For the first time since the 1930’s, Poland’s rabbis united together under one organizational roof when the Rabbinical Association of Poland was re-launched at a special ceremony on Saturday night in Lodz.
The event, attended by Israel’s chief rabbi Yona Metzger, was organized at the Jewish community center in Lodz, the second largest city in Poland, by Shavei Israel, a Jerusalem-based organization that assists “lost Jews” seeking to return to the Jewish people.
Rabbi Metzger signed a special scroll together with Polish Chief Rabbi Michael Schudrich and all of the community rabbis currently serving in Poland, in Warsaw, Krakow, Lodz and Wroclaw, declaring the formal re-establishment of the association.
The Rabbinical Association of Poland existed up until the outbreak of WWII and included all of the country’s rabbis.
On the eve of WWII, the country was home to around 3.5 million Jews, representing around 10 percent of the country’s population — and Europe’s largest Jewish community.
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7 Responses
Was Rabbi Edgar Gluck there?
very crucial to have a vaad harabonus in lodz today!
Shame. They are prolonging the Galus. The Jews should all be in Eretz-Yisrael. There is no point in re-establishing places to live in Chutz La’Aretz. Poland is not a place that Jews should be in .It is one big Jewish cemetary and there is no Kedusha in a cemetary. Not long ago there were no Rabbi’s in Poland. Then one came from Israel. Then another. And another. When will we learn that the only place to be is in Israel? Let the Jewish agency look for lost Jews. It is all too easy to re-establish a Jewish community -and Chas VeShalom- give Amalek another target to attack.
Why don’t they leave Lodz, and come to Israel. have they forgotten how friendly Polish are to Jews?
#3 and #4
before you give mussar to the remnants of polish jewry for not going to israel, cosnsider, your own position.are you in golus or is america chelka dara yisroel? if you are writing from israel, than i apologize.
I am in America, but I am making aliya in the winter. I am not establishing or reestablishing Jewish communities here, or planting roots in hutz haaretz.
to #5.
1. I was born in Chicago.
2. I live in Jerusalem with my wife and children (3 single and one married). Many immediate members of my family live here as well.
3. Your apology is accepted.
4. Don’t you think that what happened over 2000 years to each and every Jewish community over the world can’t happen in America ? Nobody, nowhere , had immunity for more than 200-300 years.
4. I feel for the remnants. But to re-establish rabbinical institutions and deepen the settlement in that country is much too much. I would think twice about making fanfare and celebrations regarding this step. If it is necessary – maybe to do so BeTznius , not Pharhesiya.
5. At this point, all that happened is that the Galus got a Teudas Kashrus and travel agents got more Parnassa …