- Jewish Polish history (1989–present)
Jewish Polish current events:
1989-present
With the fall of Communism in Poland, Jewish cultural, social, and religious life has been undergoing a revival. Many historical issues, especially related to World War II and the 1944-1989 period, suppressed by Communist censorship has been reevaluated and publicly discussed (see for example the
Massacre in Jedwabne , theKoniuchy Massacre , theAuschwitz cross , and Polish-Jewish wartime relations in general).Jewish religious life has been revived with the help of the
Ronald Lauder Foundation, the Polish Jewish community employs two rabbis, operated a small network of Jewish schools and summer camps, and sustains several Jewish periodicals and book series events. In 1993 the Union of Jewish Religious Communities in Poland was established with the aim of organizing the religious and cultural life of the members of the communities in Poland.Academic Jewish studies programs were established at
Warsaw University and theJagiellonian University inKraków . Kraków became home to theJudaica Foundation [http://www.judaica.pl/english/program_miesieczny.htm] , which has sponsored a wide range of cultural and educational programs on Jewish themes for a predominantly Polish audience.Poland was the first Communist Bloc country to recognize Israel again in 1986, and restored full relations in 1990. Government relations between Poland and Israel are steadily improving, resulting in the mutual visits of presidents and the ministers of foreign affairs. The Polish government will finance the construction of the
Museum of the History of Polish Jews [http://www.jewishmuseum.org.pl/start.html] in Warsaw.2000
In September 2000, dignitaries from Poland, Israel, the
United States , and other countries (includingPrince Hassan of Jordan ) gathered in the city ofOświęcim (the newAuschwitz camp) to commemorate the opening of the refurbished "Chevra Lomdei Mishnayot synagogue " and the "Auschwitz Jewish Center ". The synagogue, the sole synagogue in Oświęcim to survive World War II and an adjacent Jewish cultural and educational center, provide visitors a place to pray and to learn about the active pre-World War II Jewish community that existed in Oświęcim. The synagogue was the first communal property in the country to be returned to the Jewish community under the 1997 law allowing for restitution of Jewish communal property.2001
In April 2001, during the 13th
March of the Living from Auschwitz toBirkenau to honor victims of the Holocaust, several hundred citizens joined 2,000 marchers from Israel and other countries. Government officials participating in the march included Members of Parliament, the province's governor, and Oświęcim's mayor and city council chairman. Schoolchildren, boy scouts, the Polish-Israeli Friendship Society [http://www.israel-kolobrzeg.republika.pl/] , and the Polish Union of Jewish Students (PUSZ) also participated in the march. In May 2001, several hundred students from around the world marched through the town in "The March of Remembrance and Hope".2002
In April 2002, during the 14th "March of the Living" [http://www.motl.org/] from Auschwitz to Birkenau to honor victims of the Holocaust, several hundred citizens joined 1,500 marchers from Israel and other countries.
Latest Jewish population estimates
In 2000,
Poland 's Jewish population was estimated to have risen to somewhere between 30,000 and 55,000 -- mostly living inWarsaw ,Wrocław ,Kraków , andBielsk . With Poland joining theEuropean Union , a number of Israeli Jews are emigrating to Poland, although it is not clear how many intend to remain in Poland or are using Poland as a stepping-stone to the more prosperous nations ofWestern Europe .ee also
*
Timeline of Jewish Polish history
*History of the Jews in Poland
**
**Jewish Polish history during the 18th century
**Jewish Polish history during the 19th century
**Jewish Polish history during the 20th century
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