12 Friday, March 21, 1986
THE OETROIT.JEWISH NEWS
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LOCAL NEWS
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Professors Defend
Poles In Holocaust
,
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BY ANNE Y. MEYERS
Special to The Jewish News
of perception. Modras explained
Many people, particularly his-
his feelings on Shoah were
torians and Holocaust survivors, that
different than those of his col-
are still trying to find the truth leagues. According to him, Shoah
about World War II. In that effort, reinforces the idea that the Nazis
a panel discussion was held Sun- were neo-pagans who persecuted
day at Wayne State University to
48018
the church.
28829 Orchard Lake Road, Farmington
discuss a new book, The Forgotten
553-7111
"By centuries of teaching con-
Rd.
Holocaust:
The
Poles
Under
Ger-
13
Mile
BETWEEN '12 &
MAX FLEISCHER
tempt
for Jews, they (the church)
and
man Occupation, 1939-1945,
made it more credible for Hitler
the movie Shoah.
Included on the panel were and the Nazis and others who
Prof. W. H. Wagner of the Univer- were saying that Jews were ver-
sity of Detroit, Rev. Ronald Mod-
ras of the University of St. Louis,
Prof. Anna Dadlez of Saginaw
"By the end of the
Valley College, and Harold Gales
war, more ethnic
of the American Jewish Commit-
ee.
Poles perished in the
Approximately 75 Poles and
Holocaust survivors heard hands of the .
Wagner say, "Sometimes it is dif-
ficult to establish what the facts Germans than Poligt
were, but it is imperative to con- Jews."
vey to the next generations our
knowledge about the events
which happened during our
min. Catholic and 'Protestant
lifetime."
Wagner feels that the experi- scholars have come to recognize
ences of those who witnessed and admit it. My point is that it's
noteworthy events should be still going on, it's going on in this
preserved for history's sake. "The country. The fact is, there is still
inhuman, sadistic treatment of this teaching, at least indirectly,
the Jews by Nazi Germany, which of contempt. And Catholics have
ended with a partially effective to work against it."
Modras explained that Claude
endeavor to wipe out the Jewish
Shoah,
population in. European coun- Lanzmann, who filmed
tries, was not believed by the has a highly biased view of his-
Western leaders and Jewish not- tory. "He's not a historian. He's a
ables notified by the Polish emis- creative filmmaker who wan
series coming from the occupied tell the story of the Jewish suffer-
ing. The story is not the whole
country.
"Only those Jews survived who story, it is the Jewish story."
Although Modras felt that
were helped by the Poles; they
harbored them and supplied them Lanzmann left out the Polish per-
with false documents, risking the ceptions of the Holocaust, he
wrath of the Germans which usu- stated that the filmmaker should
ally ended with tortures and not have to speak for the Polish
people. "Should we expect some-
death."
According to Wagner; the Ger- one else to tell our story?" • Modras
man oppression of the Poles is not asked. "We have to do .Modras,
SATURDAY, MAY 10, 1986
According to
well known. "The Americans do
not realize that according to the Lanzmann's film portrays almost
8:00 P.M. •
plans of Hitler, the Polish nation the whole spectrum of the Polish
BIRMINGHAM THEATRE
was doomed to disappear from the attitude on the plight of the Jews.
surface of the globe soon after the . He portrays the active an the
-
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the caring but helpless, the
Jews.
(AFTERGLOW WITH CAST INCLUDED)
indifferent. Me does not portray
"It
was
to
happen
more
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gradually, but not slowly by any hostile Poles.
Modras believes Lukas' book
means. By the end of the war,
PROCEEDS TO BENEFIT RE-EDUCATION OF
more ethnic Poles perished in the has great merit and stresses that
HIOPIAN JEWS IN ORT SCHOOLS IN ISRAEL
. hands of the Germans than Polish the occupation of Poland differed
Jews. In the notorious Auschwitz from other German occupations.
concentration camp, thousands of The war against Poland was a war
Bring your entire family!
Poles were exterminated, before against a people, a nationhood
the first transport with Jews and a culture. And Hitler wanted
to their land for living space.
e
reached its gat s. If we neglect
There were some 7,000 Poles
serve as witnesses of history, who
• who collaborated' with the Ger-
will?"
Wagner introduced Modras, mans, Modras said, or three-
who has long been a member of tenths of a percent of the entire
the task force of dialogue between population. "Only in Poland was
the Polish American community helping a Jew automatically rea-
sur-
and the Jewish community in De- son for execution. No Jew ithout
vived the occupation w
troit.
Modras spoke of a tension today Polish help," he said.
regarding the universal aspects of • "The surprise is not how few
NAME
the Holocaust. There are people, Poles helped
Jews, are
but, a minority.
that any
Heroes
he said, who are afraid that the did at all.
ADDRESS
Holocaust will become just an- Those guilty of passivity are in
other Jewish holiday. "Both the West."
Modras explained that al-
CITY
Lanzmann's film and Lukas's
elicit
book have important lessons for though the Poles lost equal,
the Jews in
TELEPHONE
greater numbers as
us," Modras explained. .
One lesson is not to stereotype: Poland, the proportions in com
CHAPTER
PLEASE RETURN BY APRIL 28. 1986
"To indict the whole on the basis parison to the World Jewish popud-
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.Jewry lost six million, hal;Wooirl'
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