Why was Poland so important to the Jewish community?
Poland became a shelter for Jews persecuted and expelled from various European countries and the home to the world’s largest Jewish community of the time. According to some sources, about three-quarters of the world’s Jews lived in Poland by the middle of the 16th century.
Who were some of the most prominent Polish Jews during WWII?
Prominent Jews were among the members of KTSSN, the nucleus of the interim government of re-emerging sovereign Poland including Herman Feldstein, Henryk Eile, Porucznik Samuel Herschthal, Dr. Zygmunt Leser, Henryk Orlean, Wiktor Chajes and others.
What happened to the Jews of Poland after the war?
As soon as the disturbances had ceased, the Jews began to return and to rebuild their destroyed homes; and while it is true that the Jewish population of Poland had decreased, it still was more numerous than that of the Jewish colonies in Western Europe. Poland continued to be the spiritual center of Judaism.
Why is Poland called the Paradise of the Jews?
Historians have used the label paradisus iudaeorum ( Latin for ” Paradise of the Jews”). Poland became a shelter for Jews persecuted and expelled from various European countries and the home to the world’s largest Jewish community of the time.
What happened to the Polish Jews after World War II?
After the fall of the Communist regime in 1989, the situation of Polish Jews became normalized and those who were Polish citizens before World War II were allowed to renew Polish citizenship. The contemporary Polish Jewish community is estimated to have between 10,000 and 20,000 members.
What were the effects of the Nazi invasion of Poland?
Many Poles were forced to move in order to make room for ethnic Germans, a small proportion of the Polish population who were named Volkdeustche, meaning German blood. Thousands of Polish leaders and resisters were arrested, tortured and killed. Antisemitic attacks and measures began immediately.