Subscribe to Print Edition | Tue., July 15, 2008 Tamuz 12, 5768 | | Israel Time: 05:06 (EST+7)
Haaretz israel news English
web haaretz.com
  Back to Homepage
Rosner's Domain
Diplomacy
Defense Jewish World Opinion National
Print Edition
Car Rental
Books Peres Conference Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File
Last update - 12:48 12/02/2008
Krakow church holds service against 'kikes who spit on us'
By Aviva Lori, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: anti-semitism, poland, kikes 

WARSAW - This was not a pogrom, but it was close. Sunday's incident in Krakow at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus was rife with overtones of hatred. "The Jews are attacking us! We need to defend ourselves," shouted Prof. Bogoslav Wolniewicz, to stormy applause.

About 1,000 people gathered for special services Sunday at the church, organized by the Committee Against Defamation of the Church and For Polishness, along with the anti-Semitic Radio Maryja. Local residents were informed of the service by posters that proclaimed: "The kikes will not continue to spit on us."

The huge church was packed. People sat on the stairs and stood in the aisles. The service opened, as usual, with prayer and song, but after about half an hour, the 91-year-old bishop of Krakow, Albin Malysiak, began inflaming the crowd with his sermon.
Advertisement
"A man who does not love his homeland, but some sort of international entity, apparently also does not love his nearest and dearest," he said.

Afterward, Radio Maryja staffers ascended the dais, headed by Jerzy Robert Nowak, the station's expert on Jewish affairs. He spoke about the new and controversial book by Jan Gross, "Fear: Anti-Semitism in Poland after Auschwitz." Nowak, who was less ambiguous than the bishop, said to applause from the crowd: "It's important that we carry our fight to its conclusion, because Gross and his supporters are marginal, and we will not permit anyone to punish Poland. Leave us in peace. Leave us alone."

The speakers directed their anger at Gross, at Jews in general, at Jews from Brooklyn in particular, at Poles who are willing to sell them anything for money, at Righteous Among the Nations Wladyslaw Bartoszewski, at a minister in the Prime Minister's Office responsible for Jewish-Polish affairs; and at the newspaper that, in their eyes, represents the Polish left, Gazeta Wyborcza, and its editor, Adam Michnik.

There were questions from the audience at the end, mostly of the "how do we defend ourselves against attacks on the church and on Poland" variety. "The best thing is to get organized," Nowak responded.

Related articles:
  • Poland's education minister denies allegations of anti-Semitism
  • Polish Radio Maryja attempts to rid itself of anti-Semitic image
  • Polish police analyze tapes of alleged anti-Semitic comments by priest
  • Poland's education minister denies allegations of anti-Semitism

    More Jewish World news and features
  • Bookmark to del.icio.us  
     
    History undersea
    Israeli lifeguard stumbles upon ancient relic during morning swim.
    Elections, Hebrew style
    U.S. presidential hopefuls use Hebrew to woo the Jewish community.
      1.   Kikes in Poland 04:24  |  Jay 12/02/08
      2.   Poland lost it`s soul when it lost it`s Jews 04:37  |  Avrum 12/02/08
      3.   This is not a TRUE Christian Church 04:44  |  Matityahu 12/02/08
      4.   a GOY IS A GOY IS GOY AND A SONEH! 04:46  |  RYAN 12/02/08
      5.   No Israel angle for lefties 04:46  |  MarkC 12/02/08
      6.   What A Surprise 05:00  |  Golani 12/02/08
      7.   re #1 `Kikes in Poland` 05:00  |  Colin Wright 12/02/08
      8.   Jewish Extermination 05:05  |  Robin 12/02/08
      9.   Golda Meir Was Right 05:05  |  LY 12/02/08
      10.   Best defence is a good "offence": Good Use of A Church!!! 05:06  |  Brad 12/02/08
      11.   If there is any country in the west that Jews don`t need to live 05:09  |  Nechama 12/02/08
      12.   There is another Europe too Jay 05:12  |  Mark B. 12/02/08
      13.   The problem here are the religious freaks... all of them. 05:26  |  POP 12/02/08
      14.   Church Service in Krakow 05:44  |  Daniel Bentley 12/02/08
      15.   Let this be a sign 05:46  |  James 12/02/08
      16.   63 years After the WWII 05:58  |  PARIS 12/02/08
      17.   Krakow priest 06:01  |  Harri 12/02/08
      18.   Continental Drift 06:11  |  Philo-Semite 12/02/08
      19.   WHERE IS THE POPE?! 06:54  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 12/02/08
      20.   #13 poor pop 07:19  |  dan 12/02/08
      21.   Anshel Pfeffer, how do you get around so quickly? 07:24  |  Roman 12/02/08
      22.   Dear Euro Jews 07:42  |  Danite 12/02/08
      23.   I AM AN ISRAELI 07:47  |  Ariel 12/02/08
      24.   Dear Roman 08:12  |  sWeis Melbourne 12/02/08
      25.   Ha-Aretz takes another lesson 08:15  |  avi 12/02/08
      26.   what is "kike?" 08:18  |  Wilus 12/02/08
      27.   THEY SOUND like a Hamas childrens TV program.Same degenerates 08:41  |  PETER SM 12/02/08
      28.   #19 CPK Truth hurts 09:02  |  American 12/02/08
      29.   POP "Freaks" like those who call attacks on Israel "fun" 09:03  |  PETER SM 12/02/08
      30.   anti-semitism still alive-look at the filth on haaretz talkbacks 09:40  |  don 12/02/08
      31.   To POP #13 09:45  |  dovale 12/02/08
      32.   Ooops, Colin Wright found one 09:49  |  MarkC 12/02/08
      33.   Boycott them 10:10  |  Susan 12/02/08
      34.   to Danite # 22 10:27  |  dovale 12/02/08
      35.   `kikes who spit on us`.Jews are gone! tell those losers! 10:27  |  PETER SM 12/02/08
      36.   Another opinion 10:32  |  Curious 12/02/08
      37.   Matityahu....go to catholocism instead! 10:34  |  Ofer Maimon 12/02/08
      38.   Someone not afraid to tell the truth 10:45  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 12/02/08
      39.   To Matityahu #3 11:01  |  dovale 12/02/08
      40.   36curious 11:17  |  uday 12/02/08
      41.   #21 Roman - attacking phantom writer 11:40  |  Shlomo 12/02/08
      42.   #36 Another opinion 11:41  |  MarkC 12/02/08
      43.   This is the Catholic Church 11:43  |  Jay Kersahw 12/02/08
      44.   Margie-There are no Semitic peoples, only Semitic languages 11:43  |  Stephen in New York 12/02/08
      45.   Margie-There are no Semitic peoples, only Semitic languages. 11:52  |  Stephen in New York 12/02/08
      46.   Uday and MarkC 11:56  |  Curious 12/02/08
      47.   #5 Mark C wrong again 11:57  |  Matthew Kretzmer 12/02/08
      48.   Krakow 12:12  |  Naim S. Mahlab 12/02/08
      49.   the delight of the Zionist 12:17  |  Euro-Jew 12/02/08
      50.   Deep rooted Polish Anti-Semitism 12:19  |  H.H.M 12/02/08
      51.   Send Tzipi Livni: Let Her Explain the "New Israel" Brand 12:25  |  Ovadiah ben Avraham 12/02/08
      52.   Sorry 12:26  |  Pole 12/02/08
      53.   #19 Cipora Julianna Kohn 12:33  |  Paul Wood 12/02/08
      54.   #29 Peter SM 12:34  |  Fake Peter SM 12/02/08
      55.   Lost in Translation 12:44  |  Chris 12/02/08
      56.   To Ryan @4 on numbers 12:51  |  Chris 12/02/08
      57.   Krakow 13:03  |  Mathew 12/02/08
      58.   To Stephen in New York #44 13:04  |  dovale 12/02/08
      59.   THIS IS the Church today!!!! 13:42  |  Petra 12/02/08
      60.   p.s re spitting and poles 13:43  |  Petra 12/02/08
      61.   # 14 Daniel Bently What`s going on? 13:54  |  Petra 12/02/08
      62.   #60 Petra 14:01  |  Paul Wood 12/02/08
      63.   # 19 Where is the Pope? OKAYING THIS OLD ANTI SEMITES SPEECH!!!!! 14:01  |  Petra 12/02/08
      64.   Reply to No. 7 14:02  |  Jackie 12/02/08
      65.   # 13 POOPS just another anti semite without benefit of `church 14:05  |  Petra 12/02/08
      66.   Sorry Susan, I disagree 14:11  |  jackie 12/02/08
      67.   #26 What is a kike? Someone singled out for death 14:12  |  Petra 12/02/08
      68.   it is a margin 14:12  |  Agata 12/02/08
      69.   # 43 Jay Thanks, they should be reeducated. 14:13  |  Petra 12/02/08
      70.   East European countries and the EU 14:15  |  Shoshana Thomasson 12/02/08
      71.   Polish `tube 14:15  |  Gideon Reader 12/02/08