It is mentioned quite often throughout the yizkor book, and ive chosen some of those references to highlight here. In 1980 the survivors of jedwabne, a small town in northeastern poland, did what their. Neighbors is a truly pathbreaking book, the work of a master historian. Gross stated that while the germans were in control and allowed the pogrom to occur, it. The destruction of the jewish community in jedwabne, poland kindle edition by gross, jan. Jews had come to jedwabne from tykocin and were initially subject to the tykocin jewish communal authority. The destruction of the jewish community of jedwabne, poland by jan t. The grayevo memorial book is published in new york by a landsmanshaft from grajewo.
The author paints how the polish neighbors beaten and subjected the jewish of jedwabne to severe indignities. In his imaginative reflections upon the tragedy of jedwabne, gross has subtly recast the history of wartime poland and proposed an original interpretation of the origins of. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. History and memorial book, containing a description of the tragedy of their hometown, or perhaps it was when prof. Neighborsjan gross s stunning account of the brutal mass murder of the jews of jedwabne by their polish neighborswas met with international critical acclaim and was a finalist for the national book award in the united states. Gross received a grant to study the 19391941 bolshevik occupation of polands eastern territories and was given access to materials kept at the hoover. The story was told again in 1980, in a memorial book compiled by the. It suggests that four or five truckloads of armed ss men from lomza terrorized the local population before leading jews and poles to the crime scene. In 1980 a memorial book of jedwabne jews was published, and in it several eyewitnesses described the tragedy of their hometown. On the eve of world war i, jedwabnes total population reached its alltime peak of roughly 3,000. Gross exploring the july 1941 jedwabne massacre committed against polish jews by their nonjewish neighbors in the village of jedwabne in nazioccupied poland.
Timewise, the discussion can be divided into three periods. His account was taken from an earlier work by polishamerican authorresearcher jan t. Below is the horrific story as told by others, including wistrich, whose. Also in 1982, as an assistant professor of sociology at yale university, he was among thirtythree rockefeller humanities fellowship competition entrants awarded, his project entitled soviet rule in poland, 19391941. Below is the horrific story as told by others, including wistrich. In april of this year, he presented his findings on jedwabne at a conference at yeshiva university in new york about polishjewish relations during the holocaust. Holc, a political science professor at loyola college in baltimore, sees the importance of grosss analysis in his use of jedwabne residents testimonials as to their actions or inactions the day of the massacre and in assigning individual responsibility rather than national responsibility. The author explores how a town of about 3,600 people, half jewish and half christian, can go from living together in peace with neighbors to a murderous, killing frenzy during the war to more or less shrugging it off after the war. Jedwabne massacre east european nationalism and communism. The destruction of the jewish community in jedwabne, poland gross, jan t. The destruction of the jewish community in 2001, 60 years after the jedwabne pogrom occurred. Professor gross has written a book about the events in jedwabne in july 1941 called sasiedzi neighbors which was just published in poland. Neighbors is a relatively short book about a small town of in poland before, during, and after wwii. In memory and admonition, gazeta wspotczesna, 11 july 2000.
Gross the massacre of jedwabne jews on july 10, 1941 was coordinated by the towns mayor, marian karolak. The destruction of the jewish community in jedwabne, poland, the nazis tried to persuade the poles to keep at least one jewish family from each profession, but the poles responded, we have enough of our own craftsmen, we have to destroy all the jews, none should stay alive. But this little book is much, much more than just another horror story from the holocaust. Then, we have evidence that was recorded during the lomza trials in may 1949 and november 1953. There were also many marriages between residents of radzilow and jedwabne, and you may have branches in radzilow you dont know about. His investigation reads like a detective story, and its unfolding yields wider truths about jewishpolish relations, the holocaust, and human responses to occupation and totalitarianism.
Destruction of the jewish community in jedwabne, poland. Jan gross has a shattering tale to tell, and he tells it with consummate skill and control. Jan tomasz gross, tomasz strzembosz, andrzej zbikowski. A few years later a monument was erected near the barn where jews were. Jan gross pieces together eyewitness accounts and other evidence into an engulfing reconstruction of the horrific july day remembered well by locals but forgotten by history. The destruction of the jewish community in jedwabne, poland 9780691086675 by gross, jan and a great selection of similar new, used and collectible books available now at great prices. The destruction of the jewish community in jedwabne in poland. Baker, or as i called him, zaide compiled a testimonial to his hometown of jedwabne, poland, hed hoped the book would serve as a memorial to his. The yedwabner societies in israel and the united states of america, 1980. Jul 08, 2012 woman vists jedwabne pogrom memorial r370. In 1998 the filmmaker agnieszka arnold interviewed several town. Jedwabne timeline of remebrance muzeum historii zydow. For many poles, the story of jedwabne has come as a. On july 10 of this year, aleksander kwasniewski, the president of poland, officially apologized for a massacre of jews that took place during world war ii in a small town in northeastern poland.
It has also been, from the moment of its publication, the occasion of intense controversy and painful reckoning. Baker in his article the destruction of the jewish community of jedwabne, yizkor book memorial book jedwabne, jerusalemnew york 1980. Media coverage of this short book has been so extensive as to make any summary almost superfluous. Jedwabne a bibliography by litdok eastcentral europe herderinstitut marburg w czterdziestym nas matko na sybir zeslali polska a rosja 193942, wybor i opracowanie. Jan t gross s book, neighbours, revisited the massacre of the jews of the small town of jedwabne,in 1941 shortly after the nazi occupation of poland. One summer day in 1941, half of the polish town of jedwabne murdered the other half, 1,600. It tells the story of a pogrom in 1941 in jedwabne, poland and explores the implications of the past for present constructions and negotiations of personal, national and religious identity. Main all news europe historian seeks to exhume bodies of jedwabne massacre victims. Before, during, and after challenges gross s interpretation of the events. Museum concerned over polish education ministers remarks on. Gross has said that seeing arnolds films inspired him to write his book. It is the most important study of polishjewish relations to be published in decades and should become a classic of holocaust. Neighbors provoked so much debate that the press published.
In 1770, when the wooden synagogue of jedwabne was built, 387 jews out of a total population of 450 lived in the community, a place known for its shoemakers. Jan t gross s unflinching account of antisemitic atrocities in the war, neighbors, has awakened a nation to its systematically hidden and falsified past. Until picking up a book by robert wistrich, i knew nothing about the jedwabne massacre of 1941. Holc, a political science professor at loyola college in baltimore, sees the importance of gross s analysis in his use of jedwabne residents testimonials as to their actions or inactions the day of the massacre and in assigning individual responsibility rather than national responsibility. Gross, almost reticent, cites long excerpts from these accounts, which are deeply wrenching. After the publication of jan tomasz grosss book about jedwabne, does this last sentence. Oct 12, 2009 until picking up a book by robert wistrich, i knew nothing about the jedwabne massacre of 1941. One day, in july 1941, half of the population of a small east european town murdered the other halfsome 1,600 men, women and children. The destruction of the jewish community in jedwabne. I, i i ii gj i the streets of yediwabne i a 1, al 1v 14 yedwabne history and memorial book edited by rabbis julius l. The crime and the silence, by anna bikont the new york times. It tells the story of a pogrom in 1941 in jedwabne, poland and explores the implications of the past for present constructions and negotiations.
Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading neighbors. Polish author reopens minefield of who killed jedwabnes jews. The destruction of the jewish community in jedwabne, poland is a 2001 book by princeton university historian jan t. For many poles, the story of jedwabne has come as a revelation. The destruction of the jewish community in jedwabne, poland. Jul 12, 2016 the 2001 book neighbors by the princeton university historian jan gross, which exposed the jedwabne massacre, has statistics and accounts that dont add up, gontarczyk said. Perhaps it was when the jews from jedwabne publishedyedwabne. Piotr gontarczyk of the polish institute of national remembrance was one of the first. Further, gross accounts how over 1600 jewish of jedwabne were ultimately moved to an adjacent barn, locked in and burnt alive.
Before, during, and after challenges grosss interpretation of events. I have additional information and records for many jedwabne jewish families. The destruction of the jewish community in jedwabne, this film tells a shocking and brutal story that has been kept a secret in poland for over 60 years. The impact of his account of the massacre of the jews of jedwabne by their polish neighbors is all the greater for the calm, understated narration and gross s careful. Historian seeks to exhume bodies of jedwabne massacre victims. The controversy over the jedwabne massacre in poland. The book has stimulated widespread debate in polands press with over 750 articles appearing to date. I think jedwabne was especially painful for assimilated polish jews like myself. Gross book apparently raised quite a discussion in poland. Unlike the betterknown massacre at jedwabne, when poles. I chose the book because my partner is a polish holocaust survivor, it is not pleasant reading, it is just a very sad story of what happened in many small towns in poland. Gross, a historian at new york university, published neighbors. Jedwabne yizkor holocaust memorial book hebrew, yiddish and english, online at the new york public library. The destruction of the jewish community in jedwabne, poland 9780142002407 by gross, jan t.
Neighbors one summer day in 1941, half of the polish town of jedwabne murdered the other half, 1,600 men, women, and children, all but seven of the towns jews. The 2001 book neighbors by the princeton university historian jan gross, which exposed the jedwabne massacre, has statistics and accounts that dont add up, gontarczyk said. As poles we feel sadness and shame, and as jews we know we would have been victims. Oct 15, 2015 polish author reopens minefield of who killed jedwabnes jews in an english translation of her book the crime and the silence, journalist anna bikont sheds more light on the wwii massacre. The destruction of the jewish community in jedwabne, poland by gross, jan t. Apr 07, 2001 jan t gross princeton university press. History and memorial book poland 5317 2218 from sefer jedwabne.
How villagers in jedwabne, poland, remember, and misremember. This is a shocking, brutal story that has never been told and is an important study of polishjewish relations during the holocaust. The destruction of the jewish community in jedwabne, poland by jan t. One summer day in 1941, half of the polish town of jedwabne murdered the other half, 1,600 men, women, and children, all but seven of the towns jews. This is a shocking, brutal story that has never before been told. Gross s book alleged that people living in jedwabne had been responsible for the massacre of 1,600 local jews during world war ii. The books describe the massacre that the jewish went through advanced by the polish people. Gross on a summer day in 1941 in nazioccupied poland, half of the town of jedwabne brutally murdered the other half. When it received its town charter in 1736, jedwabne had already been settled for at least three hundred years. The first group of articles began to appear in may of 2000, soon after the publication of the polish version of gross s book, and continued through the fall. On the eve of world war i, jedwabne s total population reached its alltime peak of roughly 3,000. In places such as jedwabne, it was welcomed by them.
The massacre in jedwabne, 10 july 1941 2005 marek jan chodakiewiczs book the massacre in jedwabne, 10 july 1941. The destruction of the jewish community in jedwabne jan t. The united states holocaust memorial museum is concerned over recent public statements by the polish education minister, anna zalewska, questioning that poles participated in the murder of hundreds of their jewish neighbors during a holocaustera pogrom. The book contains the first mention of the jedwabne crime, which is included in the account of menachem finkelsztajn, published in hebrew and polish. Until recently, a stone memorial in jedwabne blamed the massacre on nazi and gestapo soldiers, but gross s book uncovered that the mass execution was actually performed by locals, who, for decades, had shifted the blame away from themselves. Jedwabne, or yedwabne, is situated in the mazowsze region of poland, twenty kilometers northeast of the city of lo. The destruction of the jewish community in jedwabne, poland by jan t gross isbn. A polish journalist revisits the massacre of jews in jedwabne and the towns. Soon, jedwabne and numerous other names steeped in blood disappeared from the map of permissible remembrance. The postholocaust pogrom that poland is still fighting over. The story was told again in 1980, in a memorial book compiled by the few other survivors, seven of whom were hidden by a local family. Grosss study forced a reconsideration of twentiethcentury polish and holocaust history and induced the president of poland to preside over a replacement of the previous memorial stone at jedwabne. Gross was awarded a fellowship in the field of sociology by the john simon guggenheim memorial.
275 1514 1492 142 29 94 853 253 100 605 1191 434 1265 157 1441 824 660 308 3 1582 68 990 71 1526 774 1064 1568 94 665 573 623 644 938 417 1477 1474 1411 1336 1214 86 1413 1274 196 1225