How many Jewish people live in Poland?

plgThreads: 25 Posts: 316 Joined: Jul 9, 06 ♂	Edited by: Moderator Jun 12, 11, 21:41 #1
Jews and the hebrew language How many Jewish people live in Poland and krakow especially. How many people speak Hebrew in Poland? How many people speak Hebrew in krakow? And do all Polish Jews speak Hebrew? And if so what would be there first language be? thanks!

SeanBMThreads: 41 Posts: 8,727 Joined: Mar 10, 08 ♂	Edited by: SeanBM Jun 12, 11, 21:47 #2
According to Wikipedia: There are 50,000 Jew in Poland.

pawianThreads: 90 Posts: 5,395 Joined: May 30, 08 ♂	Edited by: pawian Jun 12, 11, 21:55 #3
plg: How many Jewish people live in Poland and krakow especially. How many people speak Hebrew in Poland? How many people speak Hebrew in krakow? How come you want to know it?

Lyzko

Jun 12, 11, 22:03 #4

First of all, the more important issue is, whom d'you vis-a-vis whom do the Poles themselves, i.e. gentiles, classify as 'Polish Jews'??

My understanding is that there are (miraculously enough!!) somewhere between seven hundred to one thousand Polish nationals of the Jewish faith, living and working mostly around Warszawa and Kraków. These figures may not even begin to include non-affiliated Jews living in Poland, more likely still, Jewish converts to Catholicism, often too wary of declaring themselves Jews for fear of reprisals by local skinheads etc...

In other words, a Jewish "headcount" in countries such as Poland, Ukraine, Hungary, even Russia, Austria or Germany, is frequently problematic-:)

The actual Polish Jews of whom I'm aware are mostly professionals, doctors, lawyers, some high-ranking journalists, professors and a few member of the Sejm, yet most probably NOT practicing Jews!

sobieskiThreads: 82 Posts: 1,141 Joined: Jun 1, 08 ♂	Jun 12, 11, 22:17 #5
I doubt there are 50.000 Jewish people in Poland. This is a country antisemitic into its very bone marrow.

amelly	Jun 12, 11, 22:20 #6
sobieski: This is a country antisemitic into its very bone marrow. Why do you say so?

legendThreads: 9 Posts: 819 Joined: Apr 23, 11 ♂	Jun 12, 11, 22:20 #7
sobieski: I doubt there are 50.000 Jewish people in Poland. This is a country antisemitic into its very bone marrow. More like this country has 1000 years experience with these people. We perfectly know what they are up to ;)

aphrodisiacThreads: 22 Posts: 3,998 Joined: Apr 15, 09 ♀	Jun 12, 11, 22:21 #8
legend: We perfectly know what they are up to ;) what are they up to ?

PennBoyThreads: 157 Posts: 3,440 Joined: Dec 7, 08 ♂	Jun 12, 11, 22:21 #9
SeanBM: There are 50,000 Jew in Poland. With full or partial ethnic Jewish background. Practicing Jews are a few thousand.

Lyzko	Jun 12, 11, 22:23 #10
I think Sobieski's take on things is sadly true! While 50,000 does seem a bit high, probably these are again not necessarily Polish Jews, but Jewish persons residing permanently in Poland! Regarding Poland's history of antisemitism, just look back at Jedwabne and Kielce to confirm this regretable state of affairs.

♂

Edited by: Moderator Jun 12, 11, 22:30 #11

Lyzko:

I think Sobieski's take on things is sadly true! While 50,000 does seem a bit high

It might be even more than that, they lived in Poland (in large numbers) since Casimir the Great allowed them to come, you think some lived a non religious life or didn't mix a bit with the locals? It might be even 100 thousand people with full or partial Jewish background. Here in the States I've met quite a few Polish Jews, most love Poland and are patriotic.

RobertLeeThreads: 12 Posts: 133 Joined: May 26, 11 ♂	Edited by: RobertLee Jun 12, 11, 22:39 #12
PennBoy: Here in the States I've met quite a few Polish Jews, most love Poland and are patriotic. That is very interesting, cause most Jews you can meet on Jewish sites are very antipolish to the very bone marrow. Of course being antipolish is not nearly as bad as being antisemitic...

Grzegorz_Threads: 81 Posts: 6,213 Joined: Nov 16, 06 ♂	Jun 12, 11, 22:42 #13
sobieski: This is a country antisemitic into its very bone marrow. How do you know that ? You don't even know the language.

♂ [Suspended]

Jun 12, 11, 22:46 #14

RobertLee:

That is very interesting, cause most Jews you can meet on Jewish sites are very antipolish to the very bone marrow. Of course being antipolish is not nearly as bad as being antisemitic...

You visit Jewish websites often?

sobieski:

This is a country antisemitic into its very bone marrow.

I'd say that while the educated people couldn't care less about Jews (imaginary or real) - the uneducated classes have a huge, bitter grudge against them. As far as I can tell, it seems to be handed down within families.

MEMBER ♂

Edited by: Torq Jun 12, 11, 22:49 #15

sobieski:

This is a country antisemitic into its very bone marrow.

amelly:

Why do you say so?

Because he's a complete and utter ignoramus, that's why.

There are Jewish publishing houses and cultural institutions in Poland, festivals of Jewish arts
and music are organized regularly, there is a Hebrew language academy in Toruń, in many
other cities people interested in Jewish history can attend language and culture classes
and in most good bookstores there are shelves labelled "Judaica". All this in a country which,
according to sobieski, is "antisemitic into its very bone marrow."

♂

Jun 12, 11, 22:58 #16

RobertLee:

That is very interesting, cause most Jews you can meet on Jewish sites are very antipolish to the very bone marrow.

I've said it before, I had a neighbor Polish Jew who had a huge Polish flag up by his house whole year round, only took it down on Jewish holidays, for an Israeli flag. A Jewish lawyer here in the Philadelphia suburbs (a Krakow Jew) very nice guy, one of my best friends is of a Polish/Jewish mix, all good people. You were probably talking about American Jews, more specifically New Yorkers.

RobertLee:

Of course being antipolish is not nearly as bad as being antisemitic...

Same thing, so that had to be your sarcasm....

♂

Jun 12, 11, 23:02 #17

PennBoy:

I've said it before, I had a neighbor Polish Jew who had a huge Polish flag up by his house whole year round, only took it down on Jewish holidays, for an Israeli flag. A Jewish lawyer here in the Philadelphia suburbs (a Krakow Jew) very nice guy, one of my best friends is of a Polish/Jewish mix, all good people. You were probably talking about American Jews, more specifically New Yorkers.

There are good Jews as well as bad ones. The same with Poles. The same in other countries.

♂

Edited by: RobertLee Jun 12, 11, 23:05 #18

PennBoy:

I've said it before, I had a neighbor Polish Jew who had a huge Polish flag up by his house whole year round, only took it down on Jewish holidays, for an Israeli flag. A Jewish lawyer here in the Philadelphia suburbs (a Krakow Jew) very nice guy, one of my best friends is of a Polish/Jewish mix, all good people. You were probably talking about American Jews, more specifically New Yorkers.

I'm glad to hear that. I used to be curious and friendly towards Jews, but right from the beginning I came across very many examples of Jews simply hating Poles for being Poles. Always happy to find out that not every Jew is like this.

♂

Jun 12, 11, 23:19 #19

RobertLee:

I'm glad to hear that. I used to be curious and friendly towards Jews, but right from the beginning I came across very many examples of Jews simply hating Poles for being Poles.

I've met them as well. The ones who have assimilated fully into a particular society, who see themselves as American or Poles first (depending on which country they live it) and the as Jews, are the nice ones, in general.

♂

Jun 13, 11, 00:41 #20

pawian:

plg:

How many Jewish people live in Poland and krakow especially.

How many people speak Hebrew in Poland?

How many people speak Hebrew in krakow?

How come you want to know it?

First of all please guys dont fight about my post.

There is no need.

I asked the question because i visit Poland frequently.

Mostly krakow.

Which obviously is steeped in history and culture.

It has a Jewish district of course.

And i was just curious and interested.

Tez jestem studentem jezyka polskiego :))

na razie i dziekuje za pomoc

PlasticPoleThreads: 10 Posts: 5,429 Joined: May 28, 09 ♀	Jun 13, 11, 01:19 #21
plg: And if so what would be there first language be? Well, it might be Yiddish since many Polish Jews living in Shtetls spoke Yiddish and not Polish or Hebrew. Young Jews in Poland speak Polish, no doubt.

Des EssientesThreads: 11 Posts: 2,318 Joined: Feb 6, 10 ♂ [Suspended]	Jun 13, 11, 01:23 #22
PlasticPole: Well, it might be Yiddish I was wondering about this too. It would have been the first language of many, or most, of the Jews in Poland for several centuries up until WWII but do the Jews of Poland still speak it today?

PlasticPoleThreads: 10 Posts: 5,429 Joined: May 28, 09 ♀	Jun 13, 11, 01:31 #23
Des Essientes: I was wondering about this too. It would have been the first language of many, or most, of the Jews in Poland for several centuries up until WWII but do the Jews of Poland still speak it today? At home, maybe a few, but most are brought up as Poles. Some might not even know they are Jewish. Many Jews who kept their identity left for Israel and are no longer in Poland.

BzibziohThreads: 6 Posts: 3,657 Joined: Oct 15, 08 ♀ [Suspended]	Jun 13, 11, 01:37 #24
plg: How many Jewish people live in Poland and krakow especially. I visited Remuh synagogue in Kraków (as far as I know the only functioning synagogue in Kraków) 3 years ago and I was told that there is 113 signed members. Old ones mostly.

rybnikThreads: 29 Posts: 1,229 Joined: Jan 16, 11 ♂	Jun 13, 11, 02:08 #25
PennBoy: Here in the States I've met quite a few Polish Jews, most love Poland and are patriotic. Living in the New York metropolitan area and working in the medical profession I come into contact with many Jews on a daily basis. The overwhelming reaction to Poland and being Polish is non-plussed. 25% share some horror story with me and another 25% have good things to say.

♂ [Suspended]

Jun 13, 11, 02:19 #26

rybnik:

Living in the New York metropolitan area and working in the medical profession I come into contact with many Jews on a daily basis.

There is a posh Polish restaurant in Santa Monica and everytime I've been there I've seen Jewish looking guys eating alone and staring at the other diners with thoughtful eyes and I suspected they were trying to get a feel for what it was like for their ancestors to be surrounded by Poles. I remember that one of them seemed really interested when a family dining sang Stolat.

wielki panThreads: 3 Posts: 278 Joined: Jan 7, 11 ♂	Jun 13, 11, 02:32 #27
delphiandomine: the uneducated classes have a huge, bitter grudge against them. As far as I can tell, it seems to be handed down within families. Lol, this is just nonsense talk, talk from a person who doesn't know what he is talking about, why would a polish person hold a grudge agaisnt the jews.

michaelmansunThreads: 12 Posts: 173 Joined: Jul 30, 08 ♂	Jun 13, 11, 03:19 #28
SeanBM: There are 50,000 Jew in Poland. And most pretend to be Catholics.

♂

Jun 13, 11, 03:49 #29

wielki pan:

Lol, this is just nonsense talk, talk from a person who doesn't know what he is talking about, why would a polish person hold a grudge agaisnt the jews.

Our 'favorite' guys at the ADL have this to say:

http://www.adl.org/presRele/ASInt_13/4726_13.htm

michaelmansun:

And most pretend to be Catholics.

If a person is a Jew (their family) or practices Judaism while pretending to practice Christianity they are called maranos. Since a lot of them were put under 'persecution' in the medieval times they were forced to at least look like Catholics on the outside. In their homes many would continue practicing Judaism though.

♂

Edited by: michaelmansun Jun 13, 11, 06:14 #30

wielki pan:

why would a polish person hold a grudge agaisnt the jews

When the Jews came back to Poland after the war, Poles hung them because they didnt want them to reclaim their property. Poles never liked Jews and still dont like Jews. My former boss in Poland said that the Jews bragged that they owned all the businesses and homes, and the Poles owned the streets and sidewalks.

I dont hate or really feel anything about Jews. They had a bad time, but they were not known for being generous. Their reputation was Jews for Jews. That is why when the Nazis came, most Poles, and I said most not all, just handed them over or turned them in. They felt they owed the Jews nothing, because the Jews didn´t care about them and would put them out in the street if they couldn´t pay the rent. The thing is, the new class of Poles without Jewish heritage will do the same thing, and really, always would do the same thing. There was and is no difference. It was just that the Jews controlled a great deal of the apartments and commerce. If the Poles did, they would have behaved the same way. Jews were an easy target because they were collected and identifiable.

While many Jews did serve in the military and fought to protect the country, during peacetime they were focused only on the ways they could control the economy and become an elite class, and that meant high rents and high prices for goods for which they controlled the supply.

It isn´t different now with the rich Poles or with the big money flowing into Poland to buy up properties and make everything too expensive for Poles. (That is why young Poles leave) Now your new foreign resident turn Poles into a service class, while they, the Germans and Dutch, the Brits. control housing, and banking and goods and services and bring ther Euro and the Pound to drive up inflation and make the savings of Poles worth less and less.

Just my opinion based on what I have read and experienced.

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