Visit to Beit Polska Congregations 

Second night of Hanukah at Beit Warszawa

Recently, the Beit Warszawa congregation has met at the Bavel, a Jewish cultural center, and in a conference center near town. Part of the purpose of the trip was to meet people in the Step by Step classes and to learn about their concerns. Overall, Beit Polska has over 25 people enrolled in various conversion stages, and one of the critical reasons for the trip was to arrange for completing the course and the Beit Din process. Many students are now enrolled in classes across Poland but fulfilling their attendance at service requirements through Progressive and non-Progressive congregations. It is an exciting and complex problem. Cantorial soloist Henryk Kowalski is the leader in Warsaw. A second primary reason for the visit was to explore the possibility of a permanent Beit Warszawa site. More news to follow in the coming weeks.

Rabbi Haim Beliak

Rabbi Beliak spent the first night of Hanukah with Beit Troijmiato, one of the Beit Polska congregations in Poland’s northern port cities region. The community has the regular cantorial leadership of Alina Antoszewska, and often, co-president Malgorzata Gron joins in on violin. Damian Nawecski, the other co-vice president, was ill during this visit, but we spoke on skype. We spent an intense study Shabbat studying with five young candidates for conversion. Cantorial soloist Rivka

Cantorial soloist Iza Rivka Foremniak

Foremniak is in Krakow, Warsaw, Konstantin, and Trojmiato. She is our most experienced cantorial soloist, and many California readers will remember her from her visit to the Los Angeles area.

The purpose of the visit was to ensure a more steady and stable leadership transition. We want to thank Marek Jezowski, who we featured in the last newsletter, for his six years of chairmanship. He will remain on the board. Of the new board members, there will be Hania Gawronska and Jasiu Frankowski. We will be introducing them more formally soon.

Here is a montage of pictures from lectures, services, Hanukkah parties, and meetings.

Catholic-Jewish Seminar on Repentence

I note a special seminar that meets to discuss issues of religion. I often visit Catholic seminaries and the Protestant seminary in Poland. But this seminar was unique. Various retired social science faculty members mainly from the University of Warsaw, participate. Our topics are religious, especially dealing with Catholic-Jewish interests. Our topic was the different views of repentance in the respective faiths. Pawel Spiewak, a noted sociologist and until recently the director of the Jewish Historical Institute, presented the Jewish point of view.

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