LAUGH TIME: HALF-NA-PÓŁ, FALSE FRIENDS, ANDPOLISH MORE AMERICAN — PAGE JOURNAL 15 • JUNE 2016 www.polamjournal.com 1 PERIODICAL POSTAGE PAID AT BOSTON, NEW YORK NEW BOSTON, AT PAID PERIODICAL POSTAGE POLISH AMERICAN OFFICES AND ADDITIONAL ENTRY DEDICATED TO THE PROMOTION AND CONTINUANCE OF POLISH AMERICAN CULTURE JOURNAL POPEYE THE SAILORMAN’S POLISH ROOTS ESTABLISHED 1911 JUNE 2016 • VOL. 105, NO. 6 | $2.00 www.polamjournal.com PAGE 4 POLAND A SAFE HAVEN FOR TODAY’S JEWS • ST. JOHN PAUL II NATIONAL SHRINE: A RICH EXPERIENCE EMBASSY COMMEMORATES WARSAW GHETTO UPRISING • A FAMILY’S MIND-BENDING ODYSSEY • THE DREADED EXAMS KARSKI DOCUMENTARY TRULY HEARTWRENCHING • KOSCIUSZKO FOUNDATION HONORS MARTHA STEWART Newsmark Clinton “May He Keep All Your Riding Safe” Russia’s Goal: CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS CONTINUES. Speaking Insults Divide NATO on May 3, Constitution Day in Poland, President Andrzej WARSAW (Polskie Ra- Duda called for the country’s constitution to be examined Poland, dio) — U.S. Ambassador to and a “new solution” drawn up. Poland, Paul W. Jones, dis- Echoing an address a day earlier by Jaroslaw Kaczyn- Hungary cussed the current tension be- ski, the head of Poland’s ruling Law and Justice (PiS) tween NATO and the Kremlin party, Duda said the country’s current constitution was a Former President ahead of the start of construc- “constitution of a time of transition” adding that it “should Claims Countries tion of a missile-shield base be examined, a thorough evaluation carried out and a new Seek “Putin-like in Poland. solution drawn up.” Leadership” The construction of a mis- Kaczynski said his party aims to change the constitution, sile-shield base in Redziko- which was adopted in 1997. But thousands of protesters, PATERSON, N.J. — Cam- wo, northern Poland, began critical of the Law and Justice government, took to the paigning for his wife, former May 13. streets in the northern city of Gdansk in a “March of the U.S. President Bill Clinton The shield is designed Angry.” Among them was Mateusz Kijowski, leader of the accused Poland and Hungary to protect U.S. troops and anti-government Committee for the Defense of Democ- of trying to abandon democ- NATO allies against ballistic racy, who said that the current constitution “is for us today racy for authoritarian rule. missiles. The base is set to be really the only point of reference when we talk about the “Poland and Hungary, two ready for operation in 2018. rights and freedoms of citizens.” countries that would not be “It’s a missile defense site free but for the United States which is the U.S. and Po- KACZYNSKI SAYS NO TO REFUGEES. Poland will not and the long Cold War, have land’s contribution to NATO accept refugees because they pose a threat to the coun- now decided this democracy missile defense from outside try’s security, the head of the ruling, conservative Law and is too much trouble,” Clinton of the Euro-Atlantic area, Justice (PiS) Jarosław Kaczyński party said. He also said said May 13 during a cam- particularly the potentials that Poland would oppose European Commission propos- paign stop in New Jersey on of missiles coming from the als that would see EU member states having to pay EUR behalf of his wife, Hillary, the Middle East,” Ambassador 250,000 per refugee if they refuse to accept their share of front-runner for the Demo- Jones told Polish Radio. asylum-seekers. cratic presidential nomina- “And what Poland will see Answering questions from internet users, Kaczyński tion. “They want Putin-like PHOTO: ANN SCAMERHORN over the next two years is that, said: “After recent events connected with acts of terror, leadership: Just give me an FR. MACIEJ GALLE, chaplain of Chicago-based Orzeł Biały as construction goes forward, we will not accept refugees because there is no mechanism authoritarian dictatorship and Polish Motorcyclists Union, douses a motorcycle at the we will put in place American that would ensure security. keep the foreigners out.” Blessing of the Motorcycles and Polish Mass, celebrated soldiers to operate the missile “This is the position of the prime minister and the whole Clinton was attempting to Sun., April 17, at the Our Lady of Czestochowa Shrine in defense site. [This fi gure will] of PiS.” make a point about the dan- Merrillville, Indiana. probably be 150-200 soldiers ger of electing a populist — a Nearly 1,000 motorcycle enthusiasts were in attendance. over the next year-and-a-half CALL FOR OUSTER. Former Polish defense ministers shot at likely Republican can- Joining Fr. Galle at the picnic following Mass was fellow to two years.” have issued an open letter saying that Antoni Macierewicz, didate Donald Trump — and motorcycle enthusiast Fr. Lukasz Kleczka of the Salvatorian their successor, should resign from offi ce. The letter was used Poland and Hungary Fathers. TARGETS OF RUSSIA. Am- published on the website of Gazeta Wyborcza. as examples, as both oppose “Riding brings me joy,” said Fr. Galle. “On my days off , I like bassador Jones was asked to The offi cials wrote that “the Law and Justice (PiS) gov- taking in refuges from the to take my rosary and breviary along and escape to the for- comment on Russian media ernment has undermined Poland’s position in Europe and See “Clinton ...,” page 3 est preserves, with God and my motorcycle.” See “NATO ...,” page 3 NATO,” and current Defense Minister Antoni Macierewicz “discredited the potential of the Polish Army” when he said in 2015 that “the Polish armed forces had no capacity to Baltimore Remembers the Martyrs of Katyn ensure national security.” by Richard Poremski Marek Magierowski, a spokesman for the president, BALTIMORE — Two hundred peo- told broadcaster Radio Zet: “I would not worry too much ple assembled at the National Katyn about this letter and these arguments, because these are Memorial in Harbor East on April 24, people directly linked to today’s opposition, mostly active 2016 to memorialize the 22,000 Polish politicians.” Army offi cers, including many of Po- land’s offi cialdom, leading citizens and DUDA VISITS CANADA. Polish President Andrzej Duda intelligentsia, murdered in the infamous opened a visit to Canada, May 9, by meeting members of April, 1940 Katyn Forest Massacre at the Polish diaspora and Canadian PM Justin Trudeau. the bloodied hands of the then-Soviet The program included wreath-laying ceremonies at the Union’s NKVD – militarized political Katyn Memorial in Toronto, and at the cemetery of Polish police. soldiers, who trained for World War I in Niagara-on-the- The 16th Annual Katyn Remem- Lake, Ontario. The President and the First Lady also met brance ceremonies included color representatives of the Polish diaspora at the John Paul II guards, clergy, diplomats, guest speak- PHOTO: RICHARD POREMSKI Centre in Mississauga. ers, politicians, military offi cers, the lay- On May 10-11, Duda held talks with Prime Minister ing of wreaths, and “Taps” by a Mary- Justin Trudeau and Governor General David Johnson. He land Nation Guard bugler. also met members of the Canadian-Polish Parliamentary “We must always remember and com- Friendship Group and a group of Canadian soldiers, who memorate what happened 76 years ago have served in Poland on a NATO mission. in that terrible forest saturated with Pol- ish blood, said U.S. Senator Barbara Mi- Poland’s Ambassador Ryszard Schnepf delivers his remarks at the 16th Annual SANCTIONS ON RUSSIA SHOULD BE MAINTAINED kulski. “The elite of Poland was massa- Katyn Remembrance, at the base of the National Katyn Memorial. Seated at right over its annexation of Crimea, U.S. Deputy Secretary of cred by the Soviets … Never again will are U.S. Senator Barbara A. Mikulski and U.S. Congressman John Sarbanes. State Antony Blinken has said in Warsaw. He was speaking Poland be invaded because it belongs to during a two-day visit to the Polish capital, during which NATO and is closely allied with America “Today, if the slain offi cer corps added that he was very proud and privi- he held talks with Polish Foreign Minister Witold Waszc- … Article 5 of the NATO Treaty says in could look down they would be proud leged to have attended these ceremonies zykowski and aides to President Andrzej Duda. eff ect that if you mess with Poland you of a free and independent Poland and over the years. Blinken said that there was no reason at the moment for take on the United States of America!” would say God Bless Poland and God “It is very important to bear witness the West to lift sanctions against Moscow, introduced in The audience erupted with loud ap- Bless the United States.” to what happened in the past and have an 2014 after Russia’s annexation of Crimea. plause and shouts of approval. U.S. Congressman John Sarbanes See “Martyrs of Katyn,” page 3 2 www.polamjournal.com POLISH AMERICAN JOURNAL • JUNE 2016 ALMANAC Auschwitz Must Not Be a Term for the Holocaust BERLIN — Nikolaus Wachs- ern European history in established in 1940 in in 1977, the annual JQ Wingate Follow us on mann, the author of the first com- the Department of His- order to exterminate prize is worth about $5,700 USD, Facebook or visit us plete history of German concentra- tory, Classics and Ar- the Polish underground and is awarded to the best book – on the internet at: tion camps, thinks that Auschwitz chaeology at Birkbeck resistance movement, fiction or non-fiction – of Jewish polamjournal.com should not be associated solely with College, University rather than European interest for the general reader. It is the Jewish Holocaust, since its pri- of London, stated that Jews.” the only UK literary prize of its kind June Q Czerwiec mary purpose was to exterminate Auschwitz must not be From 1941, “Aus- and attracts nominations from all “Times change, people change, the Polish underground resistance a substitute term for the chwitz was used to ex- over the globe.