BOARD WELCOMES JEWISH REVIVAL IN POLAND

17 December 2009 - The Board of Deputies hosted Rabbi Maciej Pawlak, the first Polish-born rabbi to serve in that country in 40 years last week. Rabbi Pawlak is the Principal of the Lauder-Morasha school in Warsaw, and also works alongside Polish Chief Rabbi Schudrich at Warsaw’s Nozyk Synagogue.

Rabbi Pawlak, who only discovered that he was Jewish at 15, spoke of the challenges involved in reviving Jewish life in Poland after the horrors of the Shoah and the repression of Communist rule. But Rabbi Pawlak was upbeat in his address, saying that twenty years ago, people thought that the Jewish community in Poland was in terminal decline. The rabbi argued that evidence was defying the doubters, pointing to the growing numbers of affiliated Jews, as well as the increasing size of his own Lauder-Morasha school.

The meeting was also an opportunity to add to the growing dialogue between the Board of Deputies and the Polish community in the UK. Those present included the Polish Embassy, the Federation of Poles of Great Britain, and representatives of Polish businesses and students. The Board was also pleased to welcome colleagues from the Christian communities, including the Council of Christians and Jews, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference, and Monsignor Tadeusz Kukla, who leads the Polish Catholic Mission in England.

Chairing the meeting, Board President, Vivian Wineman, said, “It is heartening to hear that, after the ravages of the Shoah, Jewish life is on the up in Poland. I am also delighted to welcome the growing ties between Polish and Jewish communal institutions in this country. We have many common interests going forward, and I look forward to working with you to build understanding and cooperation between our communities.” Mr Wineman expressed his gratitude to the Polish Embassy and Filip Slipaczek, of the Institute of Polish Jewish Studies, for organising Rabbi Pawlak’s visit.