guest user
8/3/2001 13:10 EST
" I am considering teaching in Poland for the 2003-2004 school year, and I was told by several family members that I shouldn''t do it because I am Jewish (not religious, though) and have a German last name. Will this actually pose a problem? "
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guest user
8/14/2001 09:02 EST
" Hey, Indeed, as a Jew, you dont want to be in Poland. Take that for granted. Write me to my email for further infio. We''ll talkl later. Im in the offcie now O. "
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guest user
9/4/2001 19:24 EST
" Farrah, I was born and lived in Poland. I think you should seriously consider going to Poland. You will encounter all kinds of people. Some will be prejudice, some indifferent and some will be amicable toward you. You will be respected and appreciated if you are knowledgeable and can make a positive contribution. Let the people know that your Jewish and not German. : ) czesc "
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Kuellmer
From: United States
12/4/2001 19:36 EST
"Poles Hate Jews"
This is a stunning and staggering myth. It is propugated by Time, Newsweek, etc. Note: I am not Jewish, but I have lived a number of years in Poland, speak Polish, and am married to a Polish woman. I have a few Polish Jewish friends, but there are very very few Jews left in Poland.
My points:
1. Most of the world's Jews lived in Poland historically. Why? It was the most tolerant place in Europe. Jews were not turned over to the nazis or killed in advance for them, as in France or Lithuania.
2. There is no racist, facist party with a specific agenda in Poland that gets 5, 10 15 percent of the vote, as is France, Germany or Italy. Yet these countries do have the rep Poland does.
3. You will see grafiti anti Jewish. Big deal. Most Polish anti-Semites have never met one. Thus myths can propagate free from influence from reality. There are priests and politicians that play the jew baiting game. The majority considers them idiots.
4. The few surviving Jewish in Poland that did not leave in 1945 were hassled by the Communists. Jewishness was used by the communists as a means of Party cleansing. Jewish were offered an exit visa in 1968. Most took it, as would have most of the general population.
5. A Polish Jewish friend lived there and had NO problems. Alot of curiosity, but no hassle at all.
6. Being foreign will outweigh being Jewish in people's minds and reactions 10 to 1.
7. Go. You will have a fantastic experience and will never forget the experience.
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Chung
From: United States
2/11/2002 06:56 EST
I've just returned from Poland, after having a fantastic time. Here's what I can say on this subject:
The president of Poland, Aleksandr Kwasniewski, is Jewish, I think, and her prime minister, Leszek Miller, has a German last name. So there.
Whether you will have a problem depends on how much political incorrectness you can swallow. In America, people go out of their ways to avoid the appearance of anti-semitism/racism. You wouldn't even think about telling a Jewish joke in public. Whereas in Poland people would just say whatever.
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furmania
From: United States
6/11/2002 17:29 EST
Farrah,
The view that Jews cannot, or should not, live in Poland due to anti-semitic tendicies is alarmist. As an assimilated, American (and Polish speaking) Jew who lived in Poland for much of the 1990's, I encourage you to make the move. During my stay, I played concerts as well as taught both English and music. While I decided not to make Poland a permanent home, a decision in no way informed by Polish attitudes towards Jews, I am nonethelss greatful for the experiences I had there.
There are a few things about Poland you should bear in mind. First, there are very few Jews left in the country, soanti semitism is little more than an abstraction, or perhaps It would be more accurate to say a remnant of anti-semitic tendencies evinced on the part of the country's uneducated before and during the war. Over the course of eight years, only twice did I so much as hear anti-semitic comments (my interlocutors had no idea I was Jewish), and they were, as far as this kind of thing goes, reletively harmless.
Second, you will be seen first and foremost as an American, not a Jew, assuming you make your ethnicity public.
I could continue, but I will end by reiterating what I wrote at the beginning of this reply - make the trip; anyone who tells you not to obviously has not spent enough time in the country to make an informed choice.
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