The following is via Truth Revolt:
On Friday, August 1st, local police arrested Rabbi Rafi Ostroff, the leader of a group of visiting Australian and South African students, for singing the same songs Jews sang as they marched to their deaths. Security officials at Auschwitz I twice requested that the group cease their singing. Auschwitz-Birkenau officials again requested they cease singing and subsequently summoned police.
It seems that the new wave of Auschwitz security guards, little better than their 1940’s predecessors, have a different agenda. For the first time since January 1945, it seems that proud Jews are no longer safe at Auschwitz.
Members of the group, including some with grandparents who had been incarcerated, some perishing, in Auschwitz, locked arms and began to sing songs. They sang lyrics like “Am Yisrael Chai” and “Ani Maamin….” At this point, guards approached Rabbi Ostroff and demanded that he make the group stop. Said Rabbi Ostroff, “I told him that I don’t have control over this as they are singing from their hearts. He then threatened to arrest me and called the police.”
When local police arrived, they seized Rabbi Ostroff and threatened him with 24-hour imprisonment or a 1,000 zl fine (roughly $320), while the group continued to sing. Rather than remain incarcerated in a Polish prison over Shabbo, Rabbi Ostroff paid the fine and rejoined his group.
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7 Responses
is there a specific law that was broken over here?
Ma Nishtanah….They hated us then and they hate us now.
WW1 started on Tisha B’av 100 years ago, 1914.
“It seems that the new wave of Auschwitz security guards, little better than their 1940’s predecessors,”
Yes the Rabbi was fined a little money, after some warnings. This is little better than torturing him to death after murderinghis chilren in front of him.
yaapchik,
you mean 5674
the apple doesnt fall far from the tree….although it may have been the wrong time to be singing or maybe they were singing too loud,if there were other tour groups that were quietly and respectfully visiting and then 50 religious jews start singing it could be bothersome and maybe even inappropriate.
The whole situation described was a problem of far too loud and inappropriate behaviour at the Memorial of the group. That become a problem for guides and other visitors who were on the site at that moment. Other visitors were disrupted even in such a sensitve place as the building of the crematorium at Auschwitz I. The group blocked it and did not let in any other visitors. Only after they security intevened, they reacted.
When the group was asked to quiet down on the site of former Auschwitz II-Birkenau camp, as they were not only singing very loud, but also running around the site, there was no response. Numerous requests of the security were left with no reaction. The leader of the group refused to give his name and produce documents. That is why the police was called. He was asked for documents. He told the police he had any. And the documents were found on him. The police gave him a ticket for disrupting public order and refusal to cooperate with the police. No one was arrested.
All situation that had nothing to do with the songs that were sung and the origin of the group. There are many groups visiting the site and singing in the way that is respectful to other people who visit the Memorial. There are different ways of commemoration but none of them can disrupt other people visit. Such bad behaviour arrouses many critical comments from other visitors. Yet, we should emphasise that great majority of visitors, including numerous groups coming from Israel, know very well what are right and appropriate ways of behaviour at the Memorial Site.
Thole situation is recorded and has been analysed. The reaction of the Museum Security was correct in this particual situation.
One more thing that should be added to that. The articles do not say, that when the group was asked to unblock the crematorium in Auschwitz I, because other groups could not enter, the security informed them that they can stand outside the building, on the side that not many people use, and continue with their ceremony. The group did that. No one stopped them from singing there….
Pawel Sawicki
Auschwitz Memorial
Press Office