In 2003 I took part in a project directed by two young, Jewish New York filmmakers. They wanted to analyze Polish anti-Semitism in the past and also today. This was surprising to me, because living in Krakow for 23 years, on the street bordering Krakow’s famous Jewish district, home to a great Jewish culture festival, I always noticed great interest in Jewish culture, not hatred towards Jews.
Anti-Semitism in Poland was something I connected to stories from the 14th century when the Jewish district was created in Krakow. I knew that Poles and Jews lived together in the same land for years, but were separated by religion and culture. This had major economical and sociological consequences which led to conflicts. 20th century anti-Semitism in Europe, I learnt in school, was synonymous with Nazi ideology. If not for World War II, Jews would continue living here. In today’s world where nationalities and races so easily mix the notion of anti-Semitism seemed ridiculous to me, particularly in my own country.
Three years later I started to collaborate with Larry on this film, NOT FOR THE DEAD. Its story begins with the 1946 Jewish massacre/pogrom in Kielce, Poland. It was a chance for me to understand why Poles are still considered anti-Semitic by parts of the Jewish population in America and by some Israelis. I’ve had an opportunity to see for myself if anti-Semitism is still alive in Poland and to learn a great deal more about what happened between Poles and Jews during and after World War II.
The film, which we began in 2006—the story of an American artist who came to Kielce to build a monument to the victims of the Kielce pogrom on its 60th anniversary--has grown in ways we never imagined initially. Working on this documentary has taught me to understand Polish history differently.
Until the end of the 18th century Poles fought for their survival. Poland was carved up three times by it’s neighbours, In the last century it was the battlefield for both World Wars and the center of the Nazi death machine. The years after World War II involved a continous fight for independance from the Soviet Union.
But after all these experiences we were left in our souls with a deep feeling that history and geography have harmed us. That's why we have an extremely strong need to feel proud of our survival and to celebrate our heros. Our education teaches us this.
Today, after everything I’ve learned in the process of making this film, when I see the older Kielce generation arguing among themselves about the pogrom, exploding in anger when they hear that there was anti-Semitsm in Poland at that time, I see the side effects that result from war time and post-war patriotism. During and just after the war various groups within the nation, when fighting for freedom, created their own propaganda, a propaganda that divided people into “us“ and them.“ As history tells us that division is often unjust. The fight with the enemies, the “them,“ continues in people's heads long after the war ends. The individual stories that detail grievances, passed from one generation to next, may contain some truth. Though they often don’t represent what happened in the larger perspective they create our vision of the past. In the case of older Poles, some believe Jews were heavily involved in the Russian security service in Poland. These people feel they were harmed by Jews who worked in the security service. That is why they are not easily willing to reconcile with Jews. But what is more important, their patriotism tells them to protect "the good name of the harmed and heroic Poland". That is why they are not willing to acknowledge that Polish history was not perfect.
Meeting the pogrom survivers in Israel was the most emotional experience in making this film. It is amazing that people who survived the holocaust and the pogrom, having emigrated 60 years ago never to return, speak our common language so fluently, and are so hungry to learn what is going on in Poland now. What I saw with my eyes contrasts with what I heard from them. The painful episodes they experienced in Poland made them believe the country has not changed. The older generation of Poles and Jews is fixed in their beliefs..
The only thing I feel when I look at the survivors and Poles is sympathy. My compassion for the holocaust and pogrom survivors should be obvious. At the same time I feel compassion for those Poles who don’t want any thing to obstruct their patriotic view of history because of what shaped them—the horrors of the Nazi occupation which debased the value of life and caused moral devastation. After the war, under the Soviet occupation, Poles lived a live dictated by strangers which strengthened their prejudices.
Having compassion is not to excuse evil. This compassion allows me to see the Jewish and Polish old generation and their arguments without taking either side. I can look at them as humans living in certain circumstanses, making good and bad decisions, and understand I am free from the burden they carry. This film is about what we do with our memory. Do we want to think of our history as filled only with the emotions of our ancestors or are we open to knowledge comming from any source? And do we understand it in a way that allows us to go forward?
Today you can see our trailer which highlights the main issues and themes of our film.
This film is made by a young Pole and a nearly 40 year older American Jew. I hope that no matter where you come from and which country you live in, you will learn from the openess, the ability to listen and learn from each other that has come to define our work experience so far. I hope the finished film will help you to understand differently your own history and the conflicts that effect people in your countries.
Michał Jaskulski
