The Museum of the History of Polish Jews (July 18th)

The Museum of the History of Polish Jews thoroughly taught me about the lives of Polish Jews, and their treatment over many centuries. Before our visit I had a general understanding of how the Jews in Poland were treated, but it wasn’t until visiting this museum that I really grasped the reasons behind changing views of Jews in Poland. One of the most interesting pieces of information that came to life was linked to the name of the country Poland itself: it is believed to have come from the word “Polen,” which was the call to the Jews to settle in the land of Poland.

Walking through the museum there were various exhibits relating to different time periods in which Jews lived in Poland. Early Polish history depicts Jews playing an extremely important part in the Polish economy. Many Jews were important merchants and politicians, and thus shaped Poland’s economy to become stronger. Another fact I learned was of how throughout the early part of Poland’s history, Polish kings continually tried to protect the Jews by giving them equal rights, punishing those who harmed Jews. It appeared that the Polish Kings acknowledged Jews as contributing and important members of the country, unlike other nearby countries who kept them separated from the rest of society.

While the Polish kings thought positively of Jews, Poland’s citizens, especially Christians, felt threatened. One of the examples on display was of how many people would rather have had a Jew rent and operate their tavern, as it was believed that Jews were accurate bookkeepers. This angered many Christians causing a continual resentment of the Christians towards the Jews.

To me this was a major factor that caused anti-Semitic views that grew in Poland before the Second World War. As time went on, Jewish rights began to slowly disappear. By World War II their treatment had taken a complete turn for the worse, which was only fuelled by the continued anti-Semitism.

From the museum visit, I learned more about the history of Polish Jews, and specifically just how vital they were in shaping Poland into the country it is today. It teaches us that discrimination is wrong, everyone is equal, and everyone can contribute positive and useful ideas. It’s wrong to stereotype, as every person is different. A lesson to bring home from this experience is:  in the end it doesn’t matter whether we are rich, poor, Christian, Jewish, Black or White; all that matters is what we do with our lives.

                                        -Luca M.

The exterior of this new museum, which just opened in 2014.

“Before death all are equal regardless of religion or class”. To me, this picture and accompanying text connected how the Polish kings viewed the Jews: that in the end all will be equal so why not just treat everyone equally now?