Jewish ART and ACTIVISM in POLAND!

Jewish ART and ACTIVISM in POLAND!
In this video, I discuss the Jewish Art and Activism organization that I run with my wife, Magda Rubenfeld Koralewska, called FestivALT. I discuss the reasons the we started this organization, and the complications of contemporary Polish Jewish identity politics.
My name is Michael Rubenfeld, and I am a Canadian Polish Jew who moved from Canada and is now living in Krakow, Poland. On this channel I discuss my experience and my perspectives on Poland through a Jewish lens.
Please support me on my Patreon: / michaelrubenfeld
#poland #Jews #Jewish #activism #festivalt #jewishculture #polishjews #Jews #Canada #Polska #יְהוּדִי #jewinpoland #Poland #zydzi #canadianknpoland #foreignerinpoland #expatjews #canadianjews #jewinpoland #michaelrubenfeld
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[@mateuszwesoowski9583]

Polish culture and Polish people were wiped out of quite a few places. One only has to look at a PLC map prior to 19th century. In some cases it was done quickly like in Katyn, in some places it was done slowly like for majority of partitioned Poland during Germanisation and Russification. Polish people believe that such history is important and we do remember it. You are mistaken in saying that we do not remember holocaust. It's just that in Polish history erasure is not a single act but instead a threat that persisted over centuries. Our experiences are sometimes different sometimes the same. I think it counterproductive to compare Jewish and Polish suffering, these things are subjective and as such incomparable. Both Poles and Jews value history. It is a mistake to think that Jewish people value history more than Poles because they keep talking about the holocaust while Poles focus on other subjects. The mistake stems from flawed interpretation of Polish mentality. Polish mentality is made unique through centuries of fighting against oppression and erasure. Just because most Poles do not celebrate history in the same way the Jewish people do - does not mean that our way of celebrating history is worse. It's different and we could both learn from each other. Jewish people have the "Never forget, never again" mentality. Polish people have the - Poland will be resurrected ("Poland as Christ of nations") mentality. We do understand a post genocidal space in Poland. Poland is a post genocidal space. We honor the Poles who gave their lives fighting for freedom of Poles today. But we remember that the purpose of their sacrifice was the free lives that we live today - after Poland was resurrected.

[@baraamar4525]

You said either Poles and Jews were victims of holocaust, but Jews dissapeared from post genocide landscape of Poland. But where would Poles go? Jewish survivors could go to USA, Canada, Israel. But Poles had to stay under Soviet rule. Where would Poles go. Why did Jews emigrate, even if many felt Polish? I've always been wondering about this.

[@DzejWiJV]

Many polish people left Poland after WW2. Learn some history, mate 🤦

[@baraamar4525]

@@DzejWiJV how many percent?

[@DzejWiJV]

​@@baraamar4525All intelligent people left Poland after WW2 they knew what communism is

[@baraamar4525]

@@DzejWiJV ok, so i've checked somewhere that over 2mln Poles left and ten's of millions stayed. So how does this answer my question? Why virtually no Jew stayed?

[@bonanzaboomer]

The majority of the Polish people stayed to stick it out, because they truly loved, cared and identified with Poland.

[@tomekes6584]

Michael, What's your family connection with Poland? Of you addressed that in your vids, I'd appreciate the links for this.

[@solaris2015]

He is effectively a Pole now: pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Rubenfeld

[@lerubenfeld]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/fYuZnZWon9J7bsU

[@PiotrJaser]

Jego przodkowie pochodzili z Polski, jego żona jest Polką, zatem Michael też ma prawo poczuwać się do tej tożsamości, choćby częściowo. Mnie w ogóle bawi to, że ludzie pochodzenia chłopskiego mają takie bardzo specyficzne rozumienie pojęcia tożsamości narodowej, lokalnej czy jakiejkolwiek. Choć chłopi sami nie czuli się Polakami, to potem nagle, gdy przeszli tę swoją emancypację, jako ostatnia grupa społeczna w Polsce, uznali, że mają prawo zawłaszczyć polskość dla siebie i decydować o tym, kto może się czuć Polakiem a kto nie. Emanacją tej kultury i mentalności chłopskiej jest partia PiS, w której tego rodzaju zachowania i postawy także występują.

[@JesusMagicPanties]

@@PiotrJaser Jedzie chłop po polu, Jedzie na kombajnie Berecik na głowę Wduszony ma fajnie. /Wały Jagiellońskie pzdr

[@pawelzielinski1398]

@@PiotrJaser No właśnie. Ja urodziłem się w Polsce, spędziłem tam niemal pół życia, jestem Polakiem a teraz taka szuja będzie mi mówic, że ja jestem "Polakiem gorszego sortu", tylko dlatego, że nie podpisuję się pod jego dziewiętnastowiecznym bogoojczyżnianym pojmowaniem świata.

[@elizabethbaird374]

I think these are important conversations to have. Looking forward to more videos on the subject.

[@lesfleurs9781]

I am new to your channel, so I am wondering if your wife Magda is Polish from Poland or is she from Canada like you?

[@lerubenfeld]

She is Polish

[@solaris2015]

Weołych Świąt!, a jutro do pracy!

[@JesusMagicPanties]

Keep it up. Greetings from western Poland.

[@boromir4003]

is Magda polish?

[@lerubenfeld]

Yes

[@solaris2015]

pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Rubenfeld

[@krzycho751]

I'm not a Jew, but I've been thinking about modern "Polish jewishness" recently. I think Poles have certain picture of a Jew and Jewish culture that maybe even existed, but rather in XVIII century than XX, not to mention the contemporary one. Maybe the chasidic (I know, hasidic, but it just not right!) community was the biggest, but it wasn't the whole picture of Jewish culture in Poland. Perhaps there is a demand for that kind of "entertainment" in Poland, but what I think people really have to understand is who are Jews today. I was born in Warsaw. My high school was next to the jewish cemetary on Okopowa street. Maybe recently it have changed, but some 20 years ago you could see that something terrible happened in that area. Knowing the history, I was asking myself, who were my "neighbors". I think I created a picture of neighbor, that never existed. It's just some mixture of old pictures and some folklore. I'm a viewer of Tajemniczy Świat Żydów for some time, now I watch your channel and I finally realized, that we all need Jewish jewishness (not our imaginary one). Whatever it means. Because Jews are as diverse as every other contemporary community. Dziękuję, że tworzysz współczesny świat polskich żydów (małą literą, bo chodzi mi o religię, a nie o państwowość)

[@supreme3376]

Hmm yep even there are a Jevish theatre

[@lerubenfeld]

Thanks for saying all this.

[@slawekwojtowicz]

Yeay to art and creativity! 😀

[@mateusz.w.nawrocki]

Very interesting. Keep up the good work.

[@sevsev1712]

To me you and your channel is just a traveller. Welcome to Poland my Jewish friend 😊

[@MarcinArcin]

I am Polish and the recent incident in parliament with extinguishing candles with a fire extinguisher made me realize how anti-Semitic and hostile to Jews Poland still is. Just read the comments after this event. The pogroms of Jews after the war in Poland are an undeniable fact and did not come from nowhere. Unfortunately, we Poles still have a lot to do to change our national aversion to Jews. We have many years of hard work ahead of us to achieve this. Of course, not all Poles are anti-Semites.

[@ziemowitfincek4060]

Kraków is a great place for Jewish festival.

[@DzejWiJV]

Michael, would you hate Poland if you were married to a nice Jewish girl instead of a nice and beautiful Polish girl? Be honest 🙂

[@lerubenfeld]

My wife is Jewish

[@krzycho751]

@DzejWiJV As far as I understand what Michael says, he moved BACK to Poland, because this is his place on Earth, where history of his family took place. I'm not sure how one can hate such a place. Visiting it, learning about it, living here finally? I assume you are Polish, do you hate Poland??

[@elizabethbaird374]

Polish and Jewish at the same time? Wow, some people’s minds are blown, lol!

[@DzejWiJV]

@@elizabethbaird374 she probably converted to be Jewish.

[@HEN-Huzar]

You can be Polish🇵🇱 and a Jew✡️ at the same time👍.

[@aeliphmassey1284]

I pray everyday is fun, restful, peaceful, and good for you and all Jewish people everywhere ❤❤🙌🙌