański monumental paintings that promised-land (1833-1900) – the wealthiest once decorated the mansion.

GAZETA SPRING 2017 n 23 CONFERENCES Dr. Antony Polonsky Chief Historian International Workshop on POLIN Museum of the “A Present Past” History of Polish Jews

OLIN Museum in Warsaw The goal of the workshop of the Polish musical and hosted an international was to examine the entertainment scene during the Presearch workshop, “A Present interwar years. Past: Modern Representations interaction between Poles of Polish-Jewish Everyday and Jews, the influences The first session of the first Coexistence in Word, Image that each group has day addressed “Coexistence and Sound,” on October 25- in Space.” Yechiel Weizman 27, 2016. The institutional had on the other, and of the University of Haifa participants were POLIN the resonances of this discussed “From Coexistence Museum, the University interaction today. to Nonexistence: The Material of Haifa, and the Taube Jewish Traces in Olkusz after Department of Jewish Studies Sound and the Fury that “the the Holocaust,” while Ruthie at Wrocław University. past is never dead. It’s not Kaplan of the Haifa Technion It was organized within even past.” analyzed “Manufacturing a the framework of POLIN Sense of Belonging: Jewish Museum’s Global Education The goal of the workshop was Everyday Lives in 19th- Outreach Program (GEOP) to examine the interaction Century lndustrial Łódź.” The and was made possible thanks between Poles and Jews, the second session investigated to the support of the Taube influences that each group “Coexistence in Image,” with Foundation for Jewish Life has had on the other, and the papers by Renata Piątkowska & Culture, the William K. resonances of this interaction of POLIN Museum, “The Bowes, Jr. Foundation, and today. After analyzing the Role of the Jewish Society for the Association of the Jewish complex and ambivalent the Encouragement of Fine Historical Institute of Poland. nature of many aspects of Arts in the Art and Culture Polish-Jewish coexistence, Scene of Warsaw,” and Aviv The keynote address was Polonsky examined some of Livnat of Tel Aviv University given by Antony Polonsky, the most important Jewish and Bezalel, “Józef Sandel chief historian of POLIN contributions to Polish and the Mutual Narratives of Museum. He pointed out that cultural life in art, literature, Modern Polish-Jewish Art.” the phrase “a present past” and music and how they were is an expression coined in received. He concentrated The first session on the 1993 by Richard Terdiman to on the work of the painter second day was “Coexistence signal the persistence of the Maurycy Gottlieb, the poet in Word: Historiography.” past in the present. Its essence Julian Tuwim, and the role It offered contributions by is expressed in William of people of Jewish origin in Anat Vaturi of the University Faulkner’s statement in The the cosmopolitan character of Haifa on “Rejection and

24 n GAZETA VOLUME 24, NO. 2 Acceptance? Heritage of by Eleanor Shapiro of the Ontologies of Expectations”; 20th-Century Historiographic Graduate Theological Union, and Weronika Romanik, Representations of Jewish Berkeley, “Postwar Jewish “Social Ontologies of Experience in the Polish- Music in Poland.” Expectations in the Trajectory Lithuanian Commonwealth,” of Polish-Jewish Youth and by Hanna Kozińska- The final day explored Encounters.” Witt of the University of “Memory and Representations Halle on “Unpresent Past? of Coexistence.” The main The workshop concluded with Nonexistent Memories? session was “Polish and a roundtable on “Word, Image, A History of Jewish Jewish Social Ontologies of Sound and Museum: From Participation in Municipal Expectations and Their Role in Representation to Cultural Self-Governments in the the Creation of Polish-Jewish Memory,” with contributions Second Polish Republic.” Memory and Representations from Renata Piątkowska, The second session, devoted of Coexistence.” Organized Marcos Silber of the to “Coexistence in Word: by the University of Wrocław, University of Haifa, Marcin Literature and Press,” featured it included papers by four Wodziński of the University papers by Eugenia Prokop- of its faculty: Katarzyna of Wrocław, and Antony Janiec of the Jagiellonian Liszka, who discussed Polonsky. University, “The Polish “The Meaning of Social Language in Jewish Everyday Ontologies of Expectations Participants were able to spend Life: Popular Press and in Representations of a considerable amount of time Literature in the 1930s,” and Polish-Jewish Coexistence. familiarizing themselves with by Dorota Burda-Fischer Theoretical Perspectives”; how the museum’s permanent of the University of Haifa, Kamil Kijek, “Republic of exhibition handles the memory “Subjective Memory in the Poverty, Hatred, National of Polish-Jewish coexistence. Presentation of Polish-Jewish Subjectivity and Freedom. It is hoped that the workshop Coexistence: Stanisław Jewish Attitudes to the proceedings will soon be Vincenz’s Writings.” The final Interwar Polish State and published and will stimulate session explored “Coexistence Their Socio-Political Meaning further discussions on the in Sound,” with contributions in the Years 1945-1950”; important themes discussed. n by Tamara Sztyma-Knasiecka Karolina Szymaniak, “In of POLIN Museum, “On the the Ghetto of Tradition: https://www.pol-int.org/sites/ Dance Floor, on the Screen, Constructions of Jewish/ default/files/tagungsprogramm/ on the Stage. Popular Music Yiddish Culture in 20th and program_a_present_past_.pdf in the Interwar Period: 21st Century Poland and Polish, Jewish, Shared,” and the Changing Jewish-Polish

GAZETA SPRING 2017 n 25 Conference on the Conceptualizations Dr. Antony Polonsky of the Holocaust in Germany, Chief Historian Lithuania, Poland, and Ukraine POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews since the 1990s

n important international the Germanocentric approach Franziska Bruder from Berlin conference at the to the Holocaust. David investigated “Escapes from AGerman Historical Institute Silberklang of Yad Vashem Deportation Trains: Critical in Warsaw addressed the presented a paper “In the Reflections on New Aspects conceptualizations of the Eyes of the Beholder: The of Jewish Resistance.” Holocaust in Germany, Complexion of the Shoah in Joshua Zimmerman of Lithuania, Poland, and Ukraine the Lublin District,” while Yeshiva University, New since the 1990s and how they Christoph Dieckmann of York, discussed “The AK, the have been reflected in historical the Fritz Bauer Institute Delegate’s Bureau, and the research. The three-day Jews: What Do the Sources meeting, December 5-7, 2016, Reveal?” while Elżbieta The conference challenged was held with funding from the Janicka of the Instytut Max Weber Foundation for the the Germanocentric Slawistyki of the Polish support of German scholarship approach to the Holocaust. Academy probed the topic abroad. The organizers were “Bystanders or Participating Katrin Stoll of the German Observers? The German Historical Institute in Warsaw in Frankfurt-am-Main Project and the Local Contexts and Grzegorz Rossoliński- discussed “Transnational in Occupied Poland.” Liebe of the Friedrich- Violence in Lithuania and Meinecke-Institute at the Free German History.” Nicolas In the Ukrainian session, University of Berlin. Berg of the Simon Dubnow Kai Struve of the Institute Institute Leipzig investigated for History at the Martin- Omer Bartov of Brown “German Historians and the Luther University in Halle/ University, who was to give Conceptualizations of the Wittenberg gave an account the keynote speech, could not Holocaust, 1945 to 1990,” of “The Pogroms in 1941 attend because of his father’s and Moshe Zimmermann and the German and illness. His path-breaking of Hebrew University Ukrainian Perpetrators.” address on “Denationalizing examined “The Holocaust Anatoly Podolsky, director and Transnationalizing in Post-Unification German of the Ukrainian Centre for Holocaust Perpetrators: The Historiography.” Holocaust Studies in Kiev, View from Below” was read spoke about “Exploring, by Katrin Stoll. Other sessions explored new Teaching and Debating the approaches to the Holocaust Holocaust in Ukraine since the Sessions on the first day of in Poland and Ukraine. 1990s,” while Olga Baranova the conference challenged In the session on Poland, of the Diplomatic Academy in

26 n GAZETA VOLUME 24, NO. 2 Vienna discussed “Memory of the project for an atlas of history of their own countries the Holocaust in Ukraine and the Lithuanian Holocaust. and that the more apologetic Belorussia.” Vilnius-based journalist historians were not there to Ruta Vanagaite, author present their views. n Presentations on the second of the controversial book day were devoted to Mūsiškiai (Our People, 2016), https://www.pol-int.org/ “Representing and Debating sometimes described as the en/conference/conference- the Holocaust in Poland” with Lithuanian counterpart of Jan conceptualizations-holocaust- papers by Joanna Michlic of Tomasz Gross’s Neighbors, germany-lithuania University College, London, discussed “The Motivation “Memory of the Holocaust [of the Shooters] to Kill; the at the Crossroads: Poland Motivation [of Lithuanian 2016”; Hannah Wilson of Governments] to Conceal the Nottingham Trent University, Crimes.” Efraim Zuroff of the “The Re-Conceptualization Simon Wiesenthal Institute of Sobibór Memorial Site”; of Jerusalem spoke about and Annika Wienert of the “Holocaust Distortion in Post- German Historical Institute in Communist Eastern Europe: Warsaw, “Holocaust-Related The Example of Lithuania.” Art from Poland in National and Transnational Contexts.” The conference was marked by a high level of discussion Two sessions were devoted to of the complex and difficult investigating the Holocaust subjects examined and a in Lithuania beyond the willingness to look beyond Lithuanian nationalist and narrow national perspectives. Germanocentric narratives. It certainly broke much new Stanislovas Stasiulis of the ground, and the publication University of Vilnius offered of the conference proceedings “The Holocaust in Lithuania: will undoubtedly make a major Common History – Separate impact on Holocaust studies Memory,” while Milda in East Central Europe. It is Jakulytė-Vasil, a doctoral only to be regretted that the student at the University participants represented the of Amsterdam, described self-critical approach to the

GAZETA SPRING 2017 n 27 Dr. Antony Polonsky Conference on Writing Jewish Chief Historian POLIN Museum of the History in Eastern Europe History of Polish Jews

n January 19, 2017, a centuries. This was a period one-day conference, of social, economic, and O“Writing Jewish History political upheaval, and for the in Eastern Europe,” was emerging class of educated organized at the Polish Jews the writing and reading Embassy in London by the of Jewish history provided Institute for Polish-Jewish not only intellectual but Studies, the American also emotional and moral Association for Polish-Jewish sustenance. Facing an insecure Studies, the Institute of future became easier with an Jewish Studies, University understanding of the Jewish College London, and the place in that past. Polish Cultural Institute, London. It received financial Drawing on the multilingual support from the Salo W. body of scholarly and popular and Jeannette M. Baron literature that emerged in that Foundation in New York. their history continues to be turbulent environment, the studied and discussed by the contributors to this volume The goal of the conference international community of attempt to go beyond the organizers was to launch scholars. established paradigms and Volume 29 of Polin: Studies examine the relationship in Polish Jewry, which has This volume of Polin is between the writing of Jewish as its theme “Writing Jewish devoted to the development history and of non-Jewish History in Eastern Europe” of Jewish historiography history in Eastern Europe. and was edited by Natalia in the three east European Their examinations expose the Aleksiun, Brian Horowitz, and centers – Congress Poland, the tension between the study of Antony Polonsky. The volume Russian Empire, and Galicia the Jewish past in a communal draws on research in many – that together contained setting and in a wider, disciplines and from different most of world Jewry. As the regional setting that located methodological points of view editors note, historiography Jews firmly in the non-Jewish and offers insight into the self- formed an unusually political, economic, and perception of East European important component of the cultural environment. They Jews as they struggled with popular culture and heritage also explore the relationship the concepts of modernity of East European Jewry in between history, seen as the and national identity and how the late 19th and early 20th popular understanding of the

28 n GAZETA VOLUME 24, NO. 2 past, and scholarly history, The volume...offers The conference was opened understood as an interpretation insight into the self- by His Excellency, Arkady of the past based on rigorous Rzegocki, Ambassador of source analysis, that lays perception of East the Republic of Poland; claim to objectivity and European Jews as Vivian Wineman, President authority. they struggled with the of the Institute for Polish- Jewish Studies; and Ben Jewish historical scholarship concepts of modernity Helfgott, Chairman of the grew out of the intellectual and national identity Institute for Polish-Jewish climate of the Haskalah and how their history Studies. It consisted of three and the influence of new sessions. The first sought approaches to history continues to be studied to elucidate the goals of the writing, most importantly the and discussed by the volume. Natalia Aleksiun of historical-critical method, international community Touro College, New York, which both encouraged novel one of the editors, gave a modes of thinking about self of scholars. paper entitled “Then and and others and promoted two centuries. Even today it Now: Mapping Polish Jewish critical inquiry and new revisits many of the questions Historiography,” and a second approaches to traditional of importance to scholars and editor, Brian Horowitz of sources. At the same time, audiences since its emergence: Tulane University, New however, in response to what how Jews lived, both within Orleans, gave an account of the traditionalists perceived as the narrow Jewish world and “Eastern European History secular research, an Orthodox in contact with the wider on Three Continents.” The historiography also emerged, society; the limits of Jewish second session addressed the driven not only by scholarly insularity and integration; European dimension of Polish- curiosity but also by the expressions of persecution and Jewish history with papers by need to provide a powerful anti-Jewish violence; and also Eliyana Adler of Pennsylvania counterweight in the struggle Jewish contributions to the State University, “Out of the against modernity. societies and states of Eastern Ghetto? Historiography on Europe. Many challenges Jewish Women in Eastern In fact, East European Jewish remain including questions of Europe”; Jürgen Heyde of the historiography has undergone the purpose of the research, its University of Leipzig, “Polin many methodological, ideological coloring, and its and the Ghetto. European thematic, and ideological relevance for contemporary Narratives in Historical transformations over the last Jewish communities. Writings on Polish Jewry

GAZETA SPRING 2017 n 29 in the Long Nineteenth Century”; and François Guesnet of University College London on “Heinrich Graetz Finally at Rest in Wrocław: Eastern Central Europe as a Space of Jewish Historical Entanglement.”

The final session, “The Present State of Polish- François Guesnet, Reader in Modern Jewish History in the Department Jewish Historiography,” of Hebrew and Jewish Studies at was chaired by Jan Kubik University College London, co- of the London School of organizer of the conference with Antony Polonsky Slavonic and East European Studies. Panel members were Edyta Gawron (Jagiellonian participants and marked by a University), Antony Polonsky collegial and open atmosphere. (Brandeis University and Ludo Craddock, the CEO of POLIN Museum), and Natalia the Littman Library of Jewish Aleksiun. Norman Davies Civilization, who is about to (University of Oxford) was retire, received tributes for unable to participate because his sterling efforts to promote of illness. The conference Polin. The Littman Library of concluded with a presentation Jewish Civilization has entered by Natalia Romik (UCL into an arrangement with Bartlett School of Architecture) Liverpool University Press that on the Nomadic Shtetl Archive, will make possible the more a remarkable and innovative effective distribution of its n program for helping residents books and of Polin. in small Polish towns better understand their Jewish past. https://liverpooluniversitypress. co.uk/products/87488 The conference was attended by more than a hundred

30 n GAZETA VOLUME 24, NO. 2 International Colloquium Dr. Antony Polonsky Chief Historian on Polish Jewish History as POLIN Museum of the Reflected in Poland and Israel History of Polish Jews

n international colloquium Education at the Jagiellonian The first afternoon session on Polish-Jewish History University, gave a moving provided a comparative Aas reflected in education in address on “Why We Should discussion of regional and Poland and Israel took place at Teach about the Holocaust in local history. Antony Polonsky, POLIN Museum of the History Poland and in Europe.” POLIN Museum, discussed of Polish Jews on February “The History of Galician Jews 25-27, 2017. The meeting was The first day offered four in the General Polish Context.” sponsored by the museum, sessions. The first discussed Moti Zalkin, Ben Gurion the Jagiellonian University “Jews in Poland, Poles in University of the Negev, gave and its UNESCO chair in Israel, 1264-2016,” with papers a paper on “East European Holocaust education, the by Israel Bartal of the Hebrew (Jewry)? What Do They Have Research Project on Galician University, “Polani, Galitsianer, in Common?” Sam Kassow, and Bukovinian Jewry, and the Litvak, Yeke, Ashkenazi? Trinity College, examined Israeli-based Organization for Changing Narratives in Israeli “Regional Aspects of Polish Jewish Galicia and Bukovina. Collective Memory, 1882- Jewish History.” The final The organizing committee 2017”; Eyal Naveh of Tel Aviv session offered a comparative consisted of Israel Bartal of the University, “Poland as a Topic discussion of regional and Hebrew University, Jerusalem; in the Israeli History Studies: local history, with papers by Jolanta Ambrosewicz-Jacobs Curriculum, Textbooks, Extra- Michał Bilewicz, University of the Jagiellonian University; Curriculum Activities”; and of Warsaw, “Teaching Polish Havi Dreifuss of Tel Aviv Hanna Węgrzynek of POLIN Students about Jewish History University; and Łucja Koch Museum, “Coincidence or and the Holocaust. Chances and and Hanna Węgrzynek of Intentional Policy? How the Risks”; Maya Shabat Pinhas, POLIN Museum. Holocaust Became Part of Jewish Galicia and Bukovina Polish Curricula.” In the second Project, University of Haifa, The colloquium was opened session, Benny Brown of the “From Within and Without; by Dariusz Stola, director of Hebrew University analyzed Local vs. Regional Criticism of POLIN Museum, and Arieh J. “Poland of Yesterday in the the Polish Rabbinic Educational Kochavi, head of the Strochlitz Eyes of the Hasidim of Today,” System: The views of Rabbi Institute for Holocaust and Kamila Dąbrowska of the Dr. Samuel Abraham Poznanski Research at the University POLIN Museum investigated and Rabbi Dr. Simon Bernfeld”; of Haifa and director of the “Narratives of Expulsion: and Marta Kubiszyn, Center Jewish Galicia and Bukovina Polish Jews in Israel after the for Jewish Studies, Maria Project. Zdzisław Mach, Polish Anti-Semitic Campaign Curie-Skłodowska University, UNESCO Chair for Holocaust of 1968.” Lublin, “Memory – Place

GAZETA SPRING 2017 n 31 – Participation. Holocaust The conference concluded with Museum, and Edyta Gawron of Education in Selected Projects roundtables on “Museums and the Institute of Jewish Studies, of the State Museum in Educational Initiatives” and Jagiellonian University, who Majdanek in Lublin.” the “Presentation of Jewish and represented the Galicia Jewish Polish History.” The first was Museum and the Schindler There were two sessions chaired by Eyal Naveh, Tel Factory of the Historical on the final day. The first Aviv University, and featured Museum of the City of Kraków. surveyed “Embedded Poland contributions by Krzysztof – Signs, Views and Memory in Bielawski on the Shtetl Portal The colloquium was informa- Ultraorthodox Israeli Jewry,” of POLIN Museum, by tive and rewarding and was with two speakers from the Joanna Zetar on the Brama followed by a session on the Institute for the Rabbinic Grodzka—Teatr NN in Lublin, next day devoted to the work of Heritage of Galician and by Weronika Czyżewska on the the Research Project on Gali- Bukovinian Jewry and Herzog Sejny Borderlands project, by cian and Bukovinian Jewry. A Academic College. Rabbi Tadeusz Woleński on the Polish guided tour of the former Jew- Yehuda Horowitz spoke on Institute in Tel Aviv, by Nitza ish ghetto in Warsaw and of the “Relics of Polish Jewry in Davidovitz on the activities educational spaces of the muse- Israeli Life – Symbols and of Ariel University, and by um enabled participants see the Customs,” and Yisrael Malkiel Nili Amit on the Polish-Israeli museum’s the educational work on “Educating with Notes: programs of POLIN Museum. first-hand. A particularly mov- Communal Memory and ing part of the conference was Religious Musical Practice: In the second roundtable, a performance of Jewish music From Poland to Israel.” The chaired by Antony Polonsky, by the POLIN Choir, a commu- final session scrutinized the museum representatives nity-based, experimental choir “Memory of the Jewish Past explained how they saw the consisting of professionals and in Poland and in Israel,” educational and outreach goals amateurs that was also part of with papers by Jolanta of their institutions. Those POLIN Museum’s temporary Ambrosewicz-Jacobs, the participating were Orit Shaham exhibition “Jukebox, Jewkbox! Jagiellonian University, on Gover of Beit Hatfutsot, Krista The Jewish Century of Shellac “Memory Conflicts in Poland Hegburg of the United States and Vinyl.” n Related to the Jewish Past and Holocaust Memorial Museum, the Holocaust,” and Idit Gil, Orit Margoliot of Yad Vashem, http://www.wsmip.uj.edu.pl/ Open University of Israel, on Anat Bratman of the Ghetto documents/41658/135449381/ “The Burning Shtetl in the Fighters House, Łucja Koch and HU/0e5c51ac-b833-4ba9-8b84- Israeli Collective Memory.” Sonia Ruszkowska of POLIN 1a413d3fe2ff

32 n GAZETA VOLUME 24, NO. 2 Małgorzata Pakier, Ph.D. “Museums and Their Publics at Global Education Outreach Program (GEOP) Sites of Conflicted History” POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews

useums and Their Publics at Sites “Mof Conflicted History,” an international conference at POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews, was organized within the Global Education Outreach Program (GEOP) in partnership with Birkbeck University of London, Concordia University of Montreal, New York University, University of Photo: M. Starowieyska/POLIN Museum Warsaw, and ICOM–Poland. from Tel Aviv University. strength of the conference About 220 scholars, museum Participants brought together was the global perspective professionals, and students theoretical insights and afforded by the international from more than 25 countries practical experience to participants. Case studies in Europe, North and Latin advance the field of public included the Canadian America, Africa, and Asia history at the convergence of Museum of Human Rights, attended. From more than the academy and the museum. which struggles with the 200 responses to the call for dramatic local history of papers, 87 were accepted, The key question posed indigenous First Nations and about 100 panelists during the conference was while addressing global took part in 19 sessions. the role of museums in issues. Panelists discussed The distinguished keynote negotiating public histories how recent traumatic events speakers were Nelia Dias and their responsibility to the find their expression in new from ISCTE-IUL and CRIA public. Participants addressed museums, for example, in Lisbon, John H. Falk from such topics as ethics and in Majdan Museum in Oregon State University, education, emotion and Ukraine. Also discussed Sławomir Kapralski from experience, visitor research, were plans in the making the Pedagogical University irreconcilable historical for the commemoration of of Kraków and the Centre narratives, dialogue and the Płaszów concentration for Social Studies PAN in reconciliation, and memory camp in Poland. Insights Warsaw, and Eyal Naveh and nostalgia. A singular into these and other projects

GAZETA SPRING 2017 n 33 The key question posed was the role of museums in negotiating public histories and their responsibility to the public. were greatly enriched by comparative panels, supported by strong theoretical perspective.

Media coverage of the conference included radio podcasts, a radio interview, an article on jewish.pl, a Photo: M. Starowieyska/POLIN Museum report on “Thinking Through Museums,” and a report that Association of the Jewish will appear on Monica Historical Institute of Poland, Patterson’s blog. and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, Recordings of the conference Republic of Poland. n are now available: http://www. polin.pl/en/recordings-of-the- http://www.polin.pl/en/ conference. A publication of conference-museums-and-their- selected presentations is being publics planned.

The conference, as part of the Global Education Outreach Program (GEOP), was sponsored by the Taube Foundation for Jewish Life & Culture, the William K. Bowes, Jr. Foundation, the

34 n GAZETA VOLUME 24, NO. 2 Dr. Geneviève Zubrzycki “Generations and Genealogies”: Associate Professor of Sociology Director, Copernicus Program 4th Annual Polish Jewish in Polish Studies Director, Weiser Center for Workshop Europe and Eurasia University of Michigan

n April 2-4, 2017, the Copernicus Program in OPolish Studies (CPPS) at the University of Michigan hosted an international workshop on the theme “Generations and Genealogies.” This was the 4th Annual Polish Jewish Workshop, drawing on a global, interdisciplinary network of scholars who conduct research on critical issues in the culture and history of Polish Jews. CPPS Director and Associate L to R: Karen Underhill, Antony Polonsky, Piotr Wróbel, Gershon Bacon Professor of Sociology Geneviève Zubrzycki, who Polish Jewish life and culture, Lecture, delivered to a full organized the workshop, as well as the past, especially auditorium by distinguished commented on its importance: through the lens of history and Polish activist Adam Michnik “The field of Polish Jewish museums. Of particular note is on the legacy of 1968 protests studies is undergoing a the enthusiastic participation for the Jewish community in significant boom, and we of junior scholars in this Poland. Michnik received an were honored to host a dynamic field. Presenters honorary doctorate from the conference that brought included researchers and University of Michigan in together distinguished senior activists in the third or 2001, and this is the third time academics and up-and-coming fourth generation since the he has delivered the Annual scholars from three continents, Holocaust, who are focusing Copernicus Lecture. He also discussing the genealogy their scholarly work on Jewish visited University of Michigan of the field and where it is religion, history, and culture for a major conference going, as well as opening new in Poland, which signals that marking the 10th anniversary avenues for future research.” the field has longevity and the of the Polish Round Table potential for growth. talks that led to the peaceful During the workshop, nearly end to Communism in Poland 40 scholars presented their A highlight of the gathering and elsewhere across Europe. research on contemporary was the Annual Copernicus In addition to Adam Michnik,

GAZETA SPRING 2017 n 35 the workshop hosted author Warsaw’s Robert B. Zajonc and scholar Agata Tuszyńska, Institute for Social Studies. who read from her recently Additional support came from translated book Family the following University of History of Fear: A Memoir. Michigan co-sponsors: Center Other distinguished guests for Russian, East European, included renowned historian and Eurasian Studies; College Samuel Kassow from Trinity of Literature, Science, and the College, Andrzej Rojek and Arts; Department of Slavic Ewa Junczyk-Ziomecka from the Jan Karski Educational “The field of Polish Foundation, and Patti Kenner of the Indian Trail Charitable Jewish studies is Foundation. The conference undergoing a significant was also well attended by boom.” members of the Detroit- area Polish and Jewish communities. Languages and Literatures; Frankel Center for Judaic The 4th Annual Polish Jewish Studies; Institute for the Workshop was organized Humanities; International by CPPS in collaboration Institute; Office of Research; with the Adam Mickiewicz Rackham Dean’s Strategic Institute as part of the Initiative Fund; and Weiser Campus Project along with Center for Emerging the following lead sponsors: Democracies. n Indian Trail Charitable Foundation in Memory of Bert To view paper abstracts, J. Askwith ’31, Jan Karski presenter biographies, Educational Foundation, and video of the Annual National Programme for the Copernicus Lecture, visit: Development of Humanities http://www.ii.umich.edu/cpps/ (Poland), POLIN Museum polish-jewish-studies/polish- of the History of Polish jewish-studies-workshop.html Jews, and University of

36 n GAZETA VOLUME 24, NO. 2 BOOK REVIEW Przemoc filosemicka?. Nowe polskie narracje o Zydach po roku 2000 Agnieszka Ilwicka Taube Foundation for (Philosemitic abuse? New Polish narratives about Jewish Life & Culture Jews after 2000) Dr. Elżbieta Janicka and Dr. Tomasz Żukowski

n this provocative, new and Żukowski appear to hold work, scholars Dr. Elżbieta this view, although for them, IJanicka (Slavic Studies “sheep’s clothing” would Institute, Polish Academy not be a sufficiently harsh of Science) and Dr. Tomasz descriptive. Żukowski (Literature Research Institute, Polish The essays appear in Academy of Science) have chronological order of each collected five examples of project’s appearance (2008- projects initiated after 2000 2012). The first text analyzes that explore Polish memory of Jolanta Dylewska’s film the country’s Jewish heritage, Po-lin. Scraps of Memory created by Poles in a manner (2008), recipient of accolades intended to be philosemitic. in Poland and internationally. The authors deconstruct the The film consists of pre- projects in critical essays, Janicka and Żukowski war Jewish home movies which argue that Jews are among the first made for relatives living in are being objectified in a Polish scholars to America. The authors argue manner that they describe as that Dylewska manipulates the “philosemitic abuse.” introduce a critique of original purpose and historical philosemitism into Polish context, redirecting the Philosemitism, the idealization cultural criticism. message Jews were sending of Jews and Judaism, has held to relatives to a present- positive connotations in Polish are among the first Polish day Polish audience, as if culture, particularly since the scholars to introduce a critique the latter were the intended post-communist resurgence of philosemitism into Polish audience. “Each of the filmed of Jewish communities and cultural criticism. Outside Jews looks into the eye of culture. The participation of of Poland, philosemitism the camera with a smile and Poles in the Jewish cultural has long carried ambiguous affection. I thought that if revival, whether or not they meanings. As Jonathan Karp they perhaps could look at the are Jewish, has for the most and Adam Sutcliffe note in audience the same way, the part been understood inside their Philosemitism in History audience would remember Poland as strengthening Polish (2011), the term is often them and each audience civic awareness and civil critiqued as antisemitism “in member would walk away society. Janicka and Żukowski sheep’s clothing.” Janicka with something of the Jew in

GAZETA SPRING 2017 n 37 himself,” said Dylewska in an interview.1

In the second essay, “Revise the Reality: Reconstruction of the Ghetto Liquidation in Będzin (2010),” Janicka and Żukowski discuss a project that reenacted the 1943 liquidation of the ghetto in Będzin. This 2010 reenactment was prepared by volunteer youth and parents from Będzin, based on a script written by non-Jewish local activist Adam Szydłowski, Dr. Elżbieta Janicka (left), Dr. Tomasz Żukowski (right) chairman of the Center of Jewish Culture in Zagłębie. reenactment contributes to of themselves with an empty Per the script, the volunteers guilt exculpation, creating chair with a yarmulke on it in from the Będzin community the parallelism that the Polish various locations, as a way of played the roles of Germans audience did in 2010 what lamenting the death of Jewish and Jews in the final stage of the Poles had done in 1943: Poles, murdered by the Nazis, the liquidation of the Jewish observe but not participate. The and added the signage: “I community in Będzin. There authors also criticize the lack of miss you, Jew.” The photos were no roles for Poles living educational preparation for both were collected on a website. in Będzin during the war. actors and audience members The project culminated in a Janicka and Żukowski argue regarding the range of Polish July 2010 barn-burning in the that by only having Poles in the experiences during the time of village of Zawada, outside of audience watching Germans the ghetto liquidation. Warsaw, to commemorate the and Jews, and not having any 1941 pogrom in Jedwabne. Polish roles in the reenactment, The authors then analyze Rafał Janicka and Żukowski ask, Is it the belief is promulgated that Betlejewski’s widely respected possible to miss a “Jew,” when Poles were passive witnesses project entitled “I miss you, the Jew is not present, and during the Holocaust. The Jew,” initiated in 2004. when the individual doesn’t 1 http://www.gazetakrakowska.pl/ Betlejewski had individual and even have a name, just an artykul/57958,polin-w-jzyku-hebra- jskim-oznacza-polska,id,t.html groups of Poles take photos identifier?

38 n GAZETA VOLUME 24, NO. 2 The final essays are dedicated In the [Będzin] objectification can marginalize to two projects realized in a positive Jewish experience? Warsaw, a light installation reenactment, the belief is This leads one to wonder, to representing the bridge on promulgated that Poles what extent does the Jewish Chłodna Street, a symbolic were passive witnesses sensibility matter to these commemoration of the ghetto authors, or are they mainly bridge connecting the small during the Holocaust. concerned with critiquing and large ghetto, and the The reenactment Polish cultural modes? Keret House, the narrowest contributes to guilt house in the world, a gift In spite of the wide range from Poland to Etgar Keret, exculpation [for Poles], of themes in this work, the acclaimed Israeli author (who creating the parallelism coverage of the topic is by no also holds Polish citizenship). that the Polish audience means exhaustive. This topic The authors argue that it has rarely been discussed in is inappropriate to make a did in 2010 what the Poles Polish cultural criticism apart beautiful light installation had done in 1943: observe from film (e.g. Pokłosie, Ida) on an object that symbolizes but not participate. and literature (e.g. Noc żywych oppression and trauma. Żydów by Igor Ostachowicz). Janicka and Żukowski claim House is an example of a PR Perhaps this will generate that Keret House is also an effort that has a deleterious a more varied range of example of philosemitic abuse effect. The authors seem to criticism of philosemitism because, while seeming to be have overlooked the dual in the public sphere. n an honor, the house is actually purpose of Keret House: to a hidden insult when viewed be a temporary home for Agnieszka Ilwicka, currently in the context of Poland’s traveling writers visiting a philanthropy intern at the tradition of honoring authors Warsaw, starting with Taube Foundation for Jewish with large edifices, not with Etgar Keret, and a public Life & Culture, has been the world’s narrowest edifice. art installation. Keret was pursuing her Ph.D. in Jewish For example, novelist Henryk delighted by the naming and Yiddish Studies at the Sienkiewicz was given a and the offering. Hence the University of Wrocław. manor house in Oblęgorek, authors’ argument seems and poet Tadeusz Różewicz less convincing given that ksiegarnia.pwn.pl/ was given an opulent villa the recipient of the gift was Przemocfilosemicka, in Wrocław. Janicka and pleased. Is it possible that 525041889,p.html Żukowski claim that Keret what the authors view as

GAZETA SPRING 2017 n 39 AWARDS Dr. Antony Polonsky / / Chief Historian Father Stanislaw Musial POLIN Museum of the Award Ceremony History of Polish Jews

n March 3, 2017, the ceremony to bestow the Oannual award established in the name of Father Stanisław Musiał, S.J., was held in the Aula of the Jagiellonian University’s Collegium Novum. The award was established in 2008 by the Covenant Club of Christians Bella Szwarcman-Czarnota Wacław Wierzbieniec and Jews and is funded by the rector of the Jagiellonian Prize) and for the prize editor of the Jewish bimonthly University, the City of awarded in the name of Jan Midrasz. She is also a Krakόw, and the Jewish Karski and Pola Nireńska. He translator of French, Russian, Community of Kraków. was the author of two volumes and Yiddish literature and of essays, Dwanascie koszy author of Mocą przepasały Father Musiał, who died in ulamków (Twelve Baskets of swe biodra: Portrety kobiet 2004, was one of the greatest Fragments, 2002) and one żydowskich (They Girded moral authorities in Poland on antisemitism, Czarne jest Their Loins with Power: in the late 20th century and czarne (Black is Black, 2003). Portraits of Jewish Women, a pioneer in the study of the 2006) and Znalazłam complicated and difficult There are two award wczorajszy dzień: Moja problems of the history of categories: creativity for the osobista tradycja żydowska Polish-Jewish and Christian- benefit of Christian-Jewish and (I Found Yesterday: My Jewish relations. A man with Polish-Jewish cooperation, Personal Jewish Tradition, a remarkable pastoral gift, and social initiatives for the 2009), among many books. he befriended the homeless, benefit of Christian-Jewish and the suffering, and the aged. A Polish-Jewish cooperation. Wacław Wierzbieniec is well-recognized scholar, he The first award in 2017 was director of the Department of was a member of the editorial to Bella Szwarcman-Czarnota the History and Culture of the board of the liberal Catholic and the second to Prof. Wacław Jews at the Wyższa Szkoła weekly Tygodnik Powszechny Wierzbieniec. Pedagogiczna in Rzeszów. and a jury member for the From 2005 to 2008 he was Nike literary prize (the Polish Bella Szwarcman-Czarnota a dean of the Department equivalent of the Pulitzer is a columnist and associate of Sociology and History at

40 n GAZETA VOLUME 24, NO. 2 the University of Rzeszów. representatives should say at between Christians, Jews, and Among his many important the commemoration of the Muslims. He also spoke about works are Społeczność sixtieth anniversary of the the importance of dialogue. Żydowska Przemyśla w latach massacre at Jedwabne in 2001: 1918-1939 (The Jewish The rendering of Hebrew Community of Przemyśł This is the way we were. and Yiddish songs by 1918-1939, 1996) and Żydzi There is nothing we can say Camerata Jagellonica, w województwie lwowskim to justify it. We apologize the academic choir of the w okresie międzywojennym. to you and to God for all Jagiellonian University, made Zagadnienia demograficzne this with all our hearts and a memorable ceremony even i społeczne (Jews in Lwów all our souls. We want to more impressive. All present Province in the Interwar change. We ask you: help came away strengthened Period. Demographic and us to be better. That’s all. in their commitment to the Social Problems, 2003). He And a large number of Polish-Jewish and Christian- is also the editor of Wielki penitential psalms. Jewish dialogue to which Strajk Chłopski z 1937 Father Musiał was so deeply roku. Uwarunkowania i Bella Szwarcman-Czarnota, committed. n konsekwencje (The Great upon receiving the award, Peasant Strike of 1937: described her dedication to http://www.codziennypoznan. Origins and Consequences, the translation of Yiddish pl/artykul/2017-03-07/ 2008). poetry into Polish. When profesor-jerzy-albrycht- Wacław Wierzbieniec odznaczony-krzyzem- After the audience was received the prize, he offered oficerskim-orderu-odrodzenia- greeted by Dr. Piotr Nawrocki remarks stressing his deep polski of the Kraków Jewish commitment to Polish- community and Professor Jewish and Christian-Jewish Wojciech Nowak, rector of dialogue. The last speaker the Jagiellonian University, was Bishop Grzegorz Ryś, Antony Polonsky gave an auxiliary bishop of the address in which he described Archdiocese of Kraków, Father Musiał as his good who, as a member of the and trusted friend. Among his Polish Bishops’ Conference, remarks Polonsky recalled has been engaged in the the words of Father Musiał “Echo of Assisi” meetings concerning what the Church designed to promote peace

GAZETA SPRING 2017 n 41 Julian and Professor Jerzy Albrycht Decorated Fay Bussgang Co-editors, Gazeta

n March 7, 2017, the the war moved to Poznań, newspaper Polityka where in 1981 he became a Oreported that the President professor of mathematics at of Poland had decorated the Polytechnic of Poznań mathematician Jerzy Albrycht and at the Adam Mickiewicz with the Officer’s Cross of University in Poznań. He is Polonia Restituta (The Order the only surviving member of the Rebirth of Poland). of the famous School of Established in 1921, the order Mathematicians in Lwów. is conferred for outstanding Said to be a Catholic, he Prof. Jerzy Albrycht receives Officer’s achievements in various fields is one of the leaders of the Cross of Polonia Restituta; photo: including education. revival of Jewish life in the PAP/P. Jaskółka city of Poznań, a collector of Professor Albrycht was born Judaica, a student of Hebrew, branch of the Polish-Israeli n in Lwów in 1924 but after and founder of the Poznań Friendship Society.

Professor Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett, Chief Curator of POLIN Museum, Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences

rofessor Barbara Benjamin Franklin, George Kirshenblatt-Gimblett Washington, Ralph Waldo Pwas Elected to the prestigious Emerson, John F. Kennedy, American Academy of Martin Luther King, Jr., Arts and Sciences in April Margaret Mead, and John 2017. Established in 1780, Updike. Today, there are more the Academy is one of the than 200 and 100 Pulitzer oldest honorary societies and Prize winners among the a leading center for policy Photo: POLIN Museum of the History Academy’s members. n of Polish Jews research in the United States. Election to the Academy is founders and members were https://www.amacad.org/ considered one of the nation’s such luminaries as John content/members/newFellows. highest honors. Among its Adams, Thomas Jefferson, aspx?s=c

42 n GAZETA VOLUME 24, NO. 2 Bente Kahan Honored

ente Kahan received the Order of Merit of the BFederal Republic of Germany at the German General Consulate in Wrocław, Poland, on December 6, 2016. After receiving the award she spoke briefly about her life and her family.

She grew up in Oslo, the Bente Kahan receives Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany; photo: daughter of a Romanian Michał Tomiczek/German Consulate General father (a Holocaust survivor) and Norwegian Jewish place for me to perform as Foundation, a shared Jewish mother. Most of her relatives an actress and singer,” and heritage in the middle of were deported and died in Poland has been her home Europe.” Auschwitz-Birkenau. She for the past 15 years. She never imagined she would remarked on Wrocław’s Taube Philanthropies also ever visit Poland, she said. “It unique Jewish history and congratulates Bente Kahan was under Communist rule heritage and said there was on recently becoming an and it was the country where hope “that this heritage will honorary citizen of Wrocław our relatives had been killed, not only be preserved, but also for her lifelong dedication to the physical place. Germany, serve future generations, both commemorating the 800 years at that time West Germany Jews and non-Jews.” of Jewish life in Wrocław. n of course…was a country we only passed, traveled through, She received the Order of http://fbk.org.pl/new/en/ on the highway, on our way to Polonia Restituta from Poland my_ portfolio/bente-kahans- other European countries. No in 2013, and regards it and the speech- at-the-german- stops. And here I am, receiving Order of Merit of the Federal general- consulate-in- a German medal in Poland.” Republic of Germany as wroclaw- receiving-the-order- “important recognitions from of-merit- of-the-federal- She noted that Germany “has both countries of the work republic-of- germany/ been and still is an important done by the Bente Kahan

GAZETA SPRING 2017 n 43 POLIN Museum wins 2017 Europa Nostra Award

he POLIN Museum of the History of Polish TJews has won the 2017 Europa Nostra award for its educational program on Jewish cultural heritage. The Europa Nostra is Europe’s top honor recognizing cultural heritage – celebrating institutions and organizations for outstanding achievements in the fields of conservation, research, education, training Photo: POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews and raising awareness. This is the first time an institution a safe place for intercultural achievements in various from Poland has won this dialogue. This serves as an categories for conservation, prestigious award. important lesson for our research, and dedicated contemporary world.” service to cultural heritage. POLIN’s Jewish cultural – Selection Jury The winners were selected heritage program is a by an independent jury of multifaceted educational The POLIN Museum presents experts from a pool of 202 project, with a broad range a 1,000-year history of Jews applications submitted by of activities that encourage in Poland. Since its launch in cultural institutions from discovery and discussion of 2013, the educational program 39 European countries. the history of Polish Jews. has organized 3,200 activities, POLIN and other Europa attracted 445,000 participants Nostra winners will be “The museum, in aiming to in 240 towns and localities, honored at a special event educate and conserve the and over five million visitors on May 15 in Finland. n memory of Jewish people, on the museum’s website. especially in organizing http://www.polin.pl/en/ meetings between members Europa Nostra and the news/2017/04/05/polin- of the Jewish community European Commission museum-wins-europa-nostra- and others, has established recognized 29 laureates for awards-2017

44 n GAZETA VOLUME 24, NO. 2 ANNOUNCEMENTS JCC Krakow Hosts Annual Ride for the Living, June 22-25, 2017

ide for the Living (RFTL) is a 55-mile bicycle ride Rthat begins at Auschwitz- Birkenau and finishes at JCC Krakow. The idea behind this transformative and moving experience is to start from a place of remembrance and end in a place of hope. The multi-day event includes a tour of Auschwitz-Birkenau, Shabbat dinner with the JCC community, and educational programs and excursions in Krakόw. It offers an unforgettable and meaningful Jewish experience.

For those unable to join the ride in Poland, JCC Krakow launched satellite RFTL Photos: JCC Krakow events. The initiative began To register and receive more with six JCCs during its first information about Ride year and grew to 12 events for the Living, please visit in 2016, when JCC Krakow ridefortheliving.org announced a partnership with the JCC Association of North America. Throughout June For more information about 2017, JCCs participating in Kraków’s Jewish Culture the Satellite RFTL can hold Festival, please visit dedicated spin classes where www.jewishfestival.pl participants cycle to support the ride. n

GAZETA SPRING 2017 n 45 Jewish Music & Poetry Project Nanette McGuinness

he Jewish Music and postwar experiences. & Poetry Project’s Surviving: Women’s Words Tcritically acclaimed debut CD is available at Amazon.com, Surviving: Women’s Words ArkivMusic, or directly was released on the Centaur from the Jewish Music & label (CRC 3490) on April 8, Poetry Project. n 2016. Reviewed by Stephen Smoliar at Examiner.com as For more information about “...four passionate meditations the CD, go to www.E4TT.org/ on the Holocaust experience discography.html; and about delivered through a unique the JMPP, www.E4TT.org/ and highly compelling pair projects.html. of voices, those of both composer and singer,” the The Jewish Music & Poetry CD received a Silver Medal Project (JMPP) is a project in the 2016 Global Music of the Bay Area-based Awards and was submitted contemporary chamber music for consideration in the group, Ensemble for These 59th Grammy Awards. The Times, and consists of Van culmination of a five-year Cliburn competitor pianist commissioning project, Dale Tsang, award-winning Surviving: Women’s Words soprano Nanette McGuinness, is the premiere recording of and 2015 American Prize in four song cycles by composer Composition winner David David Garner to poetry Garner, usually joined by by four different women cello. The JMPP performed Holocaust survivors (Galicia- at the 26th Kraków Jewish born Mascha Kaléko, Polish- Culture Festival in 2016, American Yala Korwin, Else supported in part by a Lasker-Schueler, and Rose generous grant from the Auslaender) with the goal of SF-Kraków Sister Cities using their words to focus a Association. lens on their personal wartime

46 n GAZETA VOLUME 24, NO. 2 CALLS FOR APPLICATIONS Dara Bramson Human Rights Summer Manager of Programs Abroad Auschwitz Jewish Center Program

his summer, the $1,199 cost includes meals, Auschwitz Jewish Center, accommodation, entrance Taffiliated with the Museum of fees, lectures, materials, and Jewish Heritage in New York, transportation. n is offering the Human Rights Summer Program in Warsaw, For more information, Oświęcim, and Kraków, June please visit http://ajcf.pl/ 18-25. The one-week intensive en/programy/human-rights- for students and young summer-program/ professionals uses Poland as a or contact DBramson@ case study to examine broader mjhnyc.org. human rights issues. Poland’s dynamic history makes it General information about a unique location to study the program is available at historic and contemporary http://ajcf.pl/en/programy/ human rights issues, from human-rights-summer- the Holocaust to the modern program/. refugee crisis.

The program uses Polish- Jewish relations as a background case study, allowing participants to examine activism and social change locally through experienced histories, individuals, and institutions. Its approach addresses broad concepts in the human rights field by focusing on historical and contemporary Poland, which offers lessons that can be applied globally. The

GAZETA SPRING 2017 n 47 “Chone Shmeruk - In Memoriam - on the 20th Anniversary of his Death” Conference POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews, May 24, 2017

hone Shmeruk was one the Association of the Jewish of the most important Historical Institute of Poland. Cresearchers on Yiddish The conference is organized language and culture. His jointly with Jagiellonian 1922 work on the history of University, Maria Curie- Yiddish literature became Skłodowska University, the first tangible work on Polish Association for Jewish this subject in Polish. He Chone Shmeruk Studies, Polish Association for conducted his research mostly Yiddish Studies, and Heritage in Jerusalem at Hebrew of his youth, and where he Foundation. n University, but he lectured decided to spend the last years at many universities around of his life. He died twenty http://www.polin.pl/pl/ the world. years ago, and his grave is wydarzenie/konferencja- located at the cemetery on chone- shmeruk-in-memoriam His efforts contributed to the Okopowa Street in Warsaw. 1980s renewal of research on the history of Polish Jews; The aim of this conference he was also the founder of is to remind us about the the Center for Research achievements of Chone on the History and Culture Shmeruk in the field of history of Polish Jews at Hebrew and culture of Polish Jews University, and he actively and to show how the work he supported the foundation of began is continued by young Międzywydziałowy Zakład Yiddish researchers today. Historii i Kultury Żydów w Polsce (Research Centre on the The conference is organized History and Culture of Jews within POLIN Museum’s in Poland) at the Jagiellonian Global Education Outreach University (1986). Program (GEOP) and is sponsored by the Taube Warsaw was the place of the Foundation for Jewish Life most importance to him in his & Culture, the William K. private life, as it was the place Bowes, Jr. Foundation, and

48 n GAZETA VOLUME 24, NO. 2 Agnieszka Dulęba “March ’68. Fifty Years Later” Global Education Outreach Program (GEOP) POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews, POLIN Museum of the March 13-15, 2018 History of Polish Jews

n the 50th anniversary of March ’68, POLIN OMuseum of the History of Polish Jews and the the Institutes of History and Sociology at Warsaw University are hosting an interdisciplinary academic conference. POLIN invites historians, sociologists, political scientists, cultural experts, as well as representatives of other fields in arts, humanities and social sciences. Deportation; photo: Elżbieta Turlejska In March 1968, student protests against the policies of March ’68 in a comparative For more details on the the communist administration perspective, while paying conference: www.polin.pl/en/ soon esclalated into a mass special attention to the system/files/attachments/cfp_ youth rebellion. The regime following issues: march68_50yearslater.pdf responded with brutal • youth rebellion, anti- repressions and an antisemitic establishment activity, We kindly ask you to submit propaganda campaign that and conformism in 200-300 word abstracts triggered purges in the party the Eastern Bloc in ENGLISH (indicating apparatus. The outcome of the choice of language • the Jewish experience March ’68 events were the of presentation: English of March ’68 stifling of all intellectual or Polish), as well as a activity and forced emigration • struggle for power in short biographical note via of at least 13,000 Polish Jews. the communist states electronic application form no POLIN would like participants • the aftermath of later than June 30, 2017. to reflect upon the causes, the March ’68. http://s0.enewsletter.pl/n/422/ course, and the aftermath of survey/a1492162213904875/

GAZETA SPRING 2017 n 49 The conference is a part of The Estranged. March ’68 and Its Aftermath program which comprises a series of projects and a temporary exhibition to be held at POLIN Museum. The program aims to restore the memory of the causes, course, and effects of the antisemitic campaign of March ’68 while commemorating the 50th anniversary of the events.

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The conference is organized within the Global Education Outreach Program (GEOP). The conference was made possible thanks to the Part of the March ‘68 installation at POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews, support of the Taube showing television being used by the state as a tool of antisemitic propaganda for the first time; photo: M. Starowieyska/POLIN Museum. Foundation for Jewish Life & Culture, the William K. Bowes, Jr. Foundation, and the Association of the Jewish Historical Institute of Poland. n

50 n GAZETA VOLUME 24, NO. 2 Global Education Outreach Program (GEOP) Interdisciplinary Research Workshops

OLIN Museum of the GEOP provides funding http://www.polin.pl/en/ History of Polish Jews to cover half of the costs research-collections-research- Pinvites individuals and of workshop organization, global-education-outreach- institutions to propose three-day including accommodation and program/call-for-applications- research workshops to be held catering, as well as venues and research-workshops at POLIN Museum on topics organizational support before related to the history and culture and during the event. of Polish Jews, including new perspectives on public In order to be considered history, museums, and cultural for funding in 2018, please memory. POLIN especially complete and submit the encourages interdisciplinary application form (www.polin. and comparative approaches. pl/en/system/files/attachments/ geop_workshop_application_ The framework of the form_0.doc) to workshops. event should be that of a [email protected] no later research workshop, allowing than September 30, 2017. ample time for discussion and dynamic exchange of Decisions will be announced ideas between participants. by November 30, 2017. Of particular interest are For more information, please research subjects pertaining to e-mail GEOP workshops Warsaw museums and archive administrators at workshops. collections (especially that [email protected]. of POLIN Museum and the Emanuel Ringelblum Jewish This program was made Historical Institute). possible thanks to the Taube Foundation for Jewish The workshop should also Life & Culture, the William include one event open to the K. Bowes, Jr. Foundation, general public and/or other and the Association of the form of contribution to the Jewish Historical Institute Museum’s activity. of Poland. n

GAZETA SPRING 2017 n 51 OBITUARIES Dr. Antony Polonsky Chief Historian Zygmunt Bauman POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews (November 19, 1925-January 9, 2017)

ygmunt Bauman, who father requested permission died at the age of 91 on to emigrate to Israel. He ZJanuary 9, 2017, was one of began his academic career the world’s leading sociologists and completed his habilitacja and a man whose life illustrates in 1960 with a thesis on the many aspects of the complex British labor movement. After and tragic history of Polish some delay he was appointed a Jews in our time. He was born professor at Warsaw University into a lower middle-class in 1964, but lost his position Jewish family in Poznań (his as a result of the “anti-Zionist” father was a bookkeeper) and campaign of 1968. He went grew up in the antisemitic to Israel, holding temporary atmosphere of interwar Poland. posts at Tel Aviv and Haifa Zygmunt Bauman At the outbreak of the war universities, but was not his family fled to the Soviet terview with Gazeta Wyborcza comfortable there. Indeed, he Union, where he enlisted in the on June 28, 2013, he admitted, was subsequently to became a First Polish Army, established “At the time, I didn’t have any strong critic of Israeli policy under communist auspices. He moments of doubt…The truth toward the Palestinians. rose to the rank of major and is that Leszek Kołakowski In 1971 he was appointed was wounded in battles around understood much more quickly professor of sociology at the Kołobrzeg. than I that it wasn’t possible University of Leeds, a position to talk, negotiate or improve, he held until his retirement in After returning to Poland he because that system was a 1991 and where the Bauman served in counter-intelligence machine that could not be Institute was established to and subsequently in the Internal reformed.” His communist past encourage research into the Security Corps (KBW), which led to attacks and his eventual main subjects he investigated. was responsible for suppressing decision not to accept an honor- Ukrainian partisans and Polish ary doctorate offered to him in Although disillusioned with anti-communist guerillas. He 2013 by the private University Communism, Bauman always claimed that he worked at a of Lower Silesia. retained his core socialist desk job and was not involved beliefs. He was a strong in field operations. Describing He was dismissed from the critic of neo-liberalism and this period of his life in an in- KBW in 1953 when his uncontrolled market forces and

52 n GAZETA VOLUME 24, NO. 2 an advocate for those adversely social group that had become the potential of a reformed affected by them. In his words, a threat to social security. His European Union with a “See the world through the study of the topic was partly committed socialist agenda eyes of society’s weakest influenced by the experiences that would provide shared members and then tell anyone of his first wife, Janina, who protection against social honestly that our societies are survived the Nazi occupation insecurity. It was entirely good, civilized, advanced, in Warsaw and described her characteristic that at the free.” Bauman wrote widely experiences in Beyond These Frankfurt award ceremony on a large range of subjects. Walls: Escaping the Warsaw of the Theodor Adorno prize In a number of books in the Ghetto – A Young Girl’s Story he asked that the anthem late 1980s and early 1990s he (2006). Bauman himself was be neither the Polish nor developed a cogent critique passionately interested in the British national anthem, but of European modernity. Like history of Jews in Poland and Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy,” the Freud, he saw it as essentially contributed an important and anthem of Europe. an abandonment of freedom moving article, “The Literary to obtain increased individual Afterlife of Polish Jewry,” to Although Bauman made little security, as governments Volume 7 of Polin: Studies in use of empirical evidence, sought to reduce the chaos Polish Jewry. his eloquent and penetrating of human life by increased critique of the perils inherent bureaucratic control. His more recent work examined in modernity makes sobering the consequences of the erosion reading. His work has a moral In his Modernity and the of the stability provided by solid fervor difficult to ignore. We Holocaust (1989) he used modernity. He predicted that will miss his call for a more this analysis to pose difficult these developments would give just society and his all-too- question about why genocide rise to a new form of populism, convincing prediction of the had become more common and in which those who felt they way modernity could provoke more lethal in the 20th century. were losing the security they a populist reaction. In his view the Holocaust had been promised would turn was neither the outcome of to strong leaders to restore His wife Janina died in antisemitism nor a regression it. Immigrants and refugees 2009. Six years later he to premodern barbarism. would increasingly be seen as married the sociologist Rather, it was possible because an uncontrollable outgroup that Aleksandra Jasińska-Kania. the essence of modernity lay in would threaten the stability She survives him, along with its attempt to create order and of society. his three daughters, three divide labor into smaller and granddaughters, and three smaller tasks. In addition, Jews Bauman was a passionate grandsons. We extend to them became widely identified as a European and a believer in our deepest condolences. n

GAZETA SPRING 2017 n 53 Dr. Antony Polonsky Yosl Bergner Chief Historian POLIN Museum of the (October 13, 1920-January 18, 2017) History of Polish Jews

osl Bergner, a leading Israeli artist, died in Tel YAviv on January 18, 2017 at age 96. He was born in Vienna, where his Galician- born father, the Yiddish journalist and poet Melech Ravitch (pseudonym of Zekharye-Khone Bergner) had moved during the war, and grew up in Warsaw. He traveled to Australia in 1937, together with his father, a representative of the Freeland League for Jewish Territorial Colonization, to investigate Yosl Bergner the offer of land as a possible location for Jewish settlement in the face of the worsening Albert Tucker, John Perceval, Australian Army and served situation in Europe. His sister and Arthur Lloyd. A visit to for four and a half years, Ruth had settled in Melbourne the Kimberley area to meet after which he completed a year earlier. Aboriginal artists led him to his studies at art school. He paint “Aborigines Chained to returned to Europe and in The settlement scheme a Tree” and other paintings 1950 settled in Israel with his proved abortive, but Bergner with Aboriginal themes. wife, Audrey. Until 1957 they remained in Melbourne and His friend, the Israeli-born lived in Sfat, then moved to enrolled as a student at the Australian artist and master Tel Aviv, where he remained National Gallery School. He printer Shaike Snir, described for the rest of his life and joined the Melbourne art scene his art as serving “as a voice where his studio was located and became acquainted with for the Aboriginal people.” next to his apartment. people who were later to play a key role in Australian art, On the outbreak of World He soon established himself among them Sidney Nolan, War II Bergner joined the as a leading painter, book

54 n GAZETA VOLUME 24, NO. 2 illustrator, and set and costume designer. His paintings combined dreams, everyday experiences, and references to literature, above all the writings of Kafka. In them he brought together incongruous elements, such as old kitchen utensils, fire hydrants, and angels in an attempt to transcend everyday reality. Some of his works also depict the persecution of “The Weepers,” oil on canvas, 1968 Jews during the Holocaust. He (Yeshiva University Museum) received the Herman Struck Prize, the Dizengoff Prize, and in 1980 the Israel Prize for painting. In addition to exhibitions in Israel, his work has been exhibited extensively in Australia, including a major retrospective at the National Gallery of Victoria in 1985, as well as in the United States, Canada, France, and the Czech Republic.

He is survived by his wife, daughter Hinda, four grandchildren, and his sister Ruth. n

GAZETA SPRING 2017 n 55 Dr. Antony Polonsky Halina Paszkowska Turska Chief Historian POLIN Museum of the (June 10, 1927-March 26, 2017) History of Polish Jews

alina Turska (née Paszkowska, the name Hunder which she was known professionally), died in Warsaw on March 26, 2017. She was an eminent and widely recognized sound engineer, whose career in the Polish film industry spanned 55 years, from 1952 to 2007. She worked mostly in the Wytwórnia Filmów Dokumentalnych (WFD), later the Wytwórnia Filmów Dokumentalnych i Fabularnych (Studio of Documentary and Halina Paszkowska, nurse/fighter and last living member of her platoon in the Feature Films) in Warsaw. Warsaw Uprising, at Powazki Military Cemetery on the anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising, August 1, 2016. She was able to hide her Jewish identity during the war. Photograph © 2016 Chuck Fishman She wrote of her work that the WFD was her second home. Her father worked in the father had relatives, and later to She might go to Chełmska, city’s hydraulic bureau and Kraków. The sisters returned to where it was located, several her mother was an assistant to Warsaw and Halina fought in times a day and perhaps Ludwik Zamenhof, the creator the Warsaw Uprising, serving even at night for recording. of Esperanto. Her family lived as a courier and then in the “Sometimes I took with me on Grójecka Street in Ochota, ranks. Her father and sister my young daughter Joanna,” near the Warsaw airport, in survived the occupation, but she recalled. “It was fortunate a building that still stands. her mother did not. we lived so near. I am grateful During the Nazi occupation to my husband for accepting her family had to move to the She recorded her experiences my crazy style of life.” Nowolipie area of the Warsaw in the third volume of Losy Ghetto. The whole family, żydowskie. Świadectwo Born into an assimilated including her elder sister, żywych (Jewish Fates: Living Jewish family, she described escaped and fled to the small Testimonies, 2006), in an herself as a typical Varsovian. town of Staszów, where her online interview with Michał

56 n GAZETA VOLUME 24, NO. 2 Dr. Antony Polonsky Chief Historian POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews

Studniarek in 2012 (http:// She also acted as the sound 1988, 1988). In 1987 she www.1944.pl/archiwum- engineer for more than provided the sound for the historii-mowionej/halina- 200 documentary films, documentary Ja – Żyd (I – paszkowska,2887.html) including Dzieci oskarżają Jew, 1987) directed by Robert and in “Spodnie łączniczki (Children Accuse, 1956), Gliński, which describes how – Wspomnienia Haliny based on the memories of a young Jew discovers his Paszkowskiej” (“The Trousers child Holocaust survivors as roots. She also was the sound of a Courier: Memoirs of recorded by Maria Hochberg- engineer for many editions of Halina Paszkowska”) in Mariańska and Noe Gross the Polish newsreel Polska Polityka, August 8, 2014. and published in 1947. In the Kronika Filmowa. late 1970s and early 1980s She was responsible for she worked with Marcel Halina was awarded the Złoty providing the sound for more Łoziński in his pathbreaking Krzyż Zasługi (Gold Cross of than 20 feature films, among films that attacked abuses in Merit), the Krzyż Kawalerski them such classics as Andrzej the People’s Poland, among Orderu Odrodzenia Polski Munk’s Eroica (1957), one of them Jak żyć (How to Live, (Knight’s Cross of the Order the path-breaking films after 1977), Egzamin dojrzałości of the Rebirth of Poland), the anti-Stalinist upheaval that (An Examination in Maturity, and, for her role in the brought Władysław Gomułka 1979), and Próba mikrofonu Warsaw Uprising, the Krzyż to power; and his comedy (Microphone Test, 1980). Powstańczy (The Warsaw Zezowate szczęście (Bad Luck, She was also responsible for Uprising Cross). Her 1959), an account of a clueless the sound on the film series lifetime artistic achievement man’s attempt to find his place Ucho historii (The Ear of was honored in 2010 by in the world of Stalinism. History), which recorded the the Association of Polish Others were Roman Polański’s revolutionary events of the Filmmakers. She and her comedy of manners, Nóż w early 1980s. They included husband, Marian, were an wodzie (Knife in the Water, Andrzej Chodakowski and inseparable couple, whose 1962) and Andrzej Wajda’s Andrzej Zajączkowski’s wisdom, humor, goodness, and Wesele (The Wedding, 1967), Robotnicy ‘80 (The Workers friendship profoundly affected based on the play by Stanisław of 1980, 1980), and Andrzej all who knew them. Our Wyśpiański and highlighting Piekutowski’s Chłopi ’81 deepest sympathies are with the inability of Poland to (The Peasants of 1981, 1981) Marian and his family. n escape its past. and Górnicy ‘88 (Miners,

GAZETA SPRING 2017 n 57 Inside the Tykocin synagogue; photo: Anna Sierko/Virtual Shtetl

If you would like to suggest an article and/or author for the next issue of Gazeta, or submit one yourself, please email: [email protected]. The submission deadline for the next issue is June 23, 2017.

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