Friday, May 6,198;1 17

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

Some Thoughts After Ceremonies for the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising

By MILTON JACOBY

WARSAW (JTA) —
"Time is running out for the
Jews of Poland," according
to Szymon Szurmiej, man-
ager and artistic director of
the Yiddish State Theater
in Warsaw. "With regard to
the 10,000 to 12,000 Jews
that remain in our country
(others estimate there are
5,000-6,000 Jews in Po-
land), the average age is 65,
and we cannot expect the
elderly generation to pro-
duce children. We have be-
come, in a way, the last of
the Mohicans."
Szurmiej, who was born
in the Ukraine, had, for
weeks prior to the 40th an-
niversary celebration of the
Warsaw Ghetto Uprising,
been a leading Jewish
spokesman on behalf of the
event and had played a do-
minant role during the
week-long observances.
Szurmiej said the gov-
ernment of Poland had built
the 400-seat Yiddish State
Theater in 1970. It employs
36 actors, in addition to a
technical and adminstra-
tive staff of 180. Seven of the
actors are non-Jewish.
The theater has 18 plays
in its repertoire, produces
three plays a year, and has
an actors studio where chil-
dren are taught Yiddish and
Yiddish literature and re-
ceive special training in act-
ing.
The Yiddish State The-
ater troupe will tour the
United States for four
months, beginning in De-
cember, opening first in
Miami, visiting several
other cities with substan-
tial Jewish populations,
and concluding in New
York City, before going
on to Toronto and
Montreal.
Szurmiej appealed to
American Jews to come to
Poland in greater numbers,
and, of course, to visit his
unique theater: "Your com-
ing here is vital for us so
that we develop our
capacities and to ensure our
future growth. Your sup-
port of our theater will be
proof that we have not gone
under, and that, in a very
real sense, we are the heart
of the community."
* *
The new editor of the
Yiddish weekly, Folks-
Sztyme, is Abraham
Kvaterko, a native of War-
sas, and affiliated with the
paper since its beginnings
in 1947.
He replaced Shmuel Ten-
neblatt, the editor and driv-
ing force of the Folks-
Sztyme for many years,
until his death last Sep-
tember.
When the paper first
was published it con-
sisted of eight pages and
came out four times a
week. For the past sev-
eral years it has been a
weekly, comprising nine
pages in Yiddish and
three in Polish.
Kvaterko, in an interview
with the Jewish Tele-
graphic Agency, said his
paper has a good relation-
ship with the government,
which subsidizes jour-

nal to the extent of five mil-
lion Zlotys ($58,824) an-
nually. He also noted that
the government dispenses
another eight million Zlotys
for the Yiddish Kultur Far-
band (with 15 clubs in var-
ious towns and cities); and
that the Jewish Historical
Institute is also a recipient
of government funds.
During his interview
with the JTA, Kvaterko
focussed on the 40th an-
niversary observance of the
Warsaw Ghetto Uprising,
noting that he believed
strongly in the coming to-
gether of Jews from all parts
of the world to commemo-
rate the event. In an appar-
ent criticism of those who
counselled Jews not to par-
ticipate, because the obser-
vance was government-
sponsored, he said:
"If someone wants to
make politics, that's his
privilege, but I don't believe
in it. I feel, very simply, that
on a Yahrzeit one goes to the
cemetery to mourn one's
dead. I feel very pleased
that much of the Jewish
world was represented here
in Warsaw for the celebra-
tion."

or so members of the offi-
cial Israeli delegation
departed and left behind
more than 300 members
of the Israeli contingent.
The fact of the matter,
however, was that those
who left had been
scheduled, in any event,
to return to Israel before
the conclusion of the
ceremonies.
* * *
An aspect of the official
program at the outpouring
of, 22,000 Poles, the vast
majority non-Jews, in
Auschwitz-Birkenau on
April 21, was the reading of
an "Auschwitz Peace Ap-
peal to the Nations of the
World."

*

* *

One entire day during the
observance was devoted to a
Visit to the death camp of
Treblinka where Jews, and
only Jews, were extermi-
nated. An impressive cere-

monial of the laying of
wreaths was followed by a
massive demonstration by
10,000 children who had as-
sembled from all parts of Po-
land, and who exchanged
vows of brotherhood with
the delegation of children
from Israel. Emotion ran
high as the children pledged
eternal peace kinship.

* * *

The Polish news media
gave extensive coverage to

the week-long observances.
The press lauded the role
and contributions of the
Jewish community and
some of the papers issued
special supplements deal-
ing with the event.
* * *
A touching finale to the
anniversary activities was
the presentation, on April
22, at Warsaw's Town Hall
of medallions presented by
Yad Vashem to scores of

Poles who, at the peril of
their lives, had saved Jews
during World War II. The
accompanying citation
indicated that a tree would
be planted for each of the
recipients.

r atty
ir

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* * *

A major event in the
week-long observance of
the 40th anniversary of
the Warsaw Ghetto Up-
rising was the official
meeting in Opera House.
More than 2,000 partici-
pants filled this marble
and crystal-chandeliered
showplace to hear ad-
dresses by W. Sokorski of
the Union of Fighters for
Freedom and Democ-
racy, Kalman Sultanik of
the World Jewish Con-
gress, and Stefan Grayek
of the World Foundation
of Jewish War Veterans,
and others.
The highlight of the eve-
ning was the performance
by the Warsaw Philhar-
monic, a large chorus and
several soloists of two su-
perb works: "A Survivor of
Warsaw," and the "Dies
Irae" (composed in memory
of those slain in Auschwitz)
by K. Penderecki, Poland's
outstanding modern com-
poser.
* * *
A great deal was made
about the laying of a wreath
at the Warsaw Ghetto
monument by a PLO repre-
sentative. Some papers,
both the general and Jewish
press, especially in the
United States and in Israel,
subordinated the historic
gathering of several
hundred Jews from all parts
of the world to this non-
event.
What was generally over-
looked in the overblown and
exaggerated reporting was
that this wreath laying oc-
curred some hours after the
conclusion of the official
ceremony. Polish officials
pointed out that it would
have been difficult to pre
vent anyone from laying a
wreath in this open square
and that the action, while
regrettable, was not of ear-
thshaking importance.
Nevertheless, a dozen

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