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FOSTERING A VIBRANT RENEWAL OF JUDAISM IN POLAND

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Rabbi Haim Dov Beliak

A Father and Son Journey in Poland

By Leave a Comment Filed Under: Freighted Legacies

With Igor Mikhaylov & Son, Ilan – A Father’s Day Reflection

A father, Igor Mikhaylov, took his Bar Mitzvah age son, Ilan on a trip to Poland in the Spring of 2023. They were spurred by Ilan’s Bar Mitzvah project at Temple Judea in Los Angeles, CA in November 2022. Ilan ambitiously raised funds for the Janusz Korczak Childcare Fund of Friends of Jewish Renewal in Poland for Progressive Judaism supporting Spynka. The support for the network of 90 Day Care Centers called “Spynka” was one of many encounters with the Poland of today, which is offering refuge to Ukraine’s women and children. Father and son visited remnants of[…]

Will Wikipedia Withstand the Test of Historical Truth?

By Leave a Comment Filed Under: Freighted Legacies

The Rewriting of Holocaust History on the World’s 7th Most Popular Website

For the past few years, a group of Wikipedia editors has been spreading disinformation on the history of the Holocaust. With no obvious ties to any government, they slowly but relentlessly hack away at reason and accuracy to promote ideological zeal, prejudice, and bias. Due to this group’s handiwork, Wikipedia’s coverage of Holocaust history follows a narrative touted by right-wing Polish nationalists. Its articles whitewash the role of Polish society in the Holocaust and bolster stereotypes about Jews, spinning fantastical tales about Jews’ involvement in large-scale crimes against Poles, and wildly inflating the scope of Jewish collaboration with the Nazis.

Zoe and Audrey’s Time in Gdansk

By Leave a Comment Filed Under: Congregational Happenings, Visiting Poland

Beit Trojmiasto welcomed two rabbinic students from Hebrew Union College, Audrey Honig and Zoe Dressner-Wollberg, for Passover 2023. They spent several days with the community preparing Seders and leading them with our community. We thank Karina from the Joint Distribution Committee and Dominika Zakrzewska’s connection to Hebrew Union College and look forward to future learning opportunities.

The Passing of Professor Paweł Śpiewak

By Leave a Comment Filed Under: Lifecycle Events

Professor Paweł Śpiewak passed on March 30. The funeral was held in Warsaw on April 2. We extend sincere condolences to his wife, Hania Gawronska-Spiewak, and his children and grandchildren. Hania Gawronska-Spiewak is the new chair of Beit Polska and Beit Warszawa. While closely tending her husband, during his illness she continued in her leadership […]