Jewish Scene
Anti-Semitic souvenirs sold in Poland
Shahar Ginosar
Published: 06.11.13, 08:34
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19 Talkbacks for this article
1. Jews as good-luck charms
Tomek ,   Poland   (11.06.13)
Apparently, having a picture of an old Jew handling money brings financial wealth to the houshold. Nonsensical but some people seem to believe it. The Zinonist Organization folks should lighten up a bit. After all, an anti-Semite would not spend his money to buy a painting depicting a Jew and then hang this painting in his home. And people would not be selling this kind of trashy art if there was no market for it.
2. returning the compliments!
tiki ,   belgium   (11.06.13)
Instead of protesting, whining & begging for a 'change of attitude, Israel & Jews should return the compliments. Bring out TV programs/amulets/cartoons about stealing Poles, drunken Irish & Scandinavians, stingy Dutch, stupid Belgians, hypocritical French, dumb south Africans, racists Europeans, murdering Muslims etc.etc.etc. It's a niche in the market and a money maker and that's.....what Jews love and the rest of the world apparently doesn't.
3. to #1 that zionist org save jews from murder
lili   (11.06.13)
by the hands of polish during the 30's many polish killed jews at that time. you have proven polish have superstious mind, maybe you believe in voodoo as well or worship pagan rituals, but some modern people do not.
4. To Tomek number 1
Dov ,   London   (11.06.13)
Many of my Polish friends have pictures of Old Jewish men with beards in their homes and they believe it brings good luck they harbour no anti-semitic feelings it's a weird tradition. Unfortunately your prime minister Donald Tusk is a Kashubian German and not a Pole at all! His grandfather was a Proud German soldier who fought the Poles. What was called Volksreich ethnic Germans living in Poland so I don't think Mr Tusk cares much for Jewish-Polish relations!
5. Tusk no Pole
Wojtek ,   Malbork   (11.06.13)
He is a Kashubian German from a family of collaborators and German soldiers. These were the Germans who were already living in Germany who tormented Poles and Jews alike during the Nazi occupation.
6. Tradition
sceptnick ,   Poland   (11.06.13)
In some areas of Poland a picture of a Jew keeping a coinis is a countryside tradition. The picture is to bring prosperity to a house and a family. These pictures are daubs but there is nothing aggresive in them. This has nothing to do with antisemtism. Just countryside bad taste.
7. Yaakov Haguel is
(11.06.13)
"demanding that the Polish prime minister work to change the law." Doesn't that go a bit too far, that the World Zionist Organization demands what a free elected government should or shouldn't do? Btw, on a trip to Poland, I got one of these lucky charms even in a Jewish restaurant as a gift. Maybe these little figurines are somewhat stupid, but not anti-Semitic.
8. #1,6- RIGHT. And Eichmann was just following orders!
shadoil79 ,   Jerusalem   (11.06.13)
9. #8
sceptnick ,   Poland   (11.06.13)
What do you mean? Do you follow Godwin's Law?
10. So, It's a free country ,...
split ,   US   (11.06.13)
Get a life or grow some thicker skin ,...
11. The obsession with "The Jew" in a country where most of
tom ,   tel aviv   (11.06.13)
the inhabitants have never been even close to a Jew is somewhat unhealthy.
12. I have a picture of a fat Polish fellow in dirty overalls
A ,   Belgium   (11.06.13)
fixing a kitchen sink. Many believe Polish are born plumbers and bring good luck to keep the sewage from backing up.
13. Holocaust tourism
Jeffrey ,   Leeds   (11.07.13)
Poland is making good money out of Holocaust tourism . I.E people visiting the death camps ,selling "souvenirs". Flights ,hotels,shopping etc. Keep away,spend time in happier places
14. Poland
Naftali   (11.07.13)
#1 Read the book called Hunt for the Jews by a Pole called Jan Grabowski and then come and tell us to lighten up
15. #6 Polish countryside tradition
Logic ,   Israel   (11.07.13)
I suggest you watch the entire Claude Landzmann's documentary "Shoah" to learn a bit more about Polish "countryside bad taste". Once you see the interviews with the Polish locals, I think you might change your mind.
16. @ #15
sceptnick ,   Poland   (11.07.13)
Again Godwin's Law. I'm writing about a painting, you write about Shoah. You don't have to learn me about my contry's black cards. I know them. However, you're trying to use a heavy canon of Holocaust in order to shut a small sparrow of a countryside painting. This is trivialization of Shoah.
17. #16 The 54% statistic is even more disturbing
Logic ,   Israel   (11.07.13)
Maybe I didn't make myself clear. The deeper problem across Europe, and not just Poland, is that entrenched antisemitism is still prevalent across society A toy or a painting is nothing but a token of symbolism of this historical pathology. Compare this with the United States, where antisemitism exists but much less and with weaker roots.
18. To all the Jewish talkbackers
Avi ,   Tel Aviv/London   (11.07.13)
Cool it with the anti-Polonism! I am the son of Jewish Poles from Lublin. I speak read and write Polish and adore Poland. More non-Jewish Poles helped Jews and were righteous amongst the nations than any other nationality in spite of the fact they risked their lives. A Pole helping a Jew was executed on the spot not like a German or Dutch etc. There was no official and very little unofficial collaboration with German occupiers unlike Holland, Channel Islands, Croatia, France in fact every other occupied country etc where the Dutch and British etc actively collaborated. The vast majority of very few Poles that collaborated were in fact ethnic Germans living in Poland. The tradition of having a painting of a Jewish man often displayed upside down is a strange tradition in Poland however those that do this have no bad feeling towards Jews. I was shocked to hear that my secretary's parents have such a painting in their home. As for village ignorance I invite any of the Jewish talkbackers to go to villages in israel such as musmus, Umm el Fahm, Jaljulia etc and they'll here real evil antisemitism and not just bizarre paintings! how many Polish villagers have detonated themselves in supermarkets to kill Jews? let's get our own house in order first! the phrase about glass houses and stones comes to mind!
19. DEMOCRATIC POLES
Rau   (11.08.13)
"Haguel sent another letter last week, demanding that the Polish prime minister work to change the law" Is this not too much? Poland is a democratic country with own constitutions drawn by local lawmakers for the interest of the poles and not meant for foreigners. Perhaps Mr Haguel would also like to write a letter to Bibi demanding a change in the so many discriminatory laws drafted specifically to opress the arabs in Israel.
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