Comments on: The Death Camp Debate

By: Piotr Sitarek

Piotr Sitarek — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 05:01:08 +0000

I agree. After studying the issue in more detail, I think those trips are detrimental to everybody, except maybe the bodyguards employed for them. It would be better if they stopped.

By the way, I don't understand the last sentence of your comment. I'm not very smart – by defininition, as I belong to a a group that is hardly human, as you know – but even I should be able to understand a short comment, wouldn't you agree? "You were proud of their flights to return to Israel" – are you proud that they boarded the plane and returned to Israel? That's not a huge accomplishment, I'm afraid. But take your pride whenever you may find it, by all means. Or maybe you're proud that they moved to Israel from wherever they'd been living before? That would make more sense.

Anyway, I assure you that Poles breathe air, eat good food and sleep soundly and don't waste their time on hating the Jews or even thinking about them. Except for a few hopeless romantics like myself, who have to read the vitriol from one ignoramus after another.Sigh.

By: Danley Mcdonel

Danley Mcdonel — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 05:14:34 +0000

I read your article on gun control and I am a little confused . You said that the Jewish Heroes that died free and not systematically Starved and slaughtered would have been better off running and hiding . I just read another article by a living surviver Aliza Mendel, her married name is Vitis-Shomron. She said despite her own past, she claims to have not experienced the psychological damage that plaques other survivors. " I never saw myself as a victim. I was on the active side, the resisting side. This tells me that running and hiding makes you a slave for life, but when you pick up a gun and fight. I doesn't matter weather you live or die, you are free. I'll take freedom in death over live in bondage and fear any day.

By: Ava Fromkin

Ava Fromkin — Sun, 31 Mar 2013 10:09:04 +0000

PO]
Polish "culture" and Polish "nature." An oxymoron. The Poles have and will never change. They live, eat, sleep and breathe antisemitism. Open your eyes and admit it. I would eliminate the"Walk of the Living" and all visits to the concentration camps in Poland. I wouldn't let them prosper from one penny of money from these "tourist" trips. My two nieces went on these trips. I am so sorry that they chose to go to the camps. I was proud of their flights to return to Israel.

By: Piotr Sitarek

Piotr Sitarek — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 23:51:56 +0000

Ms Englard, I doubt you're still reading comments to this piece of yours, but I'll add my two cents in small hope it might be worthwile. I won't argue with you nor debate your claims, as many have done so and all that has been achieved was an exchange of insults or futher entrenching of participants on their positions. I don't want any confrontation.

It is your blog and your opinion. To be honest, I've never liked the tourist industry attached to the death camps. I'd rather people came here to enjoy culture and nature than to see the evidence of one of the worst crimes in humanity's history. But it is not my choice. Some tourism is necessary to keep the camp from falling apart and many say it's a necessary reminder, so that it never happens again.

I agree with your critique of the organized trips and their compulsory nature, though I suppose my reasons are different from yours. Let whoever wants to come, come. Nobody should be compelled to do so and you are free to stay away. We'll do just fine without you, and -believe or not – our tourism is not dependent on this particular, gruesome "attraction". I've heard that what those kids are taught while preparing to the trips can only fuel further hatred. And is that true that they are accompanied by security guards? That's such a waste of money. If it has to look like this, maybe it's better to just abandon the whole entreprise and leave the matter in individuals' hands.

The terrible tragedy that happened in places that belong to Poland now can lead to various reactions. You chose to see the whole country and nation as unholy and cursed. It is your right and your decision. Your way to deal with the trauma of suffering of your family and compatriots. May it give you some consolation, though I fear it won't.

I have to say that the history is truly cruel. It was a life saving decision for many Jews to leave Europe before ww2 and emmigrate to Israel. But now, one might think that Jews in places like Poland are truly safe, as it is my strong belief that nothing similar to Holocaust will happen here again. By contrast, the Jews in Israel have to live surrounded by a hostile Arab sea, subject to danger almost every day. The army and intelligence fight constantly for very existence of the state. Looking at what is happening in the world right now, declining US power, strife and hatred all around in Arab world, the proliferation of the weapons of mass destruction…. The state of Israel is strong and may it always be so, but I fear for it might be in danger in long run. Even the strongest army can't fight against the overwhelming foes forever. Demography has no mercy. It simply is too small a country to be able to win on its own. History might play a cruel joke on us and those Jews in such unholy places like Poland might find themselves to be safer than others. It is better for the survival of the nation to have both a strong nation state in Israel and at least some people living in diaspora, just in case.

As to the moral attitude shown in your text, Ms Englard, I have only one thing to say. I pity you and I hope your faith will bring you healing. Hate is eating at your heart, giving you strenth and passion, but also killing you. May you find healing, may you find love that is immune to hatred. Don't come to the death camps. In your current state, it would only further hurt you. You are too strongly attuned to the hate that still resonates from those accursed places.

By: Rubin Katz

Rubin Katz — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 16:50:03 +0000

That's typical; when you have no answer, you resort to personal insult and foul language. Its not really about contemporary Poland that you refer to, where we are no longer at the mercy of our neighbours, because we have a state. Its about the Poland of Smigly-Rydz, and the abominable behaviour of many Poles during the war, as well as after the liberation 1945/1946. People like you don't accept evidence from anyone, not even first-hand witnesses, if it doesn't fit in with your agenda of a Poland that's whiter than white. Why do you think I fled Poland for England soon after the war? And after Kielce, and other pogroms, the majority of survivors ran back to Germany; the place of their torment, rather than remain in Poland, the place of their birth…

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 01:41:22 +0000

This woman is seeking publicity and all the people answering her are doing nothing better but feeding the troll. In other words, she's a publicity whore of sorts. The more outlandish ideas she sports, the better it works for her in this regard and more "clicks" she gets. Ads sell much better thus.
She openly admits that as never being there she has no qualifications to express opinion on contemporary Poland, nevertheless she fires one broadside after another. Certainly, there's a freedom of speech so she can do as pleased, but do all her respondents really need to answer this gobshite?

By: Zahava Englard

Zahava Englard — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 19:03:45 +0000

Steve,not that I needed any confirmation from you, nevertheless, in your attempt to self advertise on this page, you actually proved that every statement I made with regard to Polish antisemitism was indeed accurate. In fact many of your statements were repititious of many of my responses. As for "mouthing off," I will certainly continue to do so in the face of this shameful attempt to corrupt history but, to be sure, not as part of an agenda to publicize books.

By: Marc Stevens

Marc Stevens — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 05:21:49 +0000

Zahava Englard Thanks for your comments. But while you acknowledge that my concern is very real, you haven't addressed it. You simply say that "the key to Jewish survival is faith coupled with inner strength…as well as practical strength". With all due respect, don't you think that this is exactly what doomed European Jews (my grandmother included) to death at the hands of the Nazis? The misplaced belief that their faith alone would be enough to ensure their survival. Clearly, they were wrong. And so, I fear, are you. A strong and independent Jewish homeland is a great thing, but it is not invincible. We all learned from a very young age that putting all of our eggs in one basket is a very risky proposition.

By: Manya Pawlak Metzler

Manya Pawlak Metzler — Sat, 12 Jan 2013 15:57:58 +0000

Wow! You don't even know me.

By: Abraham Shrekenhamer

Abraham Shrekenhamer — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 12:39:50 +0000

As a child of Holocaust survivors and a veteran of the Six-Day-War I find Zehava's article and her responses to critics ignorant, offensive and racist. She's quite a worthy disciple of Dr. Goebbels in subverting and distorting history. It follows that her commentary is not about the Holocaust, WW2 or Polish antisemitism at all but merely serve to support her political agenda – sustaining her present-day racist outlook towards all non-Jews – evident in her expressed incomprehension of why would a Jew chose to live anywhere but in Israel. One should see her for what she really is… and ignore her.

By: Abraham Shrekenhamer

Abraham Shrekenhamer — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 12:39:50 +0000

By: Zahava Englard

Zahava Englard — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 02:56:46 +0000

No, Danusha. The first step towards a better future is not to deny the truth, and that is exactly what you and your Polish friends are doing. I stand by what I've written. And anywhere on this earth where crimes against humanity have taken place, yes, Danusha, the soil is indeed unholy.

By: Zahava Englard

Zahava Englard — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 02:43:03 +0000

Manya, You should be ashamed, but for so much more than you are capable of comprehending.

By: Manya Pawlak Metzler

Manya Pawlak Metzler — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 23:39:31 +0000

I did read what you wrote, and I did not answer in haste. Of course I feel pain and shame for the murders in Jedwabne and for other Polish crimes, but for these crimes committed by specific murderers, I will never agree that I, my Polish friends, and the Polish nation should be accused collectively. I am ashamed, but I do not feel the blame for these crimes. Both you and I are responsible for ourselves, and for our deeds, but I do not feel any identification with the murderers in Jedwabne.

By: Ruth Rubin

Ruth Rubin — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 22:39:29 +0000

And here endith my rant.