Statement by the Union of Jewish Communities in Poland

The carnage committed by the Palestinian terrorists of Hamas against Israeli citizens, mostly civilians, including women and children, cannot be repeated. Every country, every people that is attacked, among which Israel and Jews alike have the right to defend themselves. The consequences of the most tragic act of extermination perpetrated against Jews since the Shoah must include measures that prevent further atrocities by Hamas or by other terrorist organisations. If the international community has not undertaken concrete or effective actions in order to secure the Gaza strip from Hamas terrorists, whose only goal is the destabilisation of the peace process and their means the instrumental exploitation of Palestinian society, the burden to secure the area and its borders falls unto Israel. Evaluating the events and expressing an…

What are you doing for Israel?

It has been almost one month that Israel was perfidiously and brutally attacked by terrorists whose admitted purpose is genocide, who want to wipe out Jews from the face of the earth. They broke the most ancient rules of war, proudly slaughtering old women and babies and taking them as hostages. Sadism such as theirs had not been seen for 80 years. They cowardly disrespect and beat their prisoners, desecrate the bodies of the dead, use their very own children as human shields, knowing that civilised nations will not repeat their crime. At the same time, the hydra of antisemitism rears its ugly head once again in Europe. Genocidal slogans are sung and repeated. Who was the actual aggressor on 7 October is forgotten and Israel is…

Szymon Dankowicz (1840-1910)

Born on 3rd November 1840 in Częstochowa, Szymon Dankowicz was a progressive rabbi connected with the Tempel Synagogue. A patriot and a great advocate of the agreement with Polish people. A graduate of School of Rabbis in Warsaw, Jewish Theological College in Wrocław as well as the Philosophy and History Faculty at the Central School of Warsaw. He was issued a smicha which he received from Dow Ber Meisels. In 1862, Szymon Dankowicz published a Jewish coursebook through Orgelbranda, a publishing house from Warsaw. Between 1861-1862, he participated in patriotic demonstrations and as a consequence, was arrested by the Russian authorities and exiled. His patriotic career includes being a January Uprising participant (1863-1864), too. From the mid 60’s of the 19th century, he held the position of a preacher at the Tempel Synagogue.…