http://polishpress.wordpress.com/2007/05/11/israeli-teenagers-are-a-nuisance-in-poland/ http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3432851,00.html The Jewish visits are more of a delicate problem than any kind of profit. The way I see it many of the Jewish youth visiting Poland have strong chauvinistic bias towards Poland and have no interest in learning about common history but instead the aim is to 'boost their identity' which may mean strengthening the hatred towards the Polish people. And once again, Poles were also being exterminated in all these camps. How funny we've let Nazis do that, since, as far as some people are concerned, we were their best allies. So in short - concentrations camps are OUR mass graves, not just yours. Forgetting this is a big insult alone. Behave towards others the way you'd like to be treated. It really is the basic rule in people coexistence.

It is a shame that those who are meant to set an example to their communities call for a halt of students'visits to Poland. Keeping the Holocaust alive by teaching the younger generations "never to forget"should be given top priority. Allowing students to visit the sites and learn of the Nazi horrors is an important part of the younger generation's education and should be an integral part of any school curriculum. It is about time that the government allots adequate funds for the Holocaust victims, allowing them to live their lives in dignity.

what you mean, the sad part the British thinks that they racism proof, the holocaust is not their consern because the were among the winners, but in reality they r one of the biggest racists in europ, they never aknowlegd what their monrches did to the jews in Israel (Richard the Lion Heart killed and expelled jews from jerusalem) and in England as for france I saw on their national TV open slams of Israel and jews, in other words this two rabbi r idiots and r not worth web space, trust me I know.

IF YOU WANT TO FORGET, THEN STOP THE TOURS IF YOU WANT TO BE A JEW.. THEN ALWAYS REMEMBER REMEMBER LEAVING MTZRAYEEM REMEMEBER THE HOLOCAUST REMEMBER THE SPANISH INQUISITION PS to the 'ormer orthodox #4 evidently you never was an orthodox observer. If you were thenyou know more then anyone that there is no such thing as loabels in olam habah. We arepracticing at different levels.. and those that know the LAWS and ''LABEL THEMSELFS AS REFORM/CONSERVATIVE ARE PUNICHED THE MOST SEVER IN THE NEXT WORLD. so you either never was an ''torah observant jew'' with the education that goes with ''that label'' or had a priest as a teacher. Sounds more like you are rebellious and need to talk it over with a real rabbi. thanks DACON9 jewswithviews@gmail.com

Where was your son there? In 1989? Last time I checked, you could buy anything you wanted in Polish stores. Times change - the Israeli students who go there now may have a different impression.

I don't know what Rabbi Melamed thinks he is doing with this statement (or Rav Aviner either). He should come and live outside Israel for a bit, because it seems that, more and more, Israelis are taking for granted just how lucky we are to have a Jewish State. Of course Poland is a country full of anti-Semites even today, but the fact is that our youth gain an incredible amount of perspective, as well as a greater appreciation both for the tragedy that was, and how far we have come since then. All the more so for Israeli kids who have never really known that kind of anti-Semitism. It seems that some dati-leumi rabbis are just as out of touch as their Chareidi counterparts. What a shame.

The Rabbi is right. Not only should Jews not visit these murderous countries, but it is sad that Orthodox outreach groups are strenthening Judaism in Poland , Germany, Ukraine etc. (Chabad have even erected a 100sq. meter replica of the Kotel in murderous Berlin.) Surely it is against God's will to have His people strengthen the Diaspora, when Eretz Yisrael is freely available after nearly 2000years of exile.

And democracies do not ban their people from leaving the country.

When I see so much antypolish propaganda and lies - I can say only one thing - do not come to Poland please. shalom

liars

With all respect to Rebe Melamed, I completely disagree with him. While Holocaust is a very painfull topic, we Jews should refrain from blaming modern day Poles of what hapened during the dark Nazi time. Education, not segregation!!! The more human contact we have, the better will be the outcome. We should be more open to the world around us and take any form of anti-semitism head on. Millions of innocent Poles perished during the war, there were number of Poles who tried to help Jews. Polish people should learn from the lessons of Holocaust. I strongly believe that Poles can be our best friends. We Jews should make it happen.

I disagree and apologize for his heartfull words!

What a bunch of crap... Poland allowed those camps to be built? If you really wanna go there, then lets be honest, more Poles died FIGHTING the Germans than Jews (btw key word being fighting, I am not saying more Poles died in the war but more died actually fighting).... If you gonna say that Poland is guilty because it wasn't strong enough to defeat Germany and therefore are responsible for the camps on their terrotory. Then I guess I can use the same argument and say that Jews allowed themselves to be slaughtered because they were not strong enough to fight back against Germany and therefore they are responsible also... This has got to be the dumbest arguement ever but if you wanna use it against the Poles than you might as well use it against the Jews. Remember Poland has the more rightious among the nation recipients and only in Poland was it punishable by death to help a Jew.

Sure, there was anti-Semitism in pre-War Poland, but nobody on this forum seems to understand WHAT KIND of anti-Semitism it was. The Poles want to completely deny its existence, while the Jews want to equate Poland with Nazi Germany. Both are wrong. This pre-war anti-Semitism is actually extremely easy to explain to Israelis. Think how you feel about Palestinians living in Israel. Here you are! These Arabs are GENERALLY distrusted, OFTEN disliked, SOMETIMES verbally attacked and discriminated against, but only EXTREMELY RARELY experiencing any actual violence from the Israelis. And this is EXACTLY how Poles felt about the largely non-assimilating, 3 million-strong Jewish populace. The Polish "solution" was both simple and honorable, in contrast with the German one. Pre-war Poland ACTIVELY ASSISTED in your Aliyah. Don't believe me? Here, it's an Israeli site, so you don't have to be afraid of being exposed to some Polish propaganda: http://www.etzel.org.il/english/ac16.htm

I think that Hirschzon makes money on trips to Poland ;)

You wrote: "the Polish did not start being antisemites in 1939. They were progromchiks for centuries before the Germans came". Probably that was the reason why Poland for centuries had the largest Jewish population in Europe. The Jews from all over Europe came to Poland and settled there, because "the Polish were progromchiks". Sarcasm off And now seriuosly. Here in Poland sometimes I can hear a similar crap like the rabbi said (and many more on this forum) - but the mirror reflection of it. How the Jews are vicious, greedy etc., etc. But it's an absolute margin. And I simply can't imagine any Catholic priest saying anything like that or anyone else - in a mainstream newspaper. Such a person would be condemned and simply destroyed, as an anti-semitist. But I can see there's nothing wrong in being an anti-Polonist in Israel. Sad.

of Jews and Poland the predictable and disgusting Pole bashing ensues. To all the Polish readers here: please, don't judge us Jews all based on the opinions of the few. Let's judge each nation by the best of it's people, not by the worst. Let's stop stereotyping. Let's judge each person based on his/her own merit and not based on his/her nationality. It's that simple. Shalom. Pokoj.

Many of my family in Eastern Europe were killed by the Nazis. My father was a US army officer at the liberation of the Dachau death camp. I saw his photos and heard how the townspeople who lived next to the camp denied knowledge of what took place. I feel no need to visit Dachau and especially do not wish to help their local economy with my money.

Visiting Uman isn't much different. Tons of Jewish money goes to the Ukrainian anti-semites.

my family, during WW2 some polish people humiliated and killed members of my family, not the just the german natzis, so as you can see I am don't have any reason to think otherwise.

To # 50. At the same time numerous Poles risked their lives and their families to help Jews. But you keep in mind only those cases, that you find useful to confirm your point. That's called bigotry and prejudice,

all poles r killers, and thos two clowns should be ban from practic religion, the point is the voices of poles r not being heard, noone knows except from what people hear at home like me. you think people whould take different atitude if they knew the other side story.

It is really sad and to read those ANTI-POLNISM... 3.000.000 Jews lived there back in Poland. Does not it mean anything? Most of Chasid Umot ha-Olam awards have Poles http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Righteous_among_the_Nations It is RIDICULOUS to say that GERMAN-NAZIS concentration camps were Polish camps and in my opinion, in mouth of such prominent Israeli person is a SCANDAL. However many people because of both ignorance and lack of wisdom or maliciously say such crap... Read for example http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilecki#Auschwitz to KNOW the TRUTH. Of course there were also painful events in Polish-Jewish, however they were marginal accidents... Poland was always the best ally of Israeli nation but lately some people are doing everything to ruin it... Regards, Piotrek

I was just wondering where one gets hutzpa to say that this or that nation let the Germans build concentration camps? You have any idea of what was goin on in those times? It is the same as blaming Jews for other nations destroying the Temple! Shame on all xenophobes!

The Rabbi Is 100% Right. The Poles were happy to see us go to the camps.Now they are busy taking money from foolish Jewish visitors to the camps and their nearby Jewish themed restaurants run solely by Poles. As Yitzchak Shamir once said ' The Poles suck antisemitism from their mother's breasts'

No, I thought not. BUTT out, you don't live here.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salomon_Morel

will remember??? telephathy, you full of hatred sham on you.

people in Israel r racists, their religious practic is shamfull considering they can't pray with all jews, only with jews that come from the same origion.