CATHOLIC AUSCHWITZ SURVIVOR ASKS JEWISH WEBSITE TO REMOVE ANTI-POLISH HATE SLUR
12/30/2002 - Describing it “hateful, shameful, malicious and dishonest,” a Polish Catholic survivor of Auschwitz is asking the operators of a Jewish internet website to remove a virulent anti-Polish obscenity they are displaying on their home page.
“In Auschwitz, the Nazi guards called us ‘Polish swine.’ Now, a Jewish website is calling us ‘bastards’ and tries to blame us for what the Germans did,” said Michael Preisler who spent 3 ½ years in Auschwitz as prisoner No. 22213. He is co-chair of the Polish American Congress Holocaust Documentation Committee in New York.
What upset Preisler so much was the statement found at www.usajewish.com on its March 6, 2002 archive which lashed out at the Polish people and alleged: “What a surprise, Poles who hate Jews. After using us for a thousand years, capitalizing on our talents and feasting on the blood of our women and children, they spat our ashen bodies in the millions. But that is not enough, because, apparently, a few of us have survived the trip and the decrepit bastards can’t tolerate it.”
Responding to these charges, Preisler told usajewish.com their accusation is “completely
irrational and absurd. Please remove it.”
Preisler reminded them it is a historical fact that, “Poland was a safe haven for Jews for nearly 1,000 years. When other countries in Europe were throwing them out, Poland invited the expelled Jews to come in and find refuge among us.” He also noted that, “eventually 80% of all Europe’s Jews came to live in the safe haven Poland offered them.
They were free to practice their religion and to build a Jewish society inside Poland which flourished culturally, socially and economically until the Germans invaded in 1939 and began the Holocaust.”
In his complaint to usajewish.com, Preisler noted that Jews and Poles were both targets of Nazi terror during the Holocaust. Three million Polish Jews perished during that terrible period. But three million Polish Christians were also killed along with those Jews.
“Despite the fact we ourselves were always in danger, many Polish Catholics were willing to take on the extra risk of helping and hiding Jews from the Germans. The extra risk we took was particularly severe because Poland was the only place in all German-occupied Europe where the Nazis officially ordered an automatic death penalty for anyone trying to aid a Jew.
“More Christians were killed in Poland for helping Jews than anywhere else. More Poles are honored at Israel’s Yad Vashem as ‘Righteous Gentiles’ than anyone else,” he said.
This is not the first time Mr. Preisler encountered outbursts of anti-Polish prejudice. One of the most egregious took place not long ago when a New York Rabbi used his TV program to call Pope John Paul II a “dumb Polack” and a “vicious racist anti-Semite.”
He appealed to Jewish doctors, dentists, lawyers and CPA’s to boycott and not do business with anyone Polish. “Don’t heal or service these anti-Semitic fiends. They’re all destined to go to hell,” he urged. “Don’t hire anti-Semitic Polacks. Not as maids…cleaning ladies…in construction companies.”
“Either pure hatred or woeful ignorance” is the way Preisler classifies such accusations.
“As Poles, our centuries-long and generally cordial relationship with Jews has been closer than with anyone else. It’s sad to see it so savagely misrepresented today.”
The full text of the letter is as follows:
December 29, 2002
Yori Yanover, Chief Editor
Producer@USAJewish.com
I am a Polish Catholic survivor of Auschwitz. I was shocked to see your website display the following on your March 6, 2002 edition:
“What a surprise, Poles who hate Jews. After using us for a thousand years, capitalizing on our talents and feasting on the blood of our women and children, they spat our ashen bodies in the millions. But that is not enough, because, apparently, a few of us have survived the trip and the decrepit bastards can’t tolerate it.”
My purpose in contacting you is to tell you your statement is hateful, shameful, malicious and dishonest and to ask you to remove it.
Above all, it is immoral to mislead those who access your home page with accusations that simply are not true. Do not blame us for what the Germans did.
I am not so much concerned about you calling anyone who is Polish, “bastards.” You are free to hold any anti-Polish prejudices you wish even though they come across as completely irrational and absurd. I am more concerned, however, that you at least be truthful when you refer to us.
It is a historical fact that Poland was a safe haven for Jews for nearly 1,000 years. When other countries in Europe were throwing them out, Poland invited the expelled Jews to come in and find refuge among us. Eventually, 80% of all Europe’s Jews came to live in the safe haven Poland offered them. They were free to practice their religion and build a Jewish society inside Poland which flourished culturally, socially and economically until the Germans invaded in 1939 and began the Holocaust.
Jews and Poles were both targets of Nazis terror during the Holocaust. Three million Polish Jews perished during that terrible period. But three million Polish Christians were also killed along with those Jews.
Despite the fact we ourselves were always in danger, many Polish Catholics were willing to take on the extra risk of helping and hiding Jews from the Germans. The extra risk we took was particularly severe because Poland was the only place in all German-occupied Europe where the Nazis officially ordered an automatic death penalty for anyone trying to aid a Jew.
More Christians were killed in Poland for helping Jews than anywhere else. More Poles are honored at Israel’s Yad Vashem as “Righteous Gentiles” than anyone else.
I also want to give you my opinion that many Jews would not approve of your accusation that we feasted “on the blood of Jewish women and children and spat our ashen bodies in the millions” because it is without any foundation.
As Poles, our centuries-long and generally cordial relationship with Jews has been closer than with anyone else. You are doing an immense injustice to this relationship by misrepresenting it on your website. Please remove it.
Michael Preisler, Co-Chair
Holocaust Documentation Committee
Polish American Congress
177 Kent St.
Brooklyn, N.Y. 11222
