Regeneration: Jewish Life in Poland

The Elizabeth C. and Peter Tower Gallery at Daemen College will host the American premier of the photography exhibit, Re-generation. Jewish Life in Poland featuring photos of Chuck Fishman. An opening reception for the exhibit will be held on September 12th from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m at the gallery located in the Haberman Gacioch Arts Center at Daemen College (4380 Main Street, Amherst NY).  The exhibit will be on display from September 12 - October 11, 2019.  Regular gallery hours are 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. The exhibit and events surrounding it are free and open to the public

The extensive exhibit documents the rebirth of Jewish life in Poland, featuring photos which span over 40 years beginning in 1975. It provides one of the most comprehensive records of European Jewry of the last 50 years and the enormous impact the 1989 rise of the Third Polish Republic had on the revival of Jewish communities and the revival of the consciousness of history among the wider community in Poland. Once home to the largest Jewish community in  Europe, Germany’s 1939 invasion and Hitler’s Final Solution virtually obliterated the Jewish community and the rich Jewish culture Poland once knew.  Journalist Ruth Ellen Gruber notes that Mr. Fishman set out in the 1970s and 80s to capture the “final chapter” of this storied 1000 year history and has joyfully failed as he is “now chronicling an expanding, multi-faceted and ever-unfolding story - and long may he do so!” 

RELATED EVENTS

A preview documentary, Bogdan’s Journey, about one man’s effort toward healing the wounds of the 1946 Kielce Pogrom, will be shown on Monday, September 9th at 7:00 p.m. at the Maxine and Robert Seller Theater located in the Jewish Community Center, Benderson Family Building, 2640 North Forest Road in Getzville.  

On Friday, September 13th at 1:00 p.m. Daemen’s Wick Alumni Lounge will be the site of a panel discussion with guest panelists Jakub Nowakowski, Executive Director of the Galicia Jewish Museum in Krakow who coordinated the exhibit’s visit to the United States; Dr. Sean Martin, the Associate Curator for Jewish History at Western Reserve Historical Society in Cleveland; and award-winning Buffalo journalist Rich Kellman, who reported on developments in Poland in the 1970s and 1980s.  A screening of the documentary, A Town Called Brzostek, about the restoration of the Jewish Cemetery there, will also be shown during the panel event.  

An additional documentary, The Return, about being young and Jewish in Poland today, will be screened on Tuesday, September 17th at 7:00 p.m. at the Research and Information Commons (RIC) 120 on the Daemen Campus. The exhibition gallery will be open on September 17^th until 7:00 pm.

This project is co-financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland as a part of the “Public Diplomacy 2019” program and is made possible by the Galicia Jewish Museum, and sponsorships from the Visual and Performing Arts Department, the Center for Polish Studies and the History & Political Science Department at Daemen College, the Permanent Chair of Polish Culture at Canisius College, the Buffalo Jewish Community Relations Council, the Jewish Community Center of Greater Buffalo, and the Holocaust Resource Center of Buffalo.

History & Politics Speaker Series: Dr. Regina Grol on "Transferred Trauma: The Second Generation"



Dr. Regina Grol addresses an audience in Wick Alumni Lounge

On 15 September, Dr. Regina Grol delivered an erudite and moving lecture on "Transferred Trauma: The Second Generation" to an audience of over 70 students, faculty, and community members. Dr. Grol's lecture is the inaugural event in this year's "History and Politics Speaker Series," which is sponsored by the Department of History and Political Science.



Dr. Wise (History & Political Science Dept. Chair) welcomes the audience

The event was co-sponsored by the Polish Studies Program and the Division of Arts & Sciences. Dr. Shirley Peterson (Dean of the Division of Arts & Sciences and Associate Professor of English) integrated Dr. Grol's presentation with her course, LIT 329 Imagining Trauma, and her students attended the lecture.



Dr. Shirley Peterson introduces Dr. Grol

Students, faculty, and community members in the audience

Dr. Regina Grol's presentation at Daemen focused on her most recent publication, SAVING THE TREMORS OF PAST LIVES: A CROSS-GENERATIONAL HOLOCAUST MEMOIR (Boston, Academic Studies Press, 2014).



Dr. Grol answering questions from the audience



Dr. Grol has taught Polish Studies at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill (2007-2010) and is currently a Fellow at the Center for Slavic, Eurasian and East European Studies at the same university. Previously, she was a Professor of Comparative Literature at Empire State College, State University of New York and a visiting professor at Rutgers University as well as Hunter College of CUNY. She also directed the SUNY overseas program in Jerusalem (1982-1984).

A literary critic and translator of Polish literature, she spent the academic year 2001-2002 in Poland as a Fulbright research scholar. In addition to more than 70 critical essays, her publications include several bilingual poetry volumes, which she translated and equipped with critical introductions, including the anthology AMBERS AGLOW: CONTEMPORARY POLISH WOMEN’S POETRY 1981-1995 (Host Publications, 1996) and her translation of AND YET I STILL HAVE DREAMS by Joanna Wiszniewicz (Northwestern U. Press, 2004).

L-R: Dr. Andrew Wise, Dr. Shirley Peterson, and Dr. Regina Grol

Special thanks to Mr. Andy Golebiowski for permission to use his photos from the event.

Dr. Regina Grol: Transferred Trauma -- Holocaust Memoir, on 9/15/14

Alumna Darcy Fargo is "Making History" in a Career She Loves

Darcy Fargo teaching Boy Scouts about making a newspaper.

By Darcy Fargo, B.A., History & Government, 2002

I’ve been making history since 2002.

To be clear, I’m not suggesting that I’ve done anything amazing with my life. But for the past nearly 12 years, I’ve been creating primary sources.

After graduating from Daemen in 2002 (Bachelor of Arts in History/Government with a major in English), I spent the next nine years working in various positions in the newspaper industry. I worked for The Malone Telegram in the northern-most portion of New York, and I worked for The Punxsutawney Spirit in Punxsutawney, Pa. (of Groundhog Day fame). I worked as a beat reporter, a bureau chief and a news editor. Regardless of my title, I always had some reporting duties.

A newspaper co-worker once said to me, after learning my degree is in History/Government, “do you ever wish you had pursued a career in your field? I mean, you’re a writer, but you don’t really do anything involving history.”

I almost choked on my coffee.

In college, I distinctly remember taking Historical Methods, a course focused on researching primary sources. We spent hours sifting through census records, taking oral histories, and exploring newspaper articles on microfiche. I took government courses, focused on the structure and rules of governing and legislation. I took criminal justice courses that taught me how to read and understand court rulings and the law.

As a reporter, I spent my days copying down witness/participant accounts of happenings. I spent hours in the county clerk’s office researching and printing copies of property records, judgments, liens, lawsuits and other public records to establish a “paper trail” for stories. My life was filled with criminal court and municipal meetings. And I had to make sense of it all. I was a historian. But, for the most part, I was dealing with recent history.

Currently, I’m the Senior Internal Communications Specialist for Alcoa Massena Operations, an aluminum smelter. There, I write for and design the plant newsletter, run a plant-wide television system and oversee several standing committees. Again, I’m creating primary documents.

Last year, Alcoa celebrated its 125^th anniversary. Our location is the oldest still in operation. In fact, Alcoa Massena is the longest continuously operating smelter in the world. I work in a building that was commissioned 100 years ago in January.

As part of the anniversary celebration, I was tasked with compiling a special edition newsletter. I spent hours combing through old photographs and slides, and interviewing three- and four-generation Alcoa families. I had the opportunity to give a plant tour to and interview a current employee, her father (a retiree), and her grandmother, who worked in the facility during World War II. I felt like I was talking to a real Rosie the Riveter. I was interacting with history, and I got to share that experience with the remainder of the workforce (then around 1,100 employees) in written form.

My degree in History and Government has served me well. The courses I took at Daemen, and the professors who taught them, taught me to love research, analytical writing and intelligent debate (and anyone who knows me knows I love a good debate). And they gave me the skills I would need to obtain a career I love.

A degree related to history and government can take you to places you wouldn’t imagine, even a job that requires you to wear a hard hat and flame retardant clothing every once in a while.

The Presentation of the History of World War II in Polish Museums. Posted by Kaleigh Ratliff.

During the few months leading up to my departure date for Poland, all I could think about was visiting museums in Warsaw and Krakow. As I continue to work towards a MA in Museum Studies, I am conscious about observing the content, message, and display techniques in museums that I visit.  I will discuss the Museum of the History of Polish Jews, the Warsaw Uprising Museum, and the exhibition "Krakow under Nazi Occupation: 1939-1945," which is located at the site of Oskar Schindler’s Factory.

 The Museum of the History of Polish Jews

The Museum of the History of Polish Jews in Warsaw is not completely open to the public, but we were able to tour some of the building and watch a video about the future exhibits. It is clear that careful thought and planning was put into the creation of the mission of the museum and the physical building.

The museum aims to tell the story of Jews in Poland by discussing their rich culture and contributions to Polish society. The architect of the building designed the main lobby to resemble the parting of the Red Sea.



Entrance to the Museum of the History of Polish Jews

The design of the main lobby made me feel trapped. Some of the other people on our tour suggested that it felt like a “wound in history” and a journey from darkness to light. I am impressed that the architect was able to make me think in such a critical way and make me feel connected to the story of the Jews in Poland simply with the shape of the lobby.

The architect set the tone and feeling of the museum by addressing the complex past of the Jews in Poland. The front entrance of the building faces the Warsaw Ghetto Heroes Memorial, which reminds us of the brutal experiences of Jews during the German occupation in World War II.



Looking out on the Warsaw Ghetto Heroes Memorial



In contrast, the back side of the building faces a large field which is open to the public for leisurely purposes.

 

Looking out on an open field

 

The building addresses darkness and death, while also remembering to reflect on light and life. I hope that I will be able to return to the museum when it is completed. It is important to discuss and learn about difficult topics in history, but it is also crucial to realize that history is made by people who had lives, families, and careers. This museum appears to tackle this balance well. 

 

The Warsaw Uprising Museum

The Warsaw Uprising Museum was my favorite museum. During my first few minutes in the museum I was bombarded with emotions and thoughts. The words “intense,” "overwhelming,” “moving,” and “real” came to mind as I took in the design and display of the content.

This museum does an excellent job of recreating the atmosphere of the Warsaw Uprising of August-October 1944. Dark and blunt colors were used to create intensity. Cobblestone, wooden, and uneven brick floors mimic the actual look of the streets at that time.



Inside the Warsaw Uprising Museum



There were smells that made me feel like a part of the history, and the use of noises -- such as planes, bombs, music, and voices -- brought the events back to life.



Model plane producing sound effects of dropping bombs

 

Because the museum discusses an extremely specific event, I was pleased to notice that all labels and exhibit text panels are similar. This creates a sense of continuity that gives the museum an impressive flow. Gruesome materials are hidden so that visitors have the opportunity to choose if they want to view them.

One section of the museum is made to resemble the sewers that the fighters stayed in during the Uprising. The floor is uneven, the sound of running water is present, and the tunnel is dark and damp.



Inside the sewers



   

View from the sewers of a plane overhead



This museum is respectful and effective in conveying the feelings and events of the Uprising. It is also very engaging; I left feeling overwhelmed, but I believe that the museum curators intend to make visitors feel that way. It is impressive to say the least!

Schindler’s Factory

Schindler’s Factory is extremely similar to the Warsaw Uprising Museum in terms of successfully portraying the look and feel of the time period.

 

Marker outside of Schindler's Factory

The museum focuses on the story of Oskar Schindler, a German who saved the lives of Jewish workers at his factory. The museum places this episode within the overall story of the German occupation in Krakow.

 

Nazi flags on exhibit inside the museum at Schindler's Factory

 The Nazi occupation of Krakow is introduced in innovative and effective ways.

 

Flooring at the museum at Schindler's Factory

Overall, this museum utilized noises, lighting, and reproductions of buildings, trains, and streets to bring alive the history of the German occupation of Krakow during World War II.



Posted by Kaleigh Ratliff

Depictions of Women and War in Polish Museums. Posted by Elizabeth White.

During World War II many Poles organized an underground resistance, or Home Army, in order to fight against the German occupation. Various monuments and museums honor these courageous people for sacrificing their lives for the greater good of their country. 

However, it is important to remember that men were not the only members of society fighting for freedom. Upon visiting the Warsaw Uprising Museum, I realized that a substantial number of women throughout the entire country assisted men in defending Poland during the war in a wide variety of ways.  Roles that women played during this trying time include:  fighting in the underground resistance, providing medical and spiritual aid for members of the Home Army, and rescuing Jews from the ghettos. 



Women providing aid during the war. 




A plaque at the Warsaw Uprising Museum (see photo below) commemorates the efforts of Krystyna Krahelska, a Polish woman who joined the Home Army during the war.  Krystyna is also remembered for composing battle songs and providing medical assistance to wounded soldiers specifically at the time of the Warsaw Uprising in 1944.



 Krystyna Krahelska



During World War II, Irena Sendler was a young Polish social worker in Warsaw. She was provided  with access to the Warsaw Ghetto by the German authorities in order to monitor the spread of diseases. But she was also director of the Children's Section of the Council for Aid to Jews (known as "Zegota," this organization had been created by the Polish Underground), and she used this opportunity to rescue Jewish children from the horrors of the Holocaust. 

Irena Sendler

By the time the war was over, Irena saved approximately 2,500 Jewish children and received a Righteous Among the Nations award in 1965 for her outstanding accomplishments. 



The photo above shows a tribute to the women and men who decided to come to the aid of their Polish-Jewish neighbors during the Holocaust (on display at the Warsaw Uprising Museum). 

Posted by Liz White.