so that our songs will be sung again
DESCRIPTION
Brochure for the Museum of the History of Polish JewsTRANSCRIPT
So that Our songs will be sung again,
Our stories retold,
Our achievements, lauded,
Our joys celebrated...
...We ask you to join with us in support of the Museum of the History of Polish Jews
on behalf of the north american council, i invite you on a journey. It is the journey that our parents and grandparents, and theirs in turn, took. It is a journey through our civilization and culture, our scholarship and philosophy, our successes and, sadly, our near destruction. A journey spanning 1,000 years of the history of Polish Jewry. It is a journey through the Museum of the
History of Polish Jews.
Opening in 2012, The Museum of the History of Polish Jews—which even now is rising on hallowed ground at the center of what was once the Warsaw Ghetto—will stand in tribute to the scholars and rabbis, authors and artists, philosophers and business leaders, shoemakers and trades-people, tailors and wagon drivers, who came together to shape and influence, not only Jewish history in Poland, but the history of Western Civilization. This civilization came to an abrupt halt under German occupation that forever singed the soil of Poland.
Today, we have an opportunity to work in partnership with the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage and the City of Warsaw, which are providing the land and funds for the construction and operations of the Museum’s building.
In celebration of Poland’s vibrant Jewish history, we invite the American Jewish community, 70 percent of whom trace their ancestry to Poland, to help support the exhibitions and programming of the Museum.To paraphrase my role model and our great benefactor, Tad Taube, the historical legacy of Jewish life in Poland has undeniably served as the cornerstone of Western Civilization.
Join us, as we stand in awe of what was achieved. Join us, in breathless admiration of who we once were and who we are. Join us, in preserving our history and our voice for now and for generations to come. With your support, future generations may also take this journey with admiration and awe.
Join us.
Those who visit the Museum of the History of Polish Jews will begin their journey through 1,000 years of the history of Polish Jews at
the memorial to the heroes of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising, which stands in defiant memory on the square across from the museum.
A Message from Sigmund Rolat, Chairman
The North American Council is a nonprofit organization supporting the mission of the Museum of the History of Polish Jews by raising crucial funds
for the permanent exhibition and educational programs.
for nearly 1,000 years, poland welcomed Jews—many of whom had been expelled from neigh-
boring European communities—and granted them a
safe haven. In every aspect of life, whether in culture,
scholarship, art or business, the millions of Jews who
once called Poland home led a life on par with their
non-Jewish neighbors, and unmatched anywhere in the world, so
that by the end of the 19th century, Jews were an estimated ten
percent of the population of Polish lands, and made up half, some-
times more, of the urban population.
The Museum of the History of Polish Jews—a center for education
and culture—is dedicated to preserving the lasting legacy of Jewish
life in Poland and of the civilization created by Polish Jews over the
course of a millennium. The Museum will foster respect for Jewish
tradition and culture and stimulate dialogue in the spirit of mutual
acceptance and tolerance.
As we take this journey together to experience the story—the story
of what came before, what came after, and what is yet to come—
we will learn our own story. It is the story of our patrimony, of our
grandparents, our mothers and fathers. It is a proud story.
a tale to tell
This is Our Story
t his will be a place unliKe any other. A museum unlike any we have known. It will stand
as a celebration of the Jewish existence in Poland
and inform future generations wishing to discover a
people who shaped world history. This museum will
breathe life into artifacts and give a pulse to manu-
scripts and photographs. It will come alive with sound and light.
Vibrate with music and expression. It will enlighten the visitor
with stories of the Polish Jewish Everyman and the Polish Jewish
Genius. Stories of the Shtetl and The Palace, of the lives Jews lived
and the dreams they dreamed.
museum overview
A Place Unlike any Other
Using a wide variety of primary sources, media, and cutting-edge technology, the Museum will create evocative environments, engrossing narratives, and interactive installations that encourage visitors to explore subjects in depth.
More a “theater of history” than a conventional exhibition of objects and labels, galleries will creatively engage the minds and hearts of diverse visitors of all
nations and ages, especially children.
A Journey of a Thousand Years
architects ilmari lahdelma and
rainer mahlamaki of helsinki,
finland, won the first international
competition for the design of a public
building in poland.
the museum represents a partnership between the polish ministry of culture and national heritage and the city of warsaw, which are providing the land
and funds for the construction and operations of the museum’s building.
event communications of london, a world-class design team, is creating
the galleries for a multimedia narrative experience.
the design evokes the parting
of the red sea. ParadisUsJUdeorUM
inTo THecoUnTry
leGacy
firsT encoUnTers
approximately 500,000 visitors are expected annually:
50 percent from abroad, most from the u.s. and israel.
barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett, professor
of performance studies at new york university,
serves as the head of the core exhibition
planning team.
an education center will host school groups
and a student exchange. facilities for conferences,
lectures, symposia, film screenings,
performances, and temporary exhibitions will also be available.
construction began in 2009, and the
museum will open in 2012.
the museum will encompass
104,000 square feet, with more
than 45,000 square feet devoted to
the core exhibition.
THesTreeT
PosTWaryears
HolocaUsT
encoUnTers WiTH ModerniTy
the museum galleries
First Encounters10th - 15th centuries
The Beginnings of the Jewish Settlement in the Polish lands
from poland’s very foundinG, the earliest Jews who came to settle were craftspeople and mer-
chants with wares to sell. They were welcomed by a
tolerant government. Influential in advancing the
commercial interests of the land, their freedom to
worship, trade and travel was protected—something
that was unique in a medieval Christian Europe. And while there
were accusations of “blood libel” as well as disputes between Jewish
and non-Jewish neighbors, Jews still did not face the restrictions and
oppressions common in other European countries.
Casimir the Great welcomed Jews to Poland with open arms. Migrat-
ing primarily from Germany, Jews settled in lands called Ashkenaz
in the 14th and 15th centuries, where they thrived and began to form
a middle class in a community that was largely divided between
wealthy land owners and peasants. When in 1492, Jews were expelled
from Spain and Portugal, Poland again became a place of refuge.
With increased population, a new vibrancy rose in the community,
leading to the Golden Age of Polish Jewry.
Visitors will begin their journey by entering a symbolic “forest” filled with the sounds of texts from this period. as they leave the forest and wander further
through the gallery, they will be enchanted by archeological finds and documents chronicling Jewish life in this era, including a tombstone from the silesia region, the oldest known artifact confirming the Jewish historical presence in the land.
The highlight will be the full reconstruction of a 15th century Jewish home.
the museum galleries
Paradisus Judeorum16th - mid 17th centuries
The “Golden Age” of Polish Jewry
by the 16th century, poland became a safe haven for Jews from across Europe, many of whom
were fleeing persecution from religious strife. For
hundreds of years more Jews lived in Poland than
anywhere else in the world. Jews were largely held in
favor by their neighbors, as well as by the country’s
leadership and prospered as never before. The Va’ad Arba’ Artzot,
the (Jewish) Council of the Four Lands (of Poland), was the only
Jewish executive political body to exist between the destruction
of the Second Temple and the creation of the Jewish Agency in
Palestine. With a continued influx of Jews, the community’s wealth
increased to the point where, for many, earning a living could
be temporarily set aside in favor of study, and the acquisition of
Talmudic knowledge and concentration on scholarship became
increasingly prevalent. The Shulchan Aruch, the monumental
codification of Jewish law, was adopted for Ashkenazi practice by
Rabbi Moshe Isserles in Krakow and yeshivot thrived across the
lands. The resulting scholarship influences Jewish observance and
belief to this day.
in this gallery, visitors will examine a scale model of the Jewish quarter in the city of Krakow. They will also interact with exhibits that illuminate the
blossoming of Jewish scholarship during the period when Poland became one of the most significant communities in the diaspora. a “Virtual library” of Hebrew
and yiddish religious literature of this period will illustrate the complex Talmudic thought scholars of this era produced.
the museum galleries
Into the Country16th - mid 17th centuries
in the 17th and 18th centuries, polish cities declined and the Polish market town, known as the shtetl in
Yiddish, emerged as the center of Jewish life. Jewish
communities rooted themselves in these towns, playing key
roles in the Polish agricultural economy. Wealthier Jews did
business with the Polish landowners, while poorer Jews
served the peasants, typically once a week on market day. Towards
the end of this period, as the Polish state was being partitioned
by the powerful empires that surrounded it, a new movement
of Jewish renewal called Hasidism began to reinvigorate Jewish
tradition and religious practice.
Up until this period, Talmudic study had been commonplace among
Jews. Yet, with a drop in wealth, only a limited number of students
entered yeshivot. Hasidism, an impassioned sect of Judaism, emerged
and has influenced Orthodox Judaism into modern times. Kabbalah,
Jewish mysticism, also reemerged, now under the influence of
Hasidism. Dynasties of elite scholars were established, including
Chabad Lubavitch and many other Hasidic Courts, commonly known
in the present day. Some Jews started to consider a more secular
lifestyle, and the first fissure within the once-homogenous Jewish
community came about, thus creating the early roots of Jewish
affiliations commonplace today.
Under the reconstructed vault of a wooden synagogue from this era, visitors will experience the look and feel of the most central building in these
Jewish communities. other multi-media presentations will allow visitors to explore Jewish texts authored during this period.
the museum galleries
Encounters with Modernitylate 18th century to WWi
Tradition Renewed and Challenged: Jews under Three Empires
from the end of the 18th century throuGh the end of World War I, Polish lands were ruled by Ger-
man, Austrian, and Russian empires, making a lasting
impact on the lives of an estimated four million Jews
who called this region home. The period is marked
by a move to an industrial economy in which Jews
prospered. Official government policies wavered between harsh and
enlightened; enforcement of tolerant laws was haphazard at best.
While Jews were encouraged to pursue a secular education and
obtain professional skills, they also faced double taxation in lieu
of army service. For those who had to choose the army, sons were
often victims of forced conversion. This period was also marked by a
deeper and growing split in the Jewish community: while many Jews
still held fervently to their religious faith, others stepped outside
Judaism’s boundaries to embrace modernity.
installations in this gallery will project montages of images graphically displaying life in the emerging cities and industrial centers: railroad stations,
factories, socialist and Zionist activism, the rise of a modern Jewish culture in yiddish and Hebrew, as well as in Polish and russian. Visitors will understand
how the lives of Jews changed as they became subjects of three partitioning empires, each with changing laws governing the Jewish community and
varying degrees of tolerance for it.
the museum galleries
The Street1918 – 1939
Into Modernity: Shaping a New Polish Jewish World
from 1918 throuGh 1939, 3.5 million jews lived as citizens of a reborn Polish state: the Second
Polish Republic. While political anti-Semitism grew
during these years, Jews were largely free to pursue
their lives as they saw fit. They voted in national, muni-
cipal and Jewish council elections, attended both
public and private, secular and religious schools, created literature
and scholarship in Polish, Yiddish, and Hebrew. They became
prominent members of the Polish intelligentsia, literary, and arts
communities (e.g., Brzechwa, Tuwim, Korczak). Propelled by the
energy of masses of young people, they founded political parties,
sports clubs, musical societies, theater companies (professional
and amateur), libraries, literary societies, hospitals, and a wide
range of charitable organizations. Some Jews began to think of
themselves as Poles of the Jewish faith, but most saw themselves as
Polish Jews, a Jewish nationality in a multinational Polish state.
The divisions were often most evident at the family dinner table:
one child might be a pious Yeshiva student, while his brothers
and sisters might be Communists, Bundists, or Zionists.
Visitors will stroll through a full-size recreation of a main street in the Jewish quarter of Warsaw. Video projections on the facades of buildings will introduce
the visitor to the life of this era; gates will open into courtyards in which various aspects of culture, politics, and daily life are presented.
the museum galleries
Holocaust1939 – 1945
The Near-Destruction of Polish Jewry
in the years leadinG up to the holocaust,anti-Semitism mounted and “blood libel” rumors arose again as
Poles often resented their Yiddish-speaking neighbors. When
Germany marched into Poland in 1939, all Jewish property
and businesses were nationalized and within a day, Jewish
schools, as well as Polish and Jewish media, were shut down.
Several hundred synagogues were destroyed by the Germans who
often forced Jews to commit the destruction themselves. Germany
ordered all Jews to register with the state, and the punishment for
helping a Jew was immediate death.
By the end of 1941, Jews were forced to wear the Jewish star arm band
and were openly beaten in the streets. The Warsaw Ghetto, along
with other town Ghettos, was established to confine Jews. Severe
overcrowding, starvation, lice, and typhoid caused incalculable
deaths. The Nazi “Final Solution” was carried out in German-
occupied Poland where all but a tiny fraction of Jews perished in the
death camps of Auschwitz, Treblinka, Majdanek, Belzec, Sobibor,
and Chelmno. Yet, despite all odds, countless Jews resisted their Nazi
oppressors in myriad ways, from cultural creation to armed combat:
above all, simply by staying alive.
documents from the Warsaw and lodz Ghettos and from many other towns in Poland will be used to present the life and death, and life in the shadow of death of Poland’s 3.5 million Jews. The gallery cannot attempt to replicate the events
of the Holocaust, but seeks to allow visitors to understand the extreme situations and tragic moments in which Jews found themselves.
the museum galleries
Post War Years1945 to date
Polish Jews after the Holocaust
followinG the war, poland came under direct Communist Soviet control. With all but 300,000
of Poland’s more-than three million Jews having
perished, with a once vibrant Jewish community in
physical and spiritual tatters, its families severed
and businesses gone forever, those who survived
faced shattered lives. The Polish Zionist movement combined with
the genocide of the Holocaust had a decisive impact on the vision
for the creation of the State of Israel. Jews left Poland in waves
for Israel or other lands. Following the death of Stalin in 1956, the
borders opened resulting in another wave of Jewish emigration
from Poland. In 1968, a so-called anti-Zionist campaign waged by
the government forced many Jews, even those who worked in the
government, out of the country. Nevertheless, a Jewish presence,
however small, remained in Poland.
The Solidarity movement, beginning in the early 1980s, fought the
communist system and finally toppled it in 1989. Interest in the
Jewish past began to grow among young Poles. In post-communist
Poland, a small Jewish community revived, bolstered by widespread
mainstream interest in Jewish culture, past and present.
set against a backdrop of a panorama of the destruction, will be testimonies of those who survived the horrors of the Holocaust. Their voices will stand as
a stalwart expression of determination to survive and preserve the memory of those who perished. This gallery will focus on Poland’s Jewish community after
the Holocaust and the increasing Polish fascination with its Jewish past.
the museum galleries
Legacy
Accomplishments Beyond Compare
the impact of the polish jewish community is felt throughout the world. Beginning with the
migration from the Polish lands of some three million
Jews in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, through
the emigration of hundreds of thousands of Holocaust
survivors, and through the most recent migrations
of 1956 and 1968, Polish Jews have been scattered throughout
the world. They have built the State of Israel and shaped hundreds
of Jewish communities in North and South America, Western
Europe, and South Africa. Their accomplishments in art, scholar-
ship, religion, media, science, and business are beyond compare.
No people, who were once persecuted, orphaned, and penniless have
gone on to achieve such staggering heights. They are the social
scientists and Nobel laureates of the world. They have graced our
walls with stunning artwork and left us breathless with their music.
They have educated us in secular and religious subjects and enriched
our understanding of economics, psychology, and medicine. Each of
us owes a debt of gratitude to the Polish Jews who have transformed
our understanding of the world around us and brought infinite
pleasure to our daily lives. This gallery will mark their eternal legacy
and focus on hope for the future of the Polish Jewish community.
This gallery will illustrate the lasting legacy of Polish Jewry with examples of their achievements in such areas as: architecture, entertainment, classical music,
mathematics, the military, religion, medicine, linguistics, drama, film, popular culture, art, literature, politics, economics, and science.
since the end of world war ii, the jewish footprint in Poland has been gradually erased. Today, however, although the Jewish population of Poland remains small, Jewish presence in public conscious-ness is large. There is a new eagerness to understand that the story of Poland is not complete without the
story of Polish Jews: that the vibrant, once-burgeoning Jewish com-munity of Poland influenced history in ways that are beyond compare. At the same time, throughout the world, the descendants of Polish Jews are increasingly interested in knowing the story of the world from which their ancestors emigrated.
From its symbolic architecture to its all-engaging galleries, The Museum of the History of Polish Jews is a portal into that story. No trip to Warsaw, indeed to Poland, will be complete without visiting the Museum.
It is our duty to make certain that this story is told, that this theater of history comes alive. This is our part of the journey: to ensure that, though the lives of millions may be lost, through us our songs will be sung again, our stories retold, our achievements lauded, and our joys celebrated.
Join us.
Please Support Our Mission
A Blessing; A Duty: A Call to Action
firsT roW (L-R): Kazimierz Brandys, daniel libeskind, Meir shapiro, david Miliband, esther Wertheimer, Max Weber, isidor isaac rabi.
second roW (L-R): simon Wiesenthal, Jacob epstein, ida fink, albert sabin, albert abraham Michelson, Henry roth, Boris Kaufman.
THird roW (L-R): Benoît Mandelbrot, Benny Goodman, emanuel ax, isaac Bashevis singer, Hannah Krall, Gideon Hausner, Mordechai Gebirtig.
foUrTH roW (L-R): nelly Ben-or, sholem asch, elie nadelman, abraham foxman, sir George Henschel, Bronislaw Huberman, solomon asch.
fifTH roW (L-R): Marek edelman, Billy Wilder, adam Michnik, arthur Miller, ida Kaminska, shmuel yosef agnon, ludwik Zamenhof.
sixTH roW (L-R): Mordecai ardon, J. d. salinger, Hyman rickover, Helena rubinstein, Joseph roth, Paul Muni, Jack Warner.
seVenTH roW (L-R): Władysław szpilman, ida Haendel, avraham stern, frank owen Gehry, artur schnabel, alicia appleman-Jurman, yitzhak Halevi Herzog.
eiGHTH roW (L-R): raphael lemkin, Jacob Bronowski, samuel Goldwyn, anna Held, david dubinsky, Janusz Korczak, yitzak rabin.
ninTH roW (L-R): shimon Peres, arthur rubinstein, Myer Prinstein, abraham ribicoff, israel Meir lau, Wanda landowska, eddie rosner.
TenTH roW (L-R): erna rosenstein, Zeev Ben-Zvi, agnieszka Holland, Marian Hemar, Jacob Talmon, arthur Hertzberg, Zuzanna Ginczanka.
desiGn and concePTUal direcTion: Jessica WeBer desiGn, inc. / WWW.JWdnyc.coM. arTWorK coUrTesy: laHdelMa & MaHlaMaKi; eVenT coMMUnicaTions; THe MUseUM of THe HisTory of PolisH JeWs; Jessica WeBer desiGn, inc.