The Nazis nearly succeeded in wiping out the entire Jewish population of Poland. Of the 11 million Jewish Poles before World War II, only about 1 million survived the war and most of them left. Although nearly all of the Jewish people were gone, some of their culture such as music, food and Yiddish expressions remained embedded in Polish life. Like a charred forest after a blaze, there are small signs of reemergence.
In the former Jewish district of Cracow known as Kasimierz, visitors are encouraged to attend a performance of Klezmer Music - the traditional lively Jewish fiddle music that you would hear in Fiddler on the Roof. And, restaurants serving Jewish food have placed signs on the sidewalk, inviting customers. Those seem like encouraging indications that Jews have returned to the neighborhood from which they were wrenched. Except not. The Klezmer bands and the restaurants serving Jewish food are run by non-Jews. This is how Poland is healing from the horrible times.
Curiosity about Jews and Jewish culture has also fueled the creation of the world's largest Jewish festival, Jewish Culture Festival. Initiated as communism waned in 1988 by two non-Jews, Janusz Makuch and Krzysztof Gierat sought to regain Poland's Jewish identity. For 10 days, nearly 30,000 people from all over the world attend or watch it on public television with the aim of personally experiencing contemporary Jewish culture.
Cracow opened a Jewish Community Center in September 2017. One of the leading donors to its funding was Prince Charles who had been deeply moved by the plight of the elderly Jews in Cracow whose community had been decimated. The JCC's preschool began with an enrollment of four students. It is now up to fourteen.
For a visitor like me coming from the United States, the lack of security is puzzling. Whereas we are accustomed to locked doors requiring cameras and identification credentials for admission, Cracow's JCC doors are wide open. Moreover, a banner outside the building's entrance says, "Stop By and Say Hi". We did.
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| Terrific guide, Thomasz Klimek and Receptionist at Cracow Jewish Community Center (See the pamphlet on the right, "Building a Jewish Future"?) |
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| Holocaust survivor who was talking with German students during our visit. After years of keeping silent, she decided that it is important to tell her story. |