Polish president, in historic first, visits Warsaw synagogue for Hanukkah celebration (SEE PICTURES)

newsday.com ^ | December 21, 2008 | VANESSA GERA

[lizol]

Polish president, in historic first, visits Warsaw synagogue for Hanukkah celebration

By VANESSA GERA | Associated Press Writer

2:15 PM EST, December 21, 2008

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland's president celebrated the start of Hanukkah in a Warsaw synagogue Sunday in a gesture the city's Jewish community greeted as a historic step in its revival.

Lech Kaczynski's visit marked the first time the head of state has attended a religious service at a synagogue in Poland, whose Jewish population was nearly wiped out in the Holocaust and later suffered from communist-era repression.

The visit "means we're in a normal country ... a country that treasures that it has citizens of different religions and of different backgrounds," said Poland's chief rabbi, Michael Schudrich.

As Kaczynski entered Warsaw's century-old Nozyk synagogue just after sundown, the congregation rose and a group of Jewish children sang "Shalom Aleichem" — "peace be upon you."

[lizol]

[lizol]

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[lizol]

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[AdvisorB]

Thank you for the pictures, lizol.

[SJackson]

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[Red6]

The difference is that some in Europe go to a synagogue or say something positive about some Jew on occasion to satisfy a historic guilt, with the Polish president you realize that he sees a people with a common cause, a culture ties, common interests.

[lizol]

To bring back the memory about the Jewish community of town of Lowicz (Poland) SEE PICTURES

[seoul62]

Very moving./Just Asking - seoul62......

[MeanWestTexan]

Poland rocks.

[Jeff Chandler]

The difference is that some in Europe go to a synagogue or say something positive about some Jew on occasion to satisfy a historic guilt

I get the impression that most of Europe has gotten over its guilt and is reverting to its antisemitic tendencies.

[NurdlyPeon]

More and more, Poland seem to be the only country left that acts like it has some brains in its head (and ‘nads underneath it).

[Red6]

Antisemitism comes concealed and in the form of witty little attacks and innuendos.

Bottom line: Old Europe has become socialist and secularist, and the Jew has no place in this world. They will be careful to blame everything on them, because of the historic context of doing so (The “Sündenbock” they were in the 30-40s). However, the U.S. has replaced the Jew as the one that's officially “at fault” for everything from global warming, high oil prices, mad Islamists, unemployment, AIDS, their failing social services...........

[BobS]

I was invited to an Orthodox synoguage service by a nice lady. I only understood about 10% of what was going on. That’s OK. Even after putting real clothes on. Outside the temple, women were making coffee and baking knishes. Knishes tasted so good I hung around the place until the babe said it was time to think about going home. So I grabbed another one for the trip to her place.

[justiceseeker93]

Are you sure it was knishes they were baking, and not latkes? Latkes are potato pancakes that are often eaten on Chanukah, which has just begun this evening. Latkes are generally much thinner than knishes.

[Jeremiah Jr]

Well what do you know!

Happy Chanukah!