Open AccessAn Inclusive Model of Memory Work in Poland: Bridge to Poland as a Case Study
Author(s) -
Jolanta AmbrosewiczJacobs,
Leora Tec
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
politeja
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2391-6737
pISSN - 1733-6716
DOI - 10.12797/politeja.18.2021.70.17
Subject(s) - memorialization , memory work , the holocaust , bridge (graph theory) , judaism , work (physics) , history , sociology , engineering , political science , law , archaeology , epistemology , medicine , mechanical engineering , philosophy
The memory of World War II in Poland is sometimes plagued by an us/them mentality or a competition of suffering. This paper will attempt to answer several questions: how are non-Jews contributing to Holocaust memorialization in Poland today? How can recognizing this contribution serve to heal rifts and change deep-seated stereotypes? We will present a case study, based on participant observation, of Bridge To Poland, which emphasizes memory work conducted by non-Jewish Poles. Bridge To Poland’s latest project in conjunction with the Grodzka Gate-NN Theatre Centre, The Neshoma Project: Conversations with Poles Rescuing Jewish Memory, highlights those whom Tec calls “Rescuers of Memory”. Exposing people to their work, Tec believes, results in breaking down negative stereotypes about non-Jewish Poles and building bridges between people.