Polish-Israeli cooperation experience. From Zionism to Israel

Abstract

Jews have lived in Poland for many centuries, establishing significant cultural centres of Jewish life and heritage. They have also played an important role in Polish culture, science, economy and in several other aspects of life. The Jews in Poland shared with the Polish people centuries of mutual history on the same territory and their history is interwoven in each other. The research on Jews and Poles’ relationships along the years dealt with the Poles’ attitude toward the Jews as well as the Jews’ perception of the Poles. The interest in the history of Poland and Israel goes beyond the circle of scholars. The associated issues appear on the Internet and in the mass media. The subject matter can trigger emotions among politicians and publicists, especially when the past interweaves with the present and determines our future significantly. Among the Polish Jews who immigrated to the Land of Israel prior to the establishment of the State, two achieved the position of Prime Minister and President, David Ben-Gurion and Szymon (Shimon) Peres. The first Knesset (Israel’s parliament) began its term after general elections held in 25 January, 1949 and served until 20 August, 1951. Twenty-seven members from the 120 of the first Knesset were Polish Jews who immigrated to the Land of Israel prior to the establishment of the State. These people had decisive influence upon the Israeli political experience. Among the Jews who immigrated to the Land of Israel prior to the establishment of the State and afterwards, four achieved the position of official Israeli representatives in Poland. The aim of the book is to refresh and deepen the knowledge about the abovementioned issues. The 130th anniversary of the Zionist Conference in Katowice celebrated in 2014 was a perfect opportunity to do that. The anniversary of the Conference in Katowice inspired scholars of the Pedagogical University of Krakow, the Jagiellonian University in Krakow, and Beit Belt College in Israel to co-organize the International Conference “Polish- -Israeli cooperation experience: the 130th anniversary of the Zionist Congress in Katowice”. It was held on the 22nd of October, 2014 at the Pedagogical University of Krakow. The final effect of the abovementioned international scholarly project is the present volume, which contains eleven articles. They deal with the following subjects: the establishment and development of the Jewish movement in Poland, Polish-Jewish and Polish-Israeli relations, migration of Polish Jews to Israel (to Eretz Yisrael), their adaptation to the conditions of the country and relations with other members of the Jewish community (born there or coming from other countries). The issues described in the book are varied, but, at the same time, they create a logical and coherent whole. The establishment of the Zionist movement was possible due to a deep transformation of the Jewish nation. At the same time, the movement was strongly influenced by external factors, both political and philosophical ones.