School of Dialogue at Junior High School in Jasienica Rosielna | Forum for Dialogue

Jasienica Rosielna is a village located in the Podkarpackie Province, which between 1727 and 1918 had municipal rights. In the past, the town inhabitants were mainly involved with agriculture and weaving. Jews lived in Jasienica Rosielna probably from the first half of the 18th century. However, it was not until the middle of the 19th century that they established their own community. At that time they made up 40% of all inhabitants. They established a synagogue and cemetery. They also had their own school and two rabbis. There were charity organizations in the town, e.g. an association providing interest-free loans and help the sick – Bikur Cholim. The Jews were mainly merchants and ran inns. In the interwar period, Jewish political movements emerged in Poland. In Jasienica Rosielna it was the Zionists who probably had a lot of support. In 1935, 20 representatives of the General Zionists and the Mizrachi party participated in the Zionist Congress.

During World War II, Germans resettled a number of Jews from Krosno to Jasienica Rosielna, and in 1942 a ghetto was set up. Some Jews were forced to work on the construction of fortifications in Dynów, and many young men worked in the camps in Jaśliska and Płaszów. The ghetto was liquidated in August 1942.

Those healthy and strong were sent by the Germans to the ghetto in Podgórze, the elderly, women and children as well as those unfit for work, were shot at the local cemetery. 624 people were murdered; their bodies were buried in a mass grave. Not one of the matzevot survived in the cemetery; today there are two memorials there. The synagogue did not survive the war either.

“I was surprised that while living in a village where a Jewish population once lived, I know so little about its history,” one of the workshop participants wrote. Students who took part in the “School of Dialogue” program did not know too much about the Jewish history of their town. Young people from two classes created a project group, and some of them showed their leadership skills. The main goal of the meetings with educators was to provide students with knowledge. This is how Iza, a workshop participant, summed up her experience from the workshops: “Today I can already say that Jewish culture is very interesting, my perception of Jews and other nationalities has changed. (….) Unfortunately, there are no Jews in my community, and I would very much like to meet someone who would not talk about someone else, but about oneself”.

photo: Sz. Cymer, B. Rostek

Young people carried out a project commemorating Jews from their town, with the support from their teacher. They prepared a walking tour for students from seventh grade of primary school and second grade of junior high school, as well as for the teachers. They also invited a local deputy and a vicar priest, who accepted the invitation. Anyone interested could join the group. In total, about 60 people walked following the footsteps of the Jewish community in Jasienica Rosielna. Their first stop was a car park, where Jewish houses, workshops, a synagogue and a pharmacy once stood. The second stop was a Jewish cemetery, where the group commemorated, with a minute of silence, those murdered there by the Germans in 1942.

Next, the group went to the park, where the students staged Polish and Jewish inns. They used a drawing made by one of the students because no photographs of these places have been preserved. Their guests were treated to traditional delicacies of Jewish cuisine – dates, matzo with honey and challah. They also talked about trade. After returning to school, the students made a presentation about the Jewish culture, Jewish holidays, and showed a film with interviews with elderly inhabitants of Jasienica Rosielna that the students made for the project. These materials are very valuable, because the inhabitants of Jasienica Rosielna talk about their neighbors from years back, this history is passed down to generations, and recorded for the next generation.

The students also agreed with the local government and planned two events to clean up the Jewish cemetery, to be repeated in the future. The students are also planning to publish a brochure entitled “Cuisine of Jasienice inspired by Jewish cuisine” as part of their cooperation with the local farmers’ wives association. They also wrote an article for the school newspaper “PzU – Plotki z ulotki”. All materials used during the workshops and preparations were presented in the school hall.

Thanks to Forum for Dialogue, I developed an interest in your Jewish culture. When I came to the first workshop I knew very little about your customs. Our educators perseveringly passed on their knowledge to us. Today I can already say that Jewish culture is very interesting, my perception of Jews and other nationalities has changed. (…) Unfortunately, there is no Jewish community in my town, and I would very much like to meet someone who would not talk about someone else, but about himself.

Workshops participant

Jasienica Rosielna

School:
Junior High School in Jasienica Rosielna
Students:
2 II classes
Local expert:
Local cultural center employee
Educators:
Szymon Cymer, Kasia Rostek

Contributors

In appreciation to the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (Claims Conference) for supporting this educational program. Through recovering the assets of the victims of the Holocaust, the Claims Conference enables organizations around the world to provide education about the Shoah and to preserve the memory of those who perished.

In appreciation to Friends of the Forum for supporting the School of Dialogue educational program.