Polish Radio Maryja attempts to rid itself of anti-Semitic image
Influential nationalist media conglomerate claims to honor priests who saved Jews during the Holocaust.
By Anshel Pfeffer Tags: Holocaust Poland anti-SemitismRadio Maryja, the influential nationalist Polish conglomerate that operates radio and television stations, a daily newspaper and a Web site, is trying to rid itself of the anti-Semitic image that has dogged it in recent years. A letter from one of the heads of the media empire claims Radio Maryja is carrying on the tradition of Polish priests who saved Jews during the Holocaust.
The attempted makeover comes after the European Union refused to authorize a 15-million euro grant for Radio Maryja to build a media studies school.
Monitors of anti-Semitism in Poland say that in recent months, Radio Maryja broadcasts have ceased talking about "the Jews" and say instead "the wealthy."
Since its foundation in 1991, Radio Maryja has been perceived as the voice of the nationalist-conservative wing of the Catholic Polish church. Numerous instances of anti-Semitic and racist statements have been documented in recent years: Holocaust deniers were guests on radio shows; Jews were accused of controlling the Polish government and trying to harm Poland's interests and steal its assets; and the station's critics in the Polish press were called "a Jewish fifth column."
Several weeks ago, one of the heads of Radio Maryja, Father Jacek Cydzik, sent a letter to the head of the umbrella organization for Holocaust survivors in Israel, Noah Flug, expressing disgruntlement that Jewish groups had protested the grant request and blaming the European press for starting the allegations of anti-Semitism.
Why Facebook Connect?
Comment on Haaretz.com articles with your Facebook login, and share your thoughts on your own wall.
- Latest
- Most Viewed
- Most Rated
- Open all
Why statements of the truth about Jews are often looked at as anti-semitic. We have to build on truth. The truth sometimes hurts, but there is nothing good possible without it. There are not deniers of holocaust in Poland, but blaming Poles for holocaust is a big injustice and LIE. Talking about POLISH CONCENTRATION CAMPS during WWII is another lie, because they were build by nazis, and only slave work was done by Poles and others, including Jews. If Poles are so greatly anti-semitic, why the greatest number of all Rightous Among the Nations are Poles? Is it not true that if western-europians were caught saving a Jew, a punishments were light, when a Pole saved a Jew, the whole household or even the whole village were killed and their property burnt?!
Why has no one here mentioned that helping the Jews in any way by the poles during the occupation resulted instantly in death sentence -not only for the savor but for his/her all family from the Germans? It was not the same in other countries under occupation like France or Norway. This was the only reason why some of the poles were afraid of helping Jews, fear of their own lives and the lives of their families. I have nothing agaisnt Jews and resent calling me anti-semite just because I'm Polish.
thank you Selena for that true statement
It's hard to erase the pictures of poles spitting on Jews when they were rounded up for the trains for extermination. The poles are considered garbage among Jews for their sins.
AS WERE THE CATHOLICS AND THE MUSLIMS. PERHAPS YOU SHOULD READ MORE. JEWS ARE REMARKABLY TOLERANT CONSIDERING THE CRIMES OF HUMANITY COMMITTED BY THE ONES YOU DEFEND.
what keeps you reading a Jewish chat? If you support anti semitsm you're a ghoul. If you lie about it, you're deluded. Why not LEARN something while your in denial? Everyone but the Poles know this. You explain it by blaming the communists. Hell, thet're as rabid anti semites as are the poles. Get your head out of your catholic ass and smell some fresh air. READ WHAT'S HERE AND PRAY TO WHO EVER YOU PRAY TO TO STOP ANTI SEMITISM ALL OVER THE WORLD.
probably ther radio and clergy are concerned about this famous death camp and the tourists from all over the world, in another words it's about the poles $$$$$$ Made $$ on the Jews deaths one two, three times. Have they no shame? What if the tourists stop coming? Poor poles, all those dumb pollack jokes for a good reason. Dumber than shit. (except for the $$$)
Ur mistake is that u change "some" to "all".Some priests, some Poles did so. The GREAT MAJORITY did not.Of course priests and people in general will try to paint themselves as saints when they know that they r guilty. But u dont undestand this. U SHOULD.
Sod the Jews, they are anti christian and no one bothers to go after them so you carry on telling it how it is Maryja and stuff them.
Regarding Radio Maryja: I sometimes heard it and found nothing you can really call Anti-Semitism. I have question regarding sweis Melbourne and his later experience in the forest and after the war. Have you joined Soviet partisans? I understand that you had no choice but it is rather important Did you had any experience with communist security service like KGB or UB?
There was no shortage of Polish Communists among the poor in poland, and in the East they welcomed the Russians in preference to the Germans, which makes sense. Many Jews were deported to Siberia to face horrible conditions.Others owe their survival to these deportations, as the Russian people were kind to them and shared what little they had. Not so the Poles, with a small number of exceptions.
I am sick of hearing of the groundless and evil accusations against Radio Maryja and its leader - father Rydzyk of anti-semitism. The radio is independent and no government likes that, especially the post-communist government of Donald Tusk. For anyone who doesn't know, Polish press, radio and tv are still in the hands of the same (communist era) people. Polish church was always the mainstay of faith and patriotism, it supported and unified the nation in the hard times of communism. It's only logic that the new (post-communist) government will try to weaken and eliminate the "opposition" it sees in the Catholic church and its supporters on the political arena. Anti-semitism is one of the tools the D.Tusk government is using, spreading false and defamatory accusations against Radio Maryja and father Rydzyk. I listen to the radio on and off for years and I realise how the accusations are ridiculous and untrue. (That's briefly as space here is limited.)
Majority of Polish Jews betrayed Poland and Poles by welcoming the Soviets in 1939 or active participation in establishment of communist government after the war. Check Wikipiedia - "History of Polish Jews"
Majority of Jews were betrayed by the Poles, only a small percentage helped us. A new study for schools has all the numbers and details, contact the Spielberg archives online for details
You are such resists! The polish clergy and the Church help your people so much and this is haw you say thank you? Shame on you !
You do not know this radio, so haw can you make this kind of accusation against it. So, it seems like you make racist statements against Polish nation, our beliefs and our Church in your article. Shame on you !
Majority of priests were vicious antisemites, but there were a few good souls, like in the rest of Polish population. There is now a study done in the University of Southern California in 3 stages, Poles who saved Jews, Poles who did nothing, and Poles who acted against Jews. . Piotr Trojanski and Robert Szuchta did all this work for the Spielberg archives and will be available now in Polish.
No,not a joke.For example: http://www.info.kalisz.pl/Biograf/Sztark.htm Chasidei Ummot ha-Olam
Radio Mariyja wasn't dogged by its antisemitic reputation. It cultivated it. I suspect that the station's quick make-over (like many of our own on Yom Kippur!) is in response, not only to EU funding, but to the recent Polish elections. The best solution, all around, would be for Radio Maryja to go off the air.
after years of demonising Jews with a vengeance they want to "clean up" their act too get subsidies from the EU. How transparent! Nothing else helped in the past.....