by tskzThe Social and Cultural Association of Jews in Poland was founded on 29 October 1950 as a result of the merger between the Central Committee of Jews in Poland and the Jewish Cultural Society. To some extent, the TSKZ took over the postulates which had been previously propounded by the Central Committee of Jews in Poland. One of the Association’s main objectives was the reconstruction of Jewish culture and identity, in the context of the new socialist state.
The first meeting of the Social and Cultural Society of Jews in Poland took place on the last Sunday of October 1950. It was attended by Jewish activists from a wide variety of backgrounds, as well as special guests from the United States. The conference was attended by 188 delegates, who came to Warsaw from towns and cities that used to be the biggest Jewish population centres in Poland. One of the key items on the agenda was the presentation by the last chairman of the Central Committee of Jews in Poland (and at the same time the first chairman of the TSKŻ), Grzegorz Smolar, of the minutes of the joint meeting of the Central Committee of Jews in Poland and the Jewish Cultural Society. It was then that the Social and Cultural Association of Jews in Poland was formally established.
TSKŻ, unlike the independent Central Committee of Jews in Poland, was an entity set up as a state-supported institution. Its autonomy was severely limited and the organisation was forced to adapt its activities to the ideological objectives of the People’s Republic of Poland. It is quite an unknown fact that in the first years of its existence, TSKŻ used to carry out propaganda activities. The Association’s activists held meetings at which political speeches were given, and they also educated people at their workplaces and households on some political issues.
In the 1950s and 1960s, the TSKZ developed its activities dynamically – the organisation ran dozens of cultural centres and organised festivals, concerts and theatrical performances. A special role in promoting Jewish traditions was performed by the Ester Rachel Kamińska Jewish Theatre, which became one of the most important cultural centres for Jews in Poland.
The Association promoted the press published in the Yiddish language, specifically the ‘Fołks-Sztyme’newspaper, which became the main medium for Polish Jews. Educational activities also included the publication of books and educational materials, which was the responsibility of Idisz Buch, a publishing house founded by the Central Committee of Jews in Poland and subsequently run by TSKŻ.
Learning the Yiddish language was a key element of the educational programmes run by the TSKZ. Courses were organised both to preserve the tradition and to enable communication in the language spoken by Ashkenazi Jews.
The Social and Cultural Association of Jews in Poland used to celebrate not only anniversaries important to the communist authorities, but also those relevant to the Jewish community. One of the most important dates in TSKŻ’s calendar was 19 April, when all local branches organised celebrations of the anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. The main state ceremonies were – and still are – held annually at the Monument to the Ghetto Heroes in Warsaw’s District of Muranów.
The Association supported the establishment of worker cooperatives to provide employment for members of the Jewish community. These cooperatives operated in a variety of trades. They were an important element of economic and social reconstruction, enabling Jews to gain a livelihood in the difficult realities of post-war Poland. The TSKŻ helped to organise these co-operatives, offering them administrative, training and logistical support.
TSKŻ was also famous for organising summer camps for children and young people. The trips were aimed at integration, education and preserving cultural identity. Programmes included Yiddish language classes, art workshops, sports activities and familiarisation with Jewish traditions.
The year 1956 brought about some political changes that allowed for more independent cultural activities. The TSKŻ’s activists continued to uphold the idea of continuity and building a future for the Jews in the territory of Poland, which had been in the main agenda of the Bund before the war. Nevertheless, the organisation was constantly monitored by the authorities of the People’s Republic of Poland and forced to act in accordance with socialist ideology.
Until 1968, the TSKZ operated as the main centre of Jewish life in Poland. However, as a result of the anti-Semitic campaign unleashed by the communist authorities, many people of Jewish origin were forced to emigrate. The wave of Jewish emigration from Poland was all the more painful because it involved, in large part, young people. This campaign drastically reduced the size of the Jewish community in Poland and weakened the activities of the TSKŻ. Although not all Jews left during the March emigration, the Society’s activity no longer showed the vigour that could be observed in the first 18 years of its existence.
By Marta Rydz
Coming up next month: The story of ‘Dos naje lebn’, the first post-war Jewish newspaper.
The project was implemented with the help of a grant from the Ministry of the Interior and Administration
