History UsefulNotes / PolishJews

!!In fiction
In light of that all, it shouldn't be surprising to find examples of Polish Jews in art and fiction.

The history of the UsefulNotes/{{J|udaism}}ews in UsefulNotes/{{Poland}} (and in parts of modern Western UsefulNotes/{{Ukraine}}) is worthy of its own entry. The history of Jews in Poland stretches back centuries, with a popular legend claiming that refugees from the first century Siege of UsefulNotes/{{Jerusalem}} during the UsefulNotes/JewishRevolts fled north and settled down in Poland after the birds there chanted "polin", meaning "stay here" in Hebrew. Another legend has it that a Jew was instrumental in starting the Piast dynasty, the first dynasty of Polish rulers. Later in the 14th Century, the last of the Piast kings was a great supporter of Jewish immigration ([[HandsomeLech knowing him]], [[TheCasanova he was]] [[ReallyGetsAround mostly interested]] in the [[GentileJewChaser female half]]). Polish Jews were listed as a separate class alongside nobility, clergy, peasantry and townsfolk and had broad autonomy, and [[AllJewsAreCheapskates their skills]] were held in high regard by the ruling noblemen, who often employed them as managers and tax collectors. A stereotypical image of a Jew from that period is the innkeeper. The Hasidic Jews got their start there, and to this day many Jews travel to Poland to visit the graves of important rabbis.

While there was the usual separateness or occasional Blood Libel, the Jews of Poland did not have it bad compared to the rest of Europe. Poland up until its dissolution in the late 18th century was a mess in terms of ethnicity and these kinds of conflicts could be seen between any of the major groups. [[ByNoIMeanYes That said]], when someone rose up against the nobility (like the UsefulNotes/{{Cossacks}} did), the Jews ''had'' it bad, due to the aforementioned link.

There's also an important issue that deserves mention: Polish antisemitism. Those current Poles who have issues with Jews often exhibit a mix of the primitive pre-war kind and conflation in supposed Jewish involvement with Communism -- the so-called ''żydokomuna''. Before the war, many Jews took an interest in left-wing ideologies, which didn't make a fuss about their Jewishness -- after all, why wouldn't one of the most persecuted minorities be affiliated with an ideology which promised freedom and liberation? (The reality, of course, varied, as was evidenced by '68.) It didn't help that poor old Creator/KarlMarx was himself ethnically Jewish (although raised a Lutheran and a firm atheist in adulthood), as were (or were perceived to be) many Party members. While it generally makes no difference, it makes one to these people. The Western perception of Polish antisemitism is mostly due to Polish Jews' justifiably unpleasant memories of pre-war times, the wartime and post-war atrocities, and the expulsions of 1968. The war years are a particularly sore issue; Jews were hunted by Germans, Poles were brutalized by Germans, some Poles lynched or sold out Jews, some Jews... well, suffice it to say it's only too easy to get into one-upping one another with their respective nations' wartime woes. This is not made easier by the post-war history, since it muddies many issues a lot, such as who has the legal right to which piece of real estate. It doesn't help that some of the more vocal Polish émigré circles hailed from conservative and nationalist antisemitic environments, and there always will be politicians going for the LowestCommonDenominator. As always, one should watch out for the VocalMinority.

The history of the UsefulNotes/{{J|udaism}}ews in UsefulNotes/{{Poland}} (and in parts of modern Western UsefulNotes/{{Ukraine}}) is worthy of its own entry. The history of Jews in Poland stretches back centuries, with a popular legend claiming that refugees from the first century Siege of Jerusalem fled north and settled down in Poland after the birds there chanted "polin," meaning "stay here" in Hebrew. Another legend has it that a Jew was instrumental in starting the Piast dynasty, the first dynasty of Polish rulers. Later in the 14th Century, the last of the Piast kings was a great supporter of Jewish immigration ([[HandsomeLech knowing him]], [[TheCasanova he was]] [[ReallyGetsAround mostly interested]] in the [[GentileJewChaser female half]]). Polish Jews were listed as a separate class alongside nobility, clergy, peasantry and townsfolk and had broad autonomy, and [[AllJewsAreCheapskates their skills]] were held in high regard by the ruling noblemen, who often employed them as managers and tax collectors. A stereotypical image of a Jew from that period is the innkeeper. The Hasidic Jews got their start there, and to this day many Jews travel to Poland to visit the graves of important rabbis.

The history of the UsefulNotes/{{J|udaism}}ews in UsefulNotes/{{Poland}} (and in parts of modern Western UsefulNotes/{{Ukraine}}) is worthy of its own entry. A legend has it that a Jew was instrumental in starting the Piast dynasty, the first dynasty of Polish rulers. Later in the 14th Century, the last of the Piast kings was a great supporter of Jewish immigration ([[HandsomeLech knowing him]], [[TheCasanova he was]] [[ReallyGetsAround mostly interested]] in the [[GentileJewChaser female half]]). Polish Jews were listed as a separate class alongside nobility, clergy, peasantry and townsfolk and had broad autonomy, and [[AllJewsAreCheapskates their skills]] were held in high regard by the ruling noblemen, who often employed them as managers and tax collectors. A stereotypical image of a Jew from that period is the innkeeper. The Hasidic Jews got their start there, and to this day many Jews travel to Poland to visit the graves of important rabbis.

There's also an important issue that deserves mention: Polish antisemitism. Those current Poles who have issues with Jews often exhibit a mix of the primitive pre-war kind and conflation in supposed Jewish involvement with Communism -- the so-called ''żydokomuna''. Before the war, many Jews took an interest in left-wing ideologies, which didn't make a fuss about their Jewishness -- after all, why wouldn't one of the most persecuted minorities be affiliated with an ideology which promised freedom and liberation? (The reality, of course, varied, as was evidenced by '68.) It didn't help that poor old Creator/KarlMarx was himself ethnically Jewish (although raised a Lutheran and a firm atheist in adulthood), as were (or were perceived to be) many Party members. While it generally makes no difference, it makes one to these people. The Western perception of Polish antisemitism is mostly due to Polish Jews' justifiedly unpleasant memories of pre-war times, the wartime atrocities, and the expulsions of 1968. The war years are a particularly sore issue; Jews were hunted by Germans, Poles were brutalized by Germans, some Poles lynched or sold out Jews, some Jews... well, suffice it to say it's only too easy to get into one-upping one another with their respective nations' wartime woes. This is not made easier by the post-war history, since it muddies many issues a lot, such as who has the legal right to which piece of real estate. It doesn't help that some of the more vocal Polish emigre circles hailed from conservative and nationalist antisemitic environments, and there always will be politicians going for the LowestCommonDenominator. As always, one should watch out for the VocalMinority.

The situation deteriorated during the 19th Century with the advent of [[UsefulNotes/PoliticalIdeologies nationalism]], though, as the nationalists believed that the Jews compete economically with Poles. The reasons for that included several factors -- such as the demographic expansion, Russian laws forcing Jews to settle on the territory of the old UsefulNotes/PolishLithuanianCommonwealth, Jews abandoning their traditional occupations for trades then held by the Poles, and perhaps some more. Shortly before UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, some of the more radical nationalists introduced quotas for Jews to attend universities, and even, we kid you not, came up with the ridiculous plan of shipping them to Madagascar.[[note]]Some Jewish circles wanted to establish a national state of their own there, others actually discussed colonizing parts of Poland - which was immediately exploited by the Polish nationalists. UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler also had similar ideas about Madagascar.[[/note]] That period also saw the rise of the assimilation movement, Jews taking up Polish culture while retaining their religion -- ironically they were hated the most by the nationalists.

After the war, 1968 saw the antisemitic madness engineered (long story short) as a result of infighting in the Party where one faction wanted to get rid of the other, which included many members of Jewish descent. It resulted in many of those Jews who managed to survive the Holocaust and its aftermath departing (often forcibly) to Israel and other countries, leaving not more than some ten thousand from a pre-WWII population of the largest in Europe.

Many a mainstay of Polish culture, from literature to film to art, was actually the work of a person of Jewish descent; conversely, many a work of Jewish culture was created by a person living in or hailing from Poland. In modern Poland, actual Jews are but a tiny minority, but many people are of Jewish descent or at least have a Jew somewhere in their family tree. Some of them may hide it because of bad memories or even not know of it at all. On the other hand though, many others discover their Jewish roots with fascination and joy, and the history and culture of Polish Jews is intensively studied and celebrated.

A note on naming: Polish Jews were forced into adopting surnames by the [[UsefulNotes/{{Russia}} partitioning]] [[UsefulNotes/{{Prussia}} powers]] [[UsefulNotes/{{Austria}} in the 19th century]]. These were mostly the fruit of some clerk's "creativity", but there's some order to it. For one, Ashkenazi stereotypes like "-berg" or "-stein" are perfectly acceptable, both in Polonised ("-sztajn") and un-Polonised forms. Another pattern is the names based on a city: Krakowski, Warszawski etc.

* ''{{ComicBook/Maus}}'' is a Holocaust memoir (in the form of a FunnyAnimal comic) set there, and as such giving much attention to relations between Poles and Jews both before then during the war.

While there was the usual separateness or occasional Blood Libel, the Jews did not have it bad compared to the rest of the European neighbourhood. Poland up until its dissolution in the late 18th century was a mess in terms of ethnicity and these kinds of conflicts could be seen between any of the major groups. [[ByNoIMeanYes That said]], when someone rose up against the nobility (like the UsefulNotes/{{Cossacks}} did), the Jews ''had'' it bad, due to the aforementioned link.

Then [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarII the war]] and [[UsefulNotes/TheHolocaust its countless atrocities]] happened. Many Poles -- just look up Righteous among the Nations -- did help the Jews, but there were [[LesCollaborateurs some nasty types]], too. The Polish underground even had a special agency, called ''Żegota'', whose agenda was to help Jews. In addition to that, Jews had two LaResistance movements of their own running in Poland, [[WeAreStrugglingTogether differing over political issues]]. This period carries a number of problematic issues such as several massacres of Jews committed during and shortly after the war by the Polish majority and the (often still debated) reasons for that. In any event, the Holocaust wiped out ''over ninety per cent'' of the pre-war Polish Jewish population.

After the war, 1968 saw the antisemitic madness engineered (long story short) as a result of infighting in the Party where one faction wanted to get rid of the other, which included many members of Jewish descent. It resulted in many of those Jews who managed to survive the Holocaust and its aftermath departing (often forcibly) to Israel and other countries, leaving not more than some ten thousand from pre-War population of ca. three million.

There's also an important issue that deserves mention: Polish antisemitism. Those of Poles who have issues with Jews often exhibit a mix of the primitive pre-war kind and belief in supposed Jewish involvement with Communism -- the so-called ''żydokomuna''. Before the war, many Jews took an interest in left-wing ideologies, which didn't make a fuss about their Jewishness -- after all, why wouldn't one of the most persecuted minorities be affiliated with an ideology which promised freedom and liberation? (The reality, of course, varied, as was evidenced by '68.) It didn't help that poor old Creator/KarlMarx was himself ethnically Jewish (although raised a Lutheran and a firm atheist in adulthood), as were (or were perceived to be) many Party members. While it generally makes no difference, it makes one to these people. The Western perception of Polish antisemitism is mostly due to Polish Jews' justifiedly unpleasant memories of pre-war times, the wartime atrocities, and the expulsions of 1968. The war years are a particularly sore issue; Jews were hunted by Germans, Poles were brutalized by Germans, some Poles lynched or sold out Jews, some Jews... well, suffice it to say it's only too easy to get into one-upping one another with their respective nations' wartime woes. This is not made easier by the post-war history, since it muddies many issues a lot, such as who has the legal right to which piece of real estate. It doesn't help that some of the more vocal Polish emigre circles hailed from conservative and nationalist antisemitic environments, and there always will be politicians going for the LowestCommonDenominator. As always, one should watch out for the VocalMinority.

The history of the UsefulNotes/{{J|udaism}}ews in UsefulNotes/{{Poland}} is worthy of its own entry. A legend has it that a Jew was instrumental in starting the Piast dynasty, the first dynasty of Polish rulers. Later in the 14th Century, the last of the Piast kings was a great supporter of Jewish immigration ([[HandsomeLech knowing him]], [[TheCasanova he was]] [[ReallyGetsAround mostly interested]] in the [[GentileJewChaser female half]]). Polish Jews were listed as a separate class alongside nobility, clergy, peasantry and townsfolk and had broad autonomy, and [[AllJewsAreCheapskates their skills]] were held in high regard by the ruling noblemen, who often employed them as managers and tax collectors. A stereotypical image of a Jew from that period is the innkeeper. The Hasidic Jews got their start there, and to this day many Jews travel to Poland to visit the graves of important rabbis.

Then the war and [[UsefulNotes/TheHolocaust its countless atrocities]] happened. Many Poles -- just look up Righteous among the Nations -- did help the Jews, but there were [[LesCollaborateurs some nasty types]], too. The Polish underground even had a special agency, called ''Żegota'', whose agenda was to help Jews. In addition to that, Jews had two LaResistance movements of their own running in Poland, differing over political issues. This period carries a number of problematic issues such as several massacres of Jews committed during and shortly after the war by the Polish majority and the (often still debated) reasons for that. In any event, the Holocaust wiped out ''over ninety per cent'' of the pre-war Polish Jewish population.

After the war, 1968 saw the antisemitic madness engineered (long story short) as a result of infighting in the Party where one faction wanted to get rid of the other, which included many members of Jewish descent. It resulted in those Jews who managed to survive the Holocaust depart (often forcibly) to Israel and other countries, leaving not more than some ten thousand from pre-War population of ca. three million.

There's also an important issue that deserves mention: Polish antisemitism. Those of Poles who have issues with Jews often exhibit a mix of the primitive pre-war kind and belief in supposed Jewish involvement with Communism -- the so-called ''żydokomuna''. Before the war, many Jews took an interest in left-wing ideologies, which didn't make a fuss about their Jewishness -- after all, why wouldn't one of the most persecuted minorities be affiliated with an ideology which promised freedom and liberation? (The reality, of course, varied, as was evidenced by '68.) It didn't help that poor old Karl Marx was himself ethnically Jewish (although raised a Lutheran and a firm atheist in adulthood), as were (or were perceived to be) many Party members. While it generally makes no difference, it makes one to these people. The Western perception of Polish antisemitism is mostly due to Polish Jews' justifiedly unpleasant memories of pre-war times, the wartime, and the expulsions of 1968. The war years are a particularly sore issue; Jews were hunted by Germans, Poles were brutalized by Germans, some Poles lynched or sold out Jews, some Jews... well, suffice it to say it's only too easy to get into one-upping one another with their respective nations' wartime woes. This is not made easier by the post-war history, since it muddies many issues a lot, such as who has the legal right to which piece of real estate. It doesn't help that some of the more vocal Polish emigre circles hailed from conservative and nationalist antisemitic environments, and there always will be politicians going for the LowestCommonDenominator. As always, one should watch out for the VocalMinority.

The history of the UsefulNotes/{{J|udaism}}ews in UsefulNotes/{{Poland}} is worthy of its own entry. A legend has it that a Jew was instrumental in starting the Piast dynasty, the first dynasty of Polish rulers. Later in the 14th Century, the last of the Piast kings was a great supporter of Jewish immigration ([[HandsomeLech knowing him]], [[TheCasanova he was]] [[ReallyGetsAround mostly interested]] in the [[MatzoFever female half]]). Polish Jews were listed as a separate class alongside nobility, clergy, peasantry and townsfolk and had broad autonomy, and [[AllJewsAreCheapskates their skills]] were held in high regard by the ruling noblemen, who often employed them as managers and tax collectors. A stereotypical image of a Jew from that period is the innkeeper. The Hasidic Jews got their start there, and to this day many Jews travel to Poland to visit the graves of important rabbis.

Then the war and [[UsefulNotes/TheHolocaust its countless atrocities]] happened. Many Poles -- just look up Righteous among the Nations -- did help the Jews, but there were [[LesCollaborateurs some nasty types]], too. The Polish underground even had a special agency, called ''Żegota'', whose agenda was to help Jews. In addition to that, Jews had two LaResistance movements of their own running in Poland, differing over political issues. This period carries a number of problematic issues such as several massacres of Jews committed during and shortly after the war by the Polish majority and the (often still debated) reasons for that. In any event, the Holocaust wiped out ''over ninety per cent'' of the pre-war Polish Jewish population, and most of the survivors left for UsefulNotes/{{Israel}} or other countries.

The history of the UsefulNotes/{{J|udaism}}ews in UsefulNotes/{{Poland}} is worthy of its own entry. A legend has it that a Jew was instrumental in starting the Piast dynasty, the first dynasty of Polish rulers. Later in the 14th Century, the last of the Piast kings was a great supporter of Jewish immigration ([[HandsomeLech knowing him]], [[TheCasanova he was]] [[ReallyGetsAround mostly interested]] in the [[MatzoFever female half]]). Polish Jews were listed as a separate class alongside nobility, clergy, peasantry and townsfolk and had broad autonomy, and [[AllJewsAreCheapskates their skills]] were held in high regard by the ruling noblemen, who often employed them as managers and tax collectors. A stereotypical image of a Jew from that period is the innkeeper. The Hasidic Jews got their start there.

As for Israel itself, many of its early prominent politicians hailed from Poland, most notably its first Prime Minister (and foremost founding father), UsefulNotes/DavidBenGurion. Reportedly, many early debates in the Knesset were even held in Polish (presumably when debate got heated and the [=MKs=] started ripping into each other in their native tongues).

Many a mainstay of Polish culture, from literature to film to art, was actually the work of a person of Jewish descent; conversely, many a work of Jewish culture was created by a person living or hailing from Poland. In modern Poland, actual Jews are but a tiny minority, but many are of Jewish descent or at least have a Jew somewhere in their family tree. Some of them may hide it because of bad memories or even not know of it at all. On the other hand though, many others discover their Jewish roots with fascination and joy, and the history and culture of Polish Jews is intensively studied and celebrated.

There's also an important issue that deserves mention: Polish antisemitism. Those of Poles who have issues with Jews often exhibit a mix of the primitive pre-war kind and belief in Jewish involvement with Communism. Before the war, many Jews took an interest in left-wing ideologies, which didn't make a fuss about their Jewishness -- after all, why wouldn't one of the most persecuted minorities be affiliated with an ideology which promised freedom and liberation? (The reality, of course, varied, as was evidenced by '68.) It didn't help that poor old Karl Marx was himself ethnically Jewish (although raised a Lutheran and a firm atheist in adulthood), as were (or were perceived to be) many Party members. While it generally makes no difference, it makes one to these people. The Western perception of Polish antisemitism is mostly due to Polish Jews' justifiedly unpleasant memories of pre-war times, the wartime and the expulsions of 1968. The war years are a particularly sore issue; Jews were hunted by Germans, Poles were brutalized by Germans, some Poles lynched or sold out Jews, some Jews... well, suffice it to say it's only too easy to get into one-upping one another with their respective nations' wartime woes. There's also the fact that some of the more vocal Polish emigre circles hailed from conservative and nationalist antisemitic environments, and there always will be politicians going for the LowestCommonDenominator. There's also an antisemitic aesthetic-slash-current among FootballHooligans, often caused by weird circumstances of football history they probably don't even know of. As always, one should watch out for the VocalMinority.

Then the war and [[UsefulNotes/TheHolocaust its countless atrocities]] happened. Many Poles -- just look up Righteous among the Nations -- did help the Jews, but there were [[LesCollaborateurs some nasty types]], too. The Polish underground even had a special agency, called ''Żegota'', whose agenda was to help Jews. In addition to that, Jews had two LaResistance movements of their own running in Poland, differing over political issues. This period carries a number of problematic issues such as several massacres of Jews committed during and shortly after the war by the Polish majority and the (often still debated) reasons for that. Most of the survivors left for UsefulNotes/{{Israel}} or other countries.

While there was the usual separateness or occasional Blood Libel, the Jews did not have it bad compared to the rest of the European neighbourhood. Poland up until its dissolution in the late 18th century was a mess in terms of ethnicity and these kinds of conflicts could be seen between any of the major groups. [[ByNoIMeanYes That said]], when someone rose up against the nobility (like the Cossacks did), the Jews ''had'' it bad, due to the aforementioned link.

The situation deteriorated during the 19th Century with the advent of [[UsefulNotes/PoliticalIdeologies nationalism]], though, as the nationalists believed that the Jews compete economically with Poles. The reasons for that included several factors -- such as the demographic expansion, Russian laws forcing Jews to settle on the territory of the old UsefulNotes/PolishLithuanianCommonwealth, Jews abandoning their traditional occupations for trades then held by the Poles, and perhaps some more. Shortly before UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, some of the more radical nationalists introduced quotas for Jews to attend universities, and even, we kid you not, came up with the ridiculous plan of shipping them to Madagascar.[[note]]Some Jewish circles wanted to establish a national state of their own there, others actually discussed colonizing parts of Poland - which was immediately exploited by the Polish nationalists.[[/note]] That period also saw the rise of the assimilation movement, Jews taking up Polish culture while retaining their religion -- ironically they were hated the most by the nationalists.

Then the war happened. Many Poles -- just look up Righteous among the Nations -- did help the Jews, but there were [[LesCollaborateurs some nasty types]], too. The Polish underground even had a special agency, called ''Żegota'', whose agenda was to help Jews. In addition to that, Jews had two LaResistance movements of their own running in Poland, differing over political issues. This period carries a number of problematic issues such as several massacres of Jews committed during and shortly after the war by the Polish majority and the (often still debated) reasons for that. Most of the survivors left for UsefulNotes/{{Israel}} or other countries.

The history of the Jews in UsefulNotes/{{Poland}} is worthy of its own entry. A legend has it that a Jew was instrumental in starting the Piast dynasty, the first dynasty of Polish rulers. Later in the 14th Century, the last of the Piast kings was a great supporter of Jewish immigration ([[HandsomeLech knowing him]], [[TheCasanova he was]] [[ReallyGetsAround mostly interested]] in the [[MatzoFever female half]]). Polish Jews were listed as a separate class alongside nobility, clergy, peasantry and townsfolk and had broad autonomy, and [[AllJewsAreCheapskates their skills]] were held in high regard by the ruling noblemen, who often employed them as managers and tax collectors. A stereotypical image of a Jew from that period is the innkeeper. The Hasidic Jews got their start there.

While there was the usual separateness or occasional Blood Libel, the Jews did not have it bad compared to the rest of the European neighbourhood. Poland up until it's dissolution in the late 18th century was a mess in terms of ethnicity and these kinds of conflicts could be seen between any of the major groups. [[ByNoIMeanYes That said]], when someone rose up against the nobility (like the Cossacks did), the Jews ''had'' it bad, due to the aforementioned link.

Then the war happened. Many Poles -- just look up Righteous among the Nations -- did help the Jews, but there were [[LesCollaborateurs some nasty types]], too. The Polish underground even had a special agency, called ''Żegota'', whose agenda was to help Jews. In addition to that, Jews had two LaResistance movements of their own running in Poland, differing over political issues. This period carries a number of problematic issues such as several massacres of Jews committed during and shortly after the war by the Polish majority and the (often still debated) reasons for that. Most of the survivors left for Israel or other countries.

As for Israel itself, many of its early prominent politicians hailed from Poland, most notably its first Prime Minister (and foremost founding father), David Ben-Gurion. Reportedly, many early debates in the Knesset were even held in Polish (presumably when debate got heated and the [=MKs=] started ripping into each other in their native tongues).

A note on naming: Polish Jews were forced into adopting surnames by the [[UsefulNotes/{{Russia}} partitioning]] [[UsefulNotes/{{Prussia}} powers]] [[UsefulNotes/{{Austria}} in 19th century]]. These were mostly the fruit of some clerk's "creativity", but there's some order to it. For one, Ashkenazi stereotypes like "-berg" or "-stein" are perfectly acceptable, both in Polonised ("-sztajn") and un-Polonised forms. Another pattern is the names based on a city: Krakowski, Warszawski etc.

* ''Film/ThePianist'' chronicles the experiences of a Polish Jew during the Holocaust.

After the war, 1968 saw the anti-Semitic madness engineered (long story short) as a result of infighting in the Party where one faction wanted to get rid of the other, which included many members of Jewish descent. It resulted in those Jews who managed to survive the Holocaust depart (often forcibly) to Israel and other countries, leaving not more than some ten thousand from pre-War population of ca. three million.

There's also an important issue that deserves mention: Polish anti-Semitism. Those of Poles who have issues with Jews often exhibit a mix of the primitive pre-war kind and belief in Jewish involvement with Communism. Before the war, many Jews took an interest in left-wing ideologies, which didn't make a fuss about their Jewishness -- after all, why wouldn't one of the most persecuted minorities be affiliated with an ideology which promised freedom and liberation? (The reality, of course, varied, as was evidenced by '68.) It didn't help that poor old Karl Marx was himself ethnically Jewish (although raised a Lutheran and a firm atheist in adulthood), as were (or were perceived to be) many Party members. While it generally makes no difference, it makes one to these people. The Western perception of Polish anti-Semitism is mostly due to Polish Jews' justifiedly unpleasant memories of pre-war times, the wartime and the expulsions of 1968. The war years are a particularly sore issue; Jews were hunted by Germans, Poles were brutalized by Germans, some Poles lynched or sold out Jews, some Jews... well, suffice it to say it's only too easy to get into one-upping one another with their respective nations' wartime woes. There's also the fact that some of the more vocal Polish emigre circles hailed from conservative and nationalist anti-Semitic environments, and there always will be politicians going for the LowestCommonDenominator. There's also an anti-Semitic aesthetic-slash-current among FootballHooligans, often caused by weird circumstances of football history they probably don't even know of. As always, one should watch out for the VocalMinority.

* ''Cud Purymowy'' is a Polish {{Dramedy}} film about an anti-Semitic LowerClassLout discovering [[UnexpectedInheritance he inherited a fortune]] from a relative in the US... on the condition he admits to his ([[TomatoInTheMirror so far vehemently denied]]) Jewish roots.

The situation deteriorated during the 19th Century with the advent of [[UsefulNotes/PoliticalIdeologies nationalism]], though, as the nationalists believed that the Jews compete economically with Poles. The reasons for that included several factors -- such as the demographic expansion, Russian laws forcing Jews to settle on the territory of the old UsefulNotes/PolishLithuanianCommonwealth, Jews abandoning their traditional occupations for trades then held by the Poles, and perhaps some more. Shortly before the UsefulNotes/SecondWorldWar, some of the more radical nationalists introduced quotas for Jews to attend universities, and even, we kid you not, came up with the ridiculous plan of shipping them to Madagascar.[[note]]Some Jewish circles wanted to establish a national state of their own there, others actually discussed colonizing parts of Poland - which was immediately exploited by the Polish nationalists.[[/note]] That period also saw the rise of the assimilation movement, Jews taking up Polish culture while retaining their religion -- ironically they were hated the most by the nationalists.

While there was the usual separateness or occasional Blood Libel, the Jews did not have it bad. Poland up until it's dissolution in the late 18th century was a mess in terms of ethnicity and these kinds of conflicts could be seen between any of the major groups. [[ByNoIMeanYes That said]], when someone rose up against the nobility (like the Cossacks did), the Jews ''had'' it bad, due to the aforementioned link.

The situation deteriorated during the 19th Century with the advent of [[UsefulNotes/PoliticalIdeologies nationalism]], though, as the nationalists believed that the Jews compete economically with Poles. The reasons for that included several factors, such as the demographic expansion, Russian laws forcing Jews to settle on the territory of the old PolishLithuanianCommonwealth, Jews abandoning their traditional occupations for trades then held by the Poles, and perhaps some more. Shortly before the UsefulNotes/SecondWorldWar, some of the more radical nationalists introduced quotas for Jews to attend universities, and even, we kid you not, came up with the ridiculous plan of shipping them to Madagascar.[[note]]Some Jewish circles wanted to establish a national state of their own there, others actually discussed colonizing parts of Poland - which was immediately exploited by the Polish nationalists.[[/note]] That period also saw the rise of the assimilation movement, Jews taking up Polish culture while retaining their religion -- ironically they were hated the most by the nationalists.

Then the war happened. Many Poles - just look up Righteous among the Nations - did help the Jews, but there were [[LesCollaborateurs some nasty types]], too. The Polish underground even had a special agency, called ''Żegota'', whose agenda was to help Jews. In addition to that, Jews had two LaResistance movements of their own running in Poland, differing over political issues. This period carries a number of problematic issues such as several massacres of Jews by the Polish majority and the (often still debated) reasons for that. Most of the survivors left for Israel or other countries.

After the war, 1968 saw the anti-Semitic madness engineered as a result of infighting in the Party where one faction wanted to get rid of the other, which included many members of Jewish descent. It resulted in those Jews who managed to survive the Holocaust depart (often forcibly) to Israel and other countries.

In modern Poland, actual Jews are but a tiny minority, but many are of Jewish descent or at least have a Jew somewhere in their family tree. Sometimes, they may hide it or not know of it, because of bad memories. On the other hand, the history and culture of Polish Jews is intensively studied and celebrated.

There's also an important issue that deserves mention: Polish antisemitism. Those of Poles who have issues with Jews often exhibit a mix of the primitive pre-war kind and belief in Jewish involvement with Communism. Before the war, many Jews took an interest in left-wing ideologies, whose doctrine didn't make a fuss about their Jewishness - after all, why wouldn't one of the most persecuted minorities be affiliated with an ideology which promised freedom and liberation? The reality, of course, varied, as was evidenced by '68. It didn't help that poor old Karl Marx was himself ethnically Jewish (although raised a Lutheran and a firm atheist in adulthood), as were (or were perceived to be) many Party members. While it generally makes no difference, it makes one to these people. The Western perception of Polish antisemitism is mostly due to Polish Jews' unpleasant memories of pre-war times, wartime and 1968. The war years are a particularly sore issue; Jews were hunted by Germans, Poles were brutalized by Germans, some Poles lynched or sold out Jews, some Jews... well, suffice it to say it's only too easy to get into one-upping one another with their respective nations' wartime woes. There's also the fact that some of the more vocal Polish emigre circles hailed from conservative and nationalist anti-semitic environments, and there always will be politicians going for the LowestCommonDenominator. There's also an anti-semitic aesthetic-slash-current among FootballHooligans, often caused by weird circumstances of football history they probably don't even know of. As always, one should watch out for the VocalMinority.

* ''{{ComicBook/Maus}}'' is a Holocaust memoir (in the form of FunnyAnimal comic) set there, and as such giving much attention to relations between Poles and Jews both before then during the war.

History of Jews in UsefulNotes/{{Poland}} is worthy of its own entry. A legend has it that a Jew was instrumental in starting the Piast dynasty, the first dynasty of Polish rulers. Later in the 14th Century, the last of the Piast kings was a great supporter of Jewish immigration ([[HandsomeLech knowing him]], [[TheCasanova he was]] [[ReallyGetsAround mostly interested]] in the [[MatzoFever female half]]). Polish Jews were listed as a separate class alongside nobility, clergy, peasantry and townsfolk and had broad autonomy, and [[AllJewsAreCheapskates their skills]] were held in high regard by the ruling noblemen, who often employed them as managers and tax collectors. A stereotypical image of a Jew from that period is the innkeeper. The Hasidic Jews got their start there.

While there was that separateness or occasional Blood Libel, the Jews did not have it bad. Poland up until it's dissolution in the late 18th century was a mess in terms of ethnicity and these kinds of conflicts could be seen between any of the major groups. [[ByNoIMeanYes That said]], when someone rose up against the nobility (like the Cossacks did), the Jews ''had'' it bad, due to the aforementioned link.

The situation deteriorated during the 19th Century with the advent of [[UsefulNotes/PoliticalIdeologies nationalism]], though, as the nationalists believed that the Jews compete economically with Poles. The reasons for that included several factors, such as the demographic expansion, Russian laws forcing Jews to settle on the territory of the old PolishLithuanianCommonwealth, Jews abandoning their traditional occupations for trades then held by the Poles, and perhaps some more. Shortly before the UsefulNotes/SecondWorldWar, some of the more radical nationalists introduced quotas for Jews to attend universities, and even, we kid you not, came up with the ridiculous plan of shipping them to Madagascar.[[note]]some Jewish circles wanted to establish a national state of their own there, others actually discussed colonizing parts of Poland - which was immediately exploited by the Polish nationalists[[/note]] That period also saw the rise of the assimilation movement, Jews taking up Polish culture while retaining their religion -- ironically they were hated the most by the nationalists.

There's also an important issue that deserves mention: Polish antisemitism. Those of Poles who have issues with Jews often exhibit a mix of the primitive pre-war kind and belief in Jewish involvement with Communism. Before the war, many Jews took an interest in left-wing ideologies, whose doctrine didn't make a fuss about their Jewishness - after all, why wouldn't one of the most persecuted minorities be affiliated with an ideology which promised freedom and liberation? (The reality, however, varied, as was evidenced by '68.) It didn't help that poor old Karl Marx was himself ethnically Jewish (although raised a Lutheran and a firm atheist in adulthood), as were (or were perceived to be) many Party members. While it generally makes no difference, it makes one to these people. The Western perception of Polish antisemitism is mostly due to Polish Jews' unpleasant memories of pre-war times, wartime and 1968. The war years are a particularly sore issue; Jews were hunted by Germans, Poles were brutalized by Germans, some Poles lynched or sold out Jews, some Jews... well, suffice it to say it's only too easy to get into one-upping one another with their respective nations' wartime woes. There's also the fact that some of the more vocal Polish emigre circles hailed from conservative and nationalist antisemitic environments, and there always will be politicians going for the LowestCommonDenominator. There's also an antisemitic aesthetic-slash-current among FootballHooligans, often caused by weird circumstances of football history they probably don't even know of. As always, one should watch out for the VocalMinority.

* ''{{ComicBook/Maus}}'' is a Holocaust memoir (in form of FunnyAnimal comic), as such giving much attention to relations between Poles and Jews during the war.
* ''Film/ThePianist''
* ''Film/SchindlersList'' takes place partially in Poland, and most of the Jewish captives are Poles.

The situation deteriorated during the 19th Century with the advent of [[PoliticalIdeologies nationalism]], though, as the nationalists believed that the Jews compete economically with Poles. The reasons for that included several factors, such as the demographic expansion, Russian laws forcing Jews to settle on the territory of the old PolishLithuanianCommonwealth, Jews abandoning their traditional occupations for trades then held by the Poles, and perhaps some more. Shortly before the UsefulNotes/SecondWorldWar, some of the more radical nationalists introduced quotas for Jews to attend universities, and even, we kid you not, came up with the ridiculous plan of shipping them to Madagascar.[[note]]some Jewish circles wanted to establish a national state of their own there, others actually discussed colonizing parts of Poland - which was immediately exploited by the Polish nationalists[[/note]] That period also saw the rise of the assimilation movement, Jews taking up Polish culture while retaining their religion -- ironically they were hated the most by the nationalists.

While there was that separateness or occasional Blood Libel, the Jews did not have it bad. Poland up until it's dissolution in the late 18th century was a mess in terms of ethnicity and these kinds of conflicts could be seen between any of the major groups. [[NoExceptYes That said]], when someone rose up against the nobility (like the Cossacks did), the Jews ''had'' it bad, due to the aforementioned link.

History of Jews in UsefulNotes/{{Poland}} is worthy of its own entry. A legend has it that a Jew was instrumental in starting the Piast dynasty, the first dynasty of Polish rulers. Later in XIV Century, last of the Piast kings was a great supporter of Jewish immigration ([[HandsomeLech knowing him]], [[TheCasanova he was]] [[ReallyGetsAround mostly interested]] in the [[MatzoFever female half]]). Polish Jews were listed as a separate class alongside nobility, clergy, peasantry and townsfolk and had broad autonomy, and [[AllJewsAreCheapskates their skills]] were held in high regard by the ruling noblemen, who often employed them as managers and tax collectors. A stereotypical image of a Jew from that period is the innkeeper. The Hasidic Jews got their start there.

While there was that separateness or occasional Blood Libel, the Jews did not have it bad. Poland up until it's dissolution in the late 18th century was a mess in terms of ethnicity and these kinds of conflicts could be seen between any of the major groups. [[NoExceptYes That said]], when someone rose against the nobility (like the Cossacks did), the Jews ''had'' it bad, due to the aforementioned link.

The situation deteriorated during XIX Century with the advent of [[PoliticalIdeologies nationalism]], though, as the nationalists believed that the Jews compete economically with Poles. The reasons for that included several factors, such as the demographic expansion, Russian laws forcing Jews to settle on the territory of old PolishLithuanianCommonwealth, Jews abandoning their traditional occupations for trades so far held by the Poles, and perhaps some more. Shortly before UsefulNotes/SecondWorldWar, some of the more radical nationalists went for introducing the limits for Jews admitted to universities, and even, we kid you not, came up with ridiculous plan of shipping them to Madagascar [[note]]some Jewish circles wanted to establish a national state of their own there, others actually discussed colonizing parts of Poland - which was immediately exploited by the Polish nationalists[[/note]]. That period also saw the rise of assimilation movement, Jews taking up Polish culture while retaining their religion -- ironically they were hated the most by the nationalists.

Then the War happened. Many Poles - just look up Righteous among the Nations - did help the Jews, but there were [[LesCollaborateurs some nasty types]], too. Polish underground even had a special agency, called ''Żegota'', whose agenda was to help Jews. In addition to that, Jews had two LaResistance movements of their own running in Poland, differing over political issues. This period carries a number of problematic issues such as several massacres of Jews by the Polish majority and the (often still debated) reasons for that. Most of the survivors left for Israel or other countries.

After the war, 1968 saw the anti-Semitic madness engineered as a result of infighting in the Party, where one faction wanted to get rid of the other, happening to include many Party-members of Jewish descent. It resulted in these Jews who managed to survive the Holocaust depart (often forcibly) to Israel and other countries.

As for Israel itself, many of its early prominent politicians hailed from Poland, most notably its first Prime Minister (and foremost founding father), David Ben-Gurion. Reportedly, many early debates in the Knesset were even held in Polish (presumably when debate got heated and the [=MKs=] started sipping in their native tongues).

In modern Poland, actual Jews are but a tiny minority, but many are of Jewish descent or at least have a Jew somewhere in their family tree. Sometimes, they may hide it or not know of it, because of bad memories. On the other hand, history and culture of Polish Jews is intensively studied and celebrated.

There's also an important issue that deserves mention: Polish anti-Semitism. These of Poles who have issues with Jews often exhibit a mix of primitive pre-War-kind and belief in Jewish involvement in Communism. Before the War, many Jews took a interest in left-wing ideologies, whose doctrine didn't make a fuss about their Jewishness - after all, why wouldn't one of the most persecuted minorities be affiliated with an ideology which promised freedom and liberation? (The reality, however, varied, as was evidenced by '68.) It didn't help that poor old Karl Marx was himself ethnically Jewish (although raised a Lutheran and a firm atheist in adulthood), as were (or were perceived to be) many Party members. While it generally makes no difference, it makes one to these people. The Western perception of Polish anti-Semitism is mostly due to Polish Jews' unpleasant memories of pre-War times, wartime and 1968. The wartime is a particularly sore issue; Jews were hunted by Germans, Poles were brutalized by Germans, some Poles lynched or sold out Jews, some Jews... well, suffice it to say it's only too easy to get into one-upping one another with their respective nations' wartime woes. There's also the fact that some of the more vocal Polish emigree circles hailed from conservative and nationalist Jew-unfriendly environments, and there always are politicians going for the LowestCommonDenominator. There's also an anti-Semitic esthetic-slash-current among FootballHooligans, often caused by weird circumstances of football history they probably don't even know of. As always, one should watch out for the VocalMinority.

The situation deteriorated during XIX Century with the advent of [[PoliticalIdeologies nationalism]], though, as the nationalists believed that the Jews compete economically with Poles. Shortly before UsefulNotes/SecondWorldWar, some of the more radical ones went for introducing the limits for Jews admitted to universities, and even, we kid you not, came up with ridiculous plan of shipping them to Madagascar [[note]]some Jewish circles wanted to establish a national state of their own there, others actually discussed colonizing parts of Poland - which was immediately exploited by the Polish nationalists[[/note]]. That period also saw the rise of assimilation movement, Jews taking up Polish culture while retaining their religion -- ironically they were hated the most by the nationalists.

Then the War happened. Many Poles - just look up Righteous among the Nations - did help the Jews, but there were [[LesCollaborateurs some nasty types]], too. Polish underground even had a special agency, called ''Żegota'', whose agenda was to help Jews. In addition to that, Jews had two LaResistance movements of their own running in Poland, differing over political issues.

* Isadora Wing's family in ''Literature/FearOfFlying.'' Loosely based on the family of Creator/EricaJong.