|
Reviews
Poland's
Jewish
Heritage -
Overview
written by
James
Lehman.
Joram Kagan
was born in
Lublin,
Poland. He
was deported
to the
Arkhangelsk
region in
1940 before
evacuating
to Iran in
1942. Kagan
later went
and served
in the
Givati
Brigade
during
Israel’s war
of
independence.
He is
currently
retired and
living with
his family
in New York
City. In
this text
Mr. Kagan
offers vital
information
for those
interested
in examining
Poland’s
Jewish
heritage.
The
paperback is
not long
(264 pages)
and contains
three
chapters.
The first
provides an
introduction
to the
Polish
Jewish
culture past
and
present.
The second
offers a
chronology
of the
Jewish
presence in
Poland and
the third
chapter
consists of
an in-depth
glossary of
Polish
Jewry.
In this
small volume
readers
learn that
prior to
World War
II, Poland
represented
the largest
Jewish
population
in Europe,
and the
second
largest in
the world.
During this
period over
10% of
Poland’s
population
were Jewish
and even
today more
than 15
million Jews
around the
world are
linked with
the heritage
of Polish
Jewry. A
large
portion of
Jewish
immigration
into Poland
began during
the crusades
when many
Jews in
Western
Europe faced
persecution
and Poland
became a
place for
protection
and
security.
Things would
continue to
get better
for the
Polish Jews
after World
War I when
Poland was
reborn as a
country of
minorities
consisting
of, Jews,
Bialorussians,
Ukrainians
and
Germans.
Furthermore,
the Treaty
of
Versailles
provided
protection
for
minorities
and the
Polish
Jews.
The
devastation
of the
Polish Jews
began just
prior to
World War
II. Nazi
Germany
under the
control of
Adolf
Hitler,
implemented
a policy to
kill and
destroy the
culture all
of the Jews
in Europe.
The end
result of
this
atrocity was
the deaths
of over 6
million Jews
in Europe
and also a
loss of
Jewish
culture in
many
countries,
including
Poland.
Today there
is only a
very small
Jewish
community in
Poland; well
under 10,000
total.
Moreover,
the Jewish
culture that
was so
prominent in
Poland prior
to WWII is
barely a
fraction of
the size
today. This
text
illustrates
the effects
of genocide
on a
particular
group of
people and
in this case
the Polish
Jews.
For the
Educator
This text
would be
helpful when
examining
how
genocide,
specifically
the
Holocaust
can affect a
country
and/or group
of people.
Chapter one
can provide
students
with
background
knowledge on
Jews in
Poland and
also truly
illustrate
the effects
that the
Holocaust
had on the
Polish
Jewish
community.
One valuable
teacher
resource is
the glossary
of terms
relating to
Polish
Jewry. For
example on
page 105,
Kagain
defines the
term
Palmiry
as follows,
“A mass
grave, now a
cemetery,
memorializes
the spot in
the woods of
Kampinow
near Warsaw
where 1,700
people were
executed in
January
1940. At
least 250 of
those
murdered
were
Jewish.”
The terms
Kampinow
and
Warsaw
from the
previous
definition
can also be
found in the
glossary.
Another
valuable
teacher
resource is
the many
maps
contained in
the volume.
For example,
there are
eight pages
of maps
displaying
the Jewish
community
before and
after WWII,
the general
government
of Poland,
German-Soviet
Partition of
Poland,
Jewish
Ghettos in
Poland, Nazi
Concentration
Camps,
locations of
Jewish
resistance
and revolts
and other
general maps
of Poland.
According to
the Fry
Readability
Scale, the
first
chapter
reads
between a 10th
to 12th
grade
reading
level, which
would be
appropriate
for high
school
students to
read on
their own,
provided of
course, that
they have
the skills
and
background
knowledge to
read at this
grade
level.
Fortunately
for all
readers, an
in-depth
glossary in
the last
half of the
book, will
make
comprehension
easier. |
