- Summary
- In 1942, Jan Karski, a young soldier of the Polish Underground, was entrusted with an important mission: to inform the Allied powers about the realities of the German occupation and the extermination of European Jews that was taking place on Polish soil. A witness to the Holocaust, Karski tried in vain to convince Allied leaders, including U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, to intervene on behalf of the victims. Although he had risked his own life to help, Karski felt personally responsible for the Allies' inability or unwillingness to assist European Jews. This sense of shared responsibility for the Holocaust, along with the need to remember and draw lessons for the future was the heart of Karski's life mission and a source of his moral legacy. Since the end of World War II, many Christians and Jews, spiritual and intellectual leaders, in the West and in the East, have addressed the Holocaust and anti-Semetism and, more broadly speaking, racism and its consequences. Younger generations, although unburdened by their own memory of the horrors past, are guided by a feeling of responsibility, not only for the preservation of this memory but also for the future. Confronted by old questions, they raise new ones. They are searching for answers and draw conclusions for further reflection and action. To pay tribute to Karski's life and legacy, in 2014 the Jan Karski Educational Foundation with the Museum of Polish History celebrated the 100th anniversary of his birth with an international conference focusing on two interconnected themes: memory and responsibility. The conference became both a Polish-Jewish and Polish-Polish debate. Participants discussed contentious issues about Poland's past, pondered critical aspects concerning Jewish and Polish memory, and equally important, addressed areas for future dialogue. -- from back cover.
- Format
- Book
- Author/Creator
- "Jan Karski -- Memory and Responsibility" Conference (2014 : Warsaw, Poland)
- Published
- Warsaw : Fundacja Edukacyjna Jana Karskiego : Polish History Museum : Semper Scientific Publishers, 2015
- Locale
- Poland
- Contents
-
I. Jan Karski - The Unfinished Mission of a Moral Man in Immoral Times
Jan Karski - the anti-hero hero: The unusual work of an extraordinary man / Szymon Rudnicki
The Jan Karski I knew / Stephen D. Mull
Was it really a failed mission? / Maciej Kozłowski
Memories of Jan Karski / Rabbi Harold White
Meeting a messenger from Poland / Martin Smith
II. Europe and the Jews: Holocasut - Reconciliation - ...?
The Holocaust as a unique experience of European civilisation / Jerzy Jedlicki
On the uniqueness and singularity of the Holocaust / Paweł Śpiewak
The era of forgiveness, the inexcusable and radical syncretism / Karolina Wigura
III. Christians and the Holocaust
The Holocaust - Nostra aetate - The Church / Bp. Grzegorz Ryś
The Holocaust: Does it have significance for ethics today? / Fr. John T. Pawlikowski, OSM
The Jew delusion / Krzysztof Dorosz
The Christian mourning of the Shoa / Jan Grosfeld
IV. The Memories of Totalitarianisms - Asymmetry of Memory, East and West, and the Holocaust
Confession: A few comments on memories of totalitarian crimes / Andrzej Nowak
The history of Ukraine and the Ukranian history of the Holocaust / Jaroslav Hrytsak
Holocaust and the collective memory in Estonia / Heiko Pääbo
Memories of totalitarianism: The Asymmetry of memory, East and West and the Holocaust
V. The Poles and the Jews - Evolution of Polish Identity
Against editing of the Jan Karski story / Joanna Tokarska-Bakir
Jews as a Polish problem? And why not a part of Polish history? / Jan T. Gross
Jews, Polish identity and Polish disputes / Robert Kostro - Understanding Europe / Piotr M. A. Cywiński
VI. Overcoming the Taboo - Polish Culture and the Holocaust
Musing and taboo / Jacek Bocheński
Polish culture facing the Holocaust: Three decades of overcoming the Taboo / Dominika Kozłowski
Between conflict and kitsch / Iwona Kurz
Triumphalism and blockade: A few observations about the most recent Polish theatre / Weronika Szczawińska
Taboo and catharsis / Tadeusz Słobodzianek
VII. Jan Karski's Legacy - Memory and Responsibility
The legacy of Jan Karski - responsibility for the fate of others / Eugeniuz Smolar
Memory and responsibility - Jan Karski and Raphael Lemkin / Radosław Sikorski
The genocide of the Tutsis in Rwanda: The European roots of the Rwandan story / Assumpta Mugiraneza
The Responsibility to protect: ambitions and challenges / Anthony Dworkin
Confronting genocide and the limits of law / Payam Akhavan
Memory - responsibility - justice / Adama Dieng.
- Other Authors/Editors
- Smolar, Eugeniusz, editor.
- Notes
-
Includes bibliographical references.
I. Jan Karski - The Unfinished Mission of a Moral Man in Immoral Times -- Jan Karski - the anti-hero hero: The unusual work of an extraordinary man / Szymon Rudnicki -- The Jan Karski I knew / Stephen D. Mull -- Was it really a failed mission? / Maciej Kozłowski -- Memories of Jan Karski / Rabbi Harold White -- Meeting a messenger from Poland / Martin Smith -- II. Europe and the Jews: Holocasut - Reconciliation - ...? -- The Holocaust as a unique experience of European civilisation / Jerzy Jedlicki -- On the uniqueness and singularity of the Holocaust / Paweł Śpiewak -- The era of forgiveness, the inexcusable and radical syncretism / Karolina Wigura -- III. Christians and the Holocaust -- The Holocaust - Nostra aetate - The Church / Bp. Grzegorz Ryś -- The Holocaust: Does it have significance for ethics today? / Fr. John T. Pawlikowski, OSM -- The Jew delusion / Krzysztof Dorosz -- The Christian mourning of the Shoa / Jan Grosfeld -- IV. The Memories of Totalitarianisms - Asymmetry of Memory, East and West, and the Holocaust -- Confession: A few comments on memories of totalitarian crimes / Andrzej Nowak -- The history of Ukraine and the Ukranian history of the Holocaust / Jaroslav Hrytsak -- Holocaust and the collective memory in Estonia / Heiko Pääbo -- Memories of totalitarianism: The Asymmetry of memory, East and West and the Holocaust -- V. The Poles and the Jews - Evolution of Polish Identity -- Against editing of the Jan Karski story / Joanna Tokarska-Bakir -- Jews as a Polish problem? And why not a part of Polish history? / Jan T. Gross -- Jews, Polish identity and Polish disputes / Robert Kostro - Understanding Europe / Piotr M. A. Cywiński -- VI. Overcoming the Taboo - Polish Culture and the Holocaust -- Musing and taboo / Jacek Bocheński -- Polish culture facing the Holocaust: Three decades of overcoming the Taboo / Dominika Kozłowski -- Between conflict and kitsch / Iwona Kurz -- Triumphalism and blockade: A few observations about the most recent Polish theatre / Weronika Szczawińska -- Taboo and catharsis / Tadeusz Słobodzianek -- VII. Jan Karski's Legacy - Memory and Responsibility -- The legacy of Jan Karski - responsibility for the fate of others / Eugeniuz Smolar -- Memory and responsibility - Jan Karski and Raphael Lemkin / Radosław Sikorski -- The genocide of the Tutsis in Rwanda: The European roots of the Rwandan story / Assumpta Mugiraneza -- The Responsibility to protect: ambitions and challenges / Anthony Dworkin -- Confronting genocide and the limits of law / Payam Akhavan -- Memory - responsibility - justice / Adama Dieng.
