Zbigniew Wieczorek

It is difficult to adequately express the profound loss we experienced upon the passing last October of Zbigniew Wieczorek, beloved Leader of Dialogue and humanitarian whose moral compass always pointed in the direction of making the world a better place. He was a teacher after all, dedicated to helping others learn so that the mistakes of the past were not repeated.

Zbyszek committed his heart and soul to Jewish memory, and to finding ways to ensure that his hometown of Radom would not forget the existence of a once-flourishing community. He cared deeply for those former neighbors who walked the same Radom city streets that exist today.

Every year, including during the worst of the pandemic, Zbyszek made sure that the names of those who perished in the Holocaust were read out loud, even when there were few around to hear them. He dedicated so much of his life to honoring a heritage that had practically disappeared.

Zbyszek worked tirelessly memorializing what could not be physically restored. He was instrumental in the creation of plaques located throughout the city to notify people of the places once inhabited by former Jewish residents, and about the contributions they made to Radom. He was the conduit bringing the past into the present, always finding new ways to share his knowledge of Jewish history, particularly as it related to Radom.

There would be no “Trace,” as he named his annual commemorative event, in Radom without Zbyszek’s inspiration, devotion, and courage. Now it is up to us to continue the work he started. During some of our last conversations he talked about wanting to write a book that included the identities of every former Jewish resident, and to rename the street upon which the Synagogue once stood as “Synagogue Square.” He wanted to hold scholarly seminars where the works of Jewish poets were read and discussed, and he had visions of the creation of a Jewish museum.

There was so much more he wanted to do, particularly as the 80th anniversary of the liquidation of the Radom ghetto would need to be commemorated in August 2022. Hopefully, we will be able to accomplish some of the goals he set forth.

Zbyszek walked a righteous path. Now it is our turn to honor his memory.

Sharon Grosfeld
President, Friends of the Forum

Zbigniew Wieczorek about his activism:

Our first step was to make ourselves, as well as our neighbors from ul.Kilińskiego, aware of the fact that an important Jewish education institution used to exist on that very street, a source of pride and a flagship school for the Jewish community in Poland. In 2006 we organized our first event in the courtyard of the old Friends of Knowledge SocietySecondary School. The event attracted students and teachers fromJan KochanowskiHigh School no.6in Radom. This was an important experience for many of us. From today’s perspective, when I look at the awareness of Polish-Jewish relations of my fellow-citizens, I could blame our parents, as well as teachers, who survived the war trauma, for remaining silent on this matter. However, their muteness was forced predominantly by the political conditions in Poland under communism. It was the politicians of that system who were responsible for this crime against the memory of our nation. In addition, the Catholic church in Poland until the times of Pope John Paul II did not see a need for repairing Polish-Jewish relations and for conducting moral exoneration. Today, this muteness of the conscience around the numerous signs of anti-Semitism is a continuation of the policy carried out in communist Poland. I cannot stand by idly and observe this muteness. Everything I do is my attempt to bring back the memory, and to form a reply to the silence, muteness and absence.

I am a Polish language teacher, I also teach culture studiesat Jan KochanowskiHigh School no.6 in Radom, and this obliges me to constantly learn about the contexts that shaped Polish literature and art. In the 18th century, we observed a significant influence of Jewish culture and language on the Polish language and culture. To be able to speak about Polish culture in a competent manner, we need to be aware of the many influences different languages and nations had on Polish heritage. I have been teaching Polish language and literature for a few decades now and in my contacts with students I see many reasons why we should deal with Polish-Jewish matters. I do not want my students to face this morally difficult issue alone. Besides, the Polish language curriculum for secondary schools obliges me to undertake the task of explaining these matters. With my personal engagement I am trying to serve as a role-model showing how we should react to anti-Semitism. For 10 years now, around the April 19th, we organize events, during which young people learn about the Radom former Jewish residents. Eight years ago, these events were formally named “Trace” Meetings with Jewish Culture, organized by the “ResursaObywatelska” (Citizens’ Club) Culture and Art Center in Radom – with my active support. Recently, thanks to the cooperation with Forum for Dialogue, I was able to intensify contacts with descendants of Radom citizens currently living in the USA and to prepare a  Seder dinner during Passover.

Popularizing knowledge about Jews of Radom is primarily based on publishing books about their history and culture. The “Book of Radom” covers the topic in the most comprehensive way. I received it thanks to my contacts with the Forum for Dialogue. The struggle for preserving the memory of the Jews must be an ongoing process. It’s like fighting with filth: if we give up our activities, then stereotypes, myths, and all sorts of distortions will come forward.  In that respect, we are in a rather hopeless situation, but if we don’t do anything about this, we will give ourselves consent to live in moral filth.  It is not my intention to preach, but I am  looking my activism from the perspective of a cultural historian who knows that in the past, humanity committed the sin of omission several times;each time it lead to the catastrophe of genocide. I hope that here, at my school, I will be able to make young people resilient to the indifference to past and future of the Other living among us. On a few occasions, I had the opportunity to witness the reaction of past citizens of Radom, how they were touched when they saw and found out what has been done in our city, and I am convinced that the actions I have undertaken make therapeutic sense both for them and for us.

Activism