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The events of past weeks have proven once again that Polish/Jewish relations are too important to leave to the politicians. The amendment to the National Remembrance Act and the following irresponsible statements by those in power have unleashed an unprecedented wave of anti-Semitism in the public space, and caused irreversible damage in the way Poland is seen by Jews all over the world. The current events seem to be the bitter fruit of both the neglect with which the history of Jews in Poland and the Holocaust have been treated and an acceptance of anti-Semitism. For years history as such has been absent from public space, present only as a tool for achieving political or social aims.

Those who value Polish/Jewish dialogue are asking now if all of our work has been destroyed? Is it possible to continue in this changed landscape even more hostile to any Jewish issues? We know that many people are feeling frustrated or afraid that the daemons once unleashed can be put back to rest? We believe that the only response is to continue our work. Forum for Dialogue is dedicated to rebuilding and forming new connections between contemporary Poland and the Jewish community around the world. With 20 years of experience, we have prepared a list of 10 ways to take action in the wake of the current situation:

1. WRITE TO SURVIVORS AND THEIR DESCENDANTS

Join us in rebuilding and forming new connections between modern Poland and the Jewish community all over the world. Many Survivors from Poland and their descendants are alive around the world. Would you like to share with them some words of encouragement in these disheartening moment in Polish/Jewish dialogue? We will forward it to them. Let’s build a virtual bridge between Poland and Jews around the world. Learn more here.

2. SUPPORT ACTIVISTS

We know that all over Poland there are people who on your behalf contribute to Polish/Jewish dialogue. Don’t let them lose faith in their life’s work. You may learn about some of them here. Contact them. Support them. Join them. Ask how you may help. Start taking action yourself. Email us and we will forward them your encouragement: listy@dialog.org.pl.

3. LEARN ABOUT YOUR TOWN’S PAST

Rearrange the landscape of Polish history you have in your head, so that the history of Jewish Poles is its inextricable part. Visit the Polin Museum of the History of Polish Jews. Learn about the Jews from your town, how many there were, what did they do, how did they die? Read about their fate online at Virtual Shtetl portal or the School of Dialogue website. Find the synagogue, mikveh, cemetery, and the central street of the ghetto. Tell others about what you have discovered. Invite your kids, parents, neighbors, partners and friends for a walk and show it to them.

4. VISIT A DEATH CAMP

The majority of Polish Jews died in death camps by the end of 1942; in Treblinka, Sobibór, Belżec, Chełmno, Majdanek, and Auschwitz-Birkenau. Entire towns were transported to these camps and were killed on the day of the arrival. Visit a Holocaust Memorial site in your town and pay your respects!

photo: vincent desjardins, CC BY 2.0.

5. COMMEMORATE THE VICTIMS

Look around! Is there a memorial to your town’s Jewish community? A commemoration does not have to take the form of a monument. It is enough to organize a walk of remembrance on the anniversary of the deportation, have a ceremony at the local Jewish cemetery, ask the local church to have the bells ring or the town to switch on the sirens as a gesture of remembrance. Get inspired by the commemorations of the 75th anniversary of Aktion Reinhardt or Holocaust Remembrance Day in the Podkarpackie Province. Try it!

photo: Jolanta Więcław

6. TAKE CARE OF THE CEMETERY

There are 1200 Jewish cemeteries in Poland, many of them in total disrepair. What is the condition of the cemetery in your town? Is there a fence around it? How many tombstones are left? What condition are they in? Take a walk and check for yourself. Gather some people and clean it yourself. You can learn how to do this here.

7. LEARN MORE ABOUT THE HOLOCAUST

The numbers associated with the Holocaust are staggering. It is impossible to understand what does the three million – representing the number of Polish Jews who died in the war – stand for. Read Survivors’ testimonies! Learn to remember one name, one biography, one fate. There are many valuable publications concerning the nuances of Polish/Jewish relations during the second world war and the dramatic fate of Polish Jew. Not sure where to start? Check out the books published by the Polish center for Holocaust research at the Polish Academy of Sciences and the Jewish Historical Institute.

8. FIGHT ANTISEMITISM

If you see anti-Semitic slogans on walls or online, report it to hejtstop.pl. If you hear anti-Semitic statements at work, school, among your friends, or during a family dinner – react! History teaches us that anti-Semitism should not be ignored.

9. REMEBER THAT JEWS ARE NOT JUST HISTORY

Jews were and are Polish citizens, though they are now a much smaller group than before the war. There are Jewish communities, associations and cultural institutions operating now in Poland. Many of their events are open to the public. Learn about contemporary Polish Jews!

10. JOIN IN!

Think which one of these topics appeals to you the most: Polish/Jewish dialogue, Holocaust research, commemoration of Jewish past, or fighting anti-Semitism. Look for organizations that engage in that. Forum for Dialogue and other NGOs work mostly thanks to individual donors and institutional grants. Become a donor, volunteer, or offer your professional services or those of your company free of charge. Join in!

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