by tskzOn 19 April, TSKŻ held a series of events both in Warsaw and all over the country to commemorate the 81st anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. Feel free to read an account of this year’s celebrations.
WARSAW
“The ones who were deprived of all human rights continued their armed struggle for almost a month. Many insurgents sacrificed their lives in defence of human dignity. Their story is our heritage, which must remind us of the power and endurance of the human spirit in the face of the darkest evil”.
The main ceremony marking the 81st anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising took place, like every year, at the monument to the Ghetto Heroes in Warsaw’s district of Muranów. The ceremony began at 12:00, when the alarm sirens sounded. After Andrzej Ferenc, who directed the ceremony, welcomed the assembled guests, the Chameleon Choir of the Mokotów District and the Female Vocal Group Eufonia performed the song Zog nit kejn mol. The song itself is regarded as the anthem of the Jewish militants. The formal event was attended by representatives of Jewish organisations, veterans, Righteous among the Nations, representatives of state and local governments, diplomats, representatives of cultural institutions and residents of Warsaw. Shortly after the ceremony, the assembled guests joined in the March of Remembrance, whose planned route took them past successive memorial sites connected with the Warsaw Ghetto. The commemoration of this year’s anniversary ended at the Umschlagplatz Monument at 4/6 Stawki Street. Traditionally, as every year to date, before commencement of the central ceremonies, TSKŻ President, Artur Hofman, together with Warsaw Ghetto Museum Director, Albert Stankowski, also laid flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
To see more photos from the ceremony in Warsaw, click here:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1pJYwt_PpvrkehJVjr2V6bFBvTAcz6P2i?usp=drive_link
ŁÓDŹ/ZGIERZ/PABIANICE
The commemoration of the 81st anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising began in Zgierz, where a delegation of the TSKŻ in Łódź took part in a wreath-laying ceremony at the stone memorial to the Zgierz Jewish community and at the plaques commemorating the Szwarc family. Then, at 9:00 a.m. in the Tomi Cinema in Pabianice, a meeting was held under the motto “On the Restoration of Memory”, combined with a screening of the film Ukos światła. The main character in this documentary by Wojciech Szumowski is Dariusz Popiela, a Polish mountain canoeist, four-time world championship prize medallist, double European champion, who is also involved in restoring the memory of neglected Jewish cemeteries. We watch the story of this athlete wandering through the abandoned necropolises of southern Poland. A lecture and discussion on the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising took place just after the film screening. The event was organised by the Łódź branch of the TSKŻ in cooperation with the Pabianice Shtetl.
WROCŁAW
At 12 noon, members of the Wrocław branch of the TSKZ laid wreaths at the local monument to the Warsaw Ghetto Heroes. The ceremony was attended by representatives of Jewish, state and municipal organisations, including Krzysztof Śmiszek, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Justice, Bartłomiej Ciążyński, Vice-President of Wrocław, Sebastian Lorenc, Director of the Wrocław branch of the Institute of National Remembrance (IPN) Kamil Dworaczek, German Consul Martin Kremer, as well as representatives of the Lower Silesian Governor and the school superintendent. On 20 April at 4 p.m., a presentation of a poetry and music programme entitled I Cannot Keep Quiet and I Cannot Stay Alive (Szmul Zygielbojm 1943), based on works by Czesław Miłosz, Władysław Broniewski and Antoni Słonimski, was scheduled to take place at the headquarters of our local branch. The performance in tribute to the heroes and heroines of the Warsaw Ghetto was performed by Inge Dinesen – singing, Adam Buczek – music, Leopold Galicki – music, Tomasz Kwietko-Bębnowski – poetry reading.
BIELSKO-BIAŁA
On the occasion of the 81st anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, a concert entitled Shiur shir la szalom – Sing Songs for Peace took place on 17 April at 6pm in the Ceremony Hall at the Jewish Cemetery in Bielsko-Biała. On stage performed Symcha Keller and Friends.
CZĘSTOCHOWA
In Częstochowa, a series of events was planned to commemorate the 81st anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. One of these events was a workshop for children entitled “Daffodil is a flower of remembrance”, which was held on 16 April at 10:00 a.m. at the headquarters of TSKŻ Częstochowa. On 19 April at 11:00 a.m., at the Monument to Ghetto Victims (Samuel Willenberg Square), ceremonies commemorating the fighters and combatants of the Warsaw Ghetto began. On 29 April at 17:00, two interconnected events took place – the screening of the film In me Lives the Memory of Those who Perished and a concert of Jewish songs Memory of the Ghetto performed by Yuri Vedenyapin.
GDAŃSK/GDYNIA
On 19 April, at the memorial plaque at the junction of Żwirki i Wigury and Słowackiego streets in Gdynia, the official ceremony of the 81st anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising took place, attended by members of TSKŻ Gdańsk. Those times were atrocious, but Jews fought everywhere. One of my uncles died in the Warsaw Uprising and another one in the Ghetto Uprising. I would also like to recall the figure of Doctor Korczak, who looked after children both in the ghetto and the death camp. And he walked with them to the gas chamber. This was genuine heroism. I would like to thank the authorities of Gdynia that we can talk about this here today and commemorate the heroes of those times – said Jakub Szadaj, Chair of TSKŻ Gdańsk. On the same day, a lecture by Dr Roman Nieczyporowski was held at the headquarters of the Gdansk Society of Friends of Art Fight for Dignity. Anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, combined with a concert by Karol Kołodziej and Izabela Sankowska.
CRACOW
On the occasion of the 81st anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, delegates from the Cracow branch of the TSKZ laid flowers at the remnants of the historic wall of the Kraków ghetto at 29 Lwowska Street. A number of accompanying events are planned for the following days, to be held at the local club at ul. Józefa 38, namely: On 22 April at 6 pm there will be a lecture by the editor of Dziennik Polski and Gazeta Krakowska titled The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising – the Circulation of information, the Press Coverage and the Awareness, and on 28 April at the same time, Dr Jan Bińczycki will deliver his lecture titled: Tourist Traffic in the Remains of Ghettos in Poland.
DZIERŻONIÓW
On the 81st anniversary of the Outbreak of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, delegates from the Dzierżoniów branch of the TSKŻ laid flowers at the monument to the Ghetto Heroes in Dzierżoniów. A dedicated meeting was held on 20 April at the club’s headquarters, which included a lecture by Dr Anna Gruźlewska on The Participation of Warsaw Ghetto Insurgents in Jewish Guerrilla Warfare and a lecture by Teresa Stopa on The Warsaw Ghetto in the Underground Press.
The events have been co-financed with a grant from the Minister of the Interior and Administration.
