Toxic Polarization in Poland

“As in many other European countries, Polish society has become increasingly polarized in recent years. The main divide is strongly linked to feelings about national autonomy and identity. It is, broadly speaking, between those who want a Poland ever more closely integrated with Western Europe politically, culturally, and economically, and those who believe deeper integration, [...]

Recommended: The Polish Presence
in American Screen Images

In The Polish Presence in American Screen Images, educator and film buff Joseph W. Zurowski annotates more than 800 films pointing out the “Polish presence,” how ever minuscule, in each. From well remembered to completely obscure, these films will surprise you, either because you never noticed that there was anything Polish about them or because [...]

The Blessing of the Easter Baskets

Some 300 people crowded into St. Florian Catholic Church in Hamtramck, Michigan—along with thousands of people in other Polish churches around the world participating in the ritual blessing of Easter baskets. Święconka (Polish pronunciation sounds something like “Shfentsonka”) can be loosely translated as “the day of the blessing of the Easter baskets.” This beloved Polish [...]

Illinois Governor, Chicago Mayor, Dignitaries
Pay Tribute to Pulaski at Polish Museum

“We are a nation of immigrants,” said Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner during the March 5 celebration of Pulaski Day at the Chicago’s Polish Museum of America. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel invoked his own family’s immigration to America and noted, “May Chicago always be a place that welcomes immigrants.” Rauner and Emanuel were among some 20 [...]

Divide and Conquer:
Poland and the Holocaust

Once during my 2005 book tour with A Polish Son in the Motherland, I was speaking and signing books at the Forest Hills branch of the Queens Library in New York. The program was billed as “An Afternoon of Polish Culture” and included a performance by the Polonaise Folk Dance Company. Although my book is [...]

Previous Posts

Recommended Reading:
Fighting Auschwitz
07.25.2018
Piast Institute Announces
Death of Thaddeus Radzilowski
07.21.2018
Recommended: The Polish Presence
in American Screen Images
06.10.2018
Happy Mothers Day
05.13.2018

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