tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49413946284314669602024-03-21T17:03:03.798-07:00Polish American Journal TodayPolish American Journal Todayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05026196765488014963noreply@blogger.comBlogger331125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4941394628431466960.post-22371436162911801272017-11-18T09:40:00.001-08:002017-11-24T04:15:01.912-08:00CHRISTMAS: "My Favorite Things - Shopping Polish for Christmas"<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">by Staś Kmieć</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><i>reprinted from the November 2017 issue of </i></span><br />
<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><i>The Polish American Journal</i></span></div>
<div>
<br />
<span style="color: magenta;"><i>* Click on link (in red) to direct you to online shopping pages</i></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="2017bodytext" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 14.25pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">It should be easy
to select a gift for me for Christmas, a birthday, or any other occasion – find
something Polish! But, I guess not so easy is what to get? I have
acquired so many books, CDs, DVDs and artifacts over the years and many travels
that one may not want to risk getting something I already have. When I
receive something Polish, I am overjoyed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="2017bodytext" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 14.25pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">These days, there
is so much out there to choose from, and lots of stuff to pass over like
pierogi sealers, and pseudo-Polish cookbooks by non-Poles or culinary experts
intent on modernizing the ingredients of treasured classics. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="2017bodytext" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 14.25pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjaVTSJXSxX-V9s8aOr1O8NzC_ugxszd0X66jiipUNqF0njshT2DeYva67Ue7hzag69UvDqE2_DECCgIvpyuuAWU0EY5w4b09SYZTrCxlGIICYylvEd3nWl9h7rYOEwcKZhFEHrSW8j10/s1600/ROSE+PETAL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjaVTSJXSxX-V9s8aOr1O8NzC_ugxszd0X66jiipUNqF0njshT2DeYva67Ue7hzag69UvDqE2_DECCgIvpyuuAWU0EY5w4b09SYZTrCxlGIICYylvEd3nWl9h7rYOEwcKZhFEHrSW8j10/s320/ROSE+PETAL.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">I will often
purchase a coffee table book, like Beata Zatorska’s <i>Rose Petal Jam: A
Summer in Poland </i>or the follow-up <i>Sugared Orange: A Winter in
Poland </i>for a family member or someone whose interests appreciate
Polish themes. These books go beyond the norm and in addition to great recipes,
provide thoughtful and thought-provoking stories, history and information, with
an artistic layout of photographic images.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="2017bodytext" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 14.25pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">For me, if it’s
Polish, it needs to be unique and ring true to the culture. I have been
compiling an extensive “wish list” of items from Poland and from American
import websites of “My Favorite Things.” Though it is rare for me to receive a
Polish gift, from this list I can at least buy gifts for myself.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="2017bodytext" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 14.25pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The Polish
American Journal <a href="http://polamjournal.com/Bookstore/bookstore.html"><b><span style="color: red;">On-Line Gift and Bookstore</span></b></a> offers
an array of items to enable you to shop Polish for Christmas. To ensure
timely delivery, make sure to order early!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="2017bodytext" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 14.25pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Any item in the
PolArt catalog <a href="http://www.polandbymail.com/" id="Text2183Link2"><b><span style="color: red;">www.polandbymail.com</span></b></a> is
available directly from PAJ, as well. You can check the website and order these
items by contacting: info@polamjournal.com or call 1(800) 422-1275.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="2017bodytext" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 14.25pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVLrgu-e_CFfkI0Fb3l1FXCzpaal52PnYti_GhpkXAj3tgeu8OGVAohuBboPhJ-jebMCkv8QCwbt6Lr8wexiwi5oeQb_8g77z_Qrb7OO1jl3uZ51OR7GYOO3PCaU5ThFVGuwKJPtGxmus/s1600/Zag%25C5%2582oba.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="650" data-original-width="304" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVLrgu-e_CFfkI0Fb3l1FXCzpaal52PnYti_GhpkXAj3tgeu8OGVAohuBboPhJ-jebMCkv8QCwbt6Lr8wexiwi5oeQb_8g77z_Qrb7OO1jl3uZ51OR7GYOO3PCaU5ThFVGuwKJPtGxmus/s320/Zag%25C5%2582oba.JPG" width="148" /></a><b><span style="color: magenta; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Dolls and
Action Figures</span></b></div>
<div class="2017bodytext" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 14.25pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">An assortment of
folk costumed dolls and historical action figures will instill a sense of
Polish pride and knowledge to any boy or girl. </span></div>
<div class="2017bodytext" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 14.25pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYJpYBfOGYMzybmfPX-E8dxKvilvkpIkaX8tJwlnCwL5f9-4SoK90VQ1tpxXpn3hjOmK-KTod14jXFihg84LdSvWw4qT2qNixfe3LhSEGg060RXlK8aMDxptLsVr7htGV4ClnJAD0hF2g/s1600/Krzczonowianka.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="700" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYJpYBfOGYMzybmfPX-E8dxKvilvkpIkaX8tJwlnCwL5f9-4SoK90VQ1tpxXpn3hjOmK-KTod14jXFihg84LdSvWw4qT2qNixfe3LhSEGg060RXlK8aMDxptLsVr7htGV4ClnJAD0hF2g/s200/Krzczonowianka.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Among the many
doll collectibles, a newer item drew my attention. The </span><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><i>Polskie Stroje
Ludowe</i> (Polish Folk Costumes) </b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">series of dolls is an extraordinary
guide in the Polish language to the traditions of specific regions. The
detailed porcelain doll comes with an informative booklet of folk rituals,
habits of everyday life, forgotten dances, open-air </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">museums, and a description
of the costume. Available are <i>Podhalanka</i> from Polish Highlands, <i>Bamberka
</i>from Poznań, and <i>Krzczonowianka</i> from Lublin region. </span><b style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.polandbymail.com/s/1/c_polskie%2bstroje%2bludowe.htm" id="Text2183Link3" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">www.polandbymail.com/s/1/c_polskie%2bstroje%2bludowe.htm</a></span></b></div>
<div class="2017bodytext" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 14.25pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMnmhE-Bi42xYNxhjPiI2OiuuEgX3F9TjhpkbUT1k4wr3MVO5NGJqa_Kwg8Oc3q8JT8SYYaxFn5mAGuB_XerB8PgD_O163twzrId2rCTy_NhGsV7BBtL34ii3AosNc0s9wUOXLwLxNG44/s1600/Presentation1+-+Copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="705" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMnmhE-Bi42xYNxhjPiI2OiuuEgX3F9TjhpkbUT1k4wr3MVO5NGJqa_Kwg8Oc3q8JT8SYYaxFn5mAGuB_XerB8PgD_O163twzrId2rCTy_NhGsV7BBtL34ii3AosNc0s9wUOXLwLxNG44/s200/Presentation1+-+Copy.jpg" width="195" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">As the
accompaniment to a gift of a historical novel such as Henryk Sienkiewicz’s 17th
century Trilogy, or Alex Storozynski’s The Peasant Prince, you could include a
military action figure of Tadeusz Kościuszko, a Polish Hussar from 17th
Century, King Władysław Jagiełło, an 1810 Wisła Legion Lancer, a 1944 AK
Soldier, Marshall Józef Piłsudski or the literary characters of Michał
Wołodyjowski and nobleman Onufry Zagłoba. (<a href="http://www.polandbymail.com/s/1/c_action%2bfigure.htm" id="Text2183Link4"><b><span style="color: red;">www.polandbymail.com/s/1/c_action%2bfigure.htm</span></b></a>)</span></div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="2017bodytext" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 14.25pt;">
<b><span style="color: magenta; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Coloring
Books</span></b></div>
<div class="2017bodytext" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 14.25pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">A Polish dance
coloring book for children which is formatted with music and verses on the
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOZpiAneLaEqG5TAIz45uOD8oD0Qj8zhzxPKXmrk5u-Xbeob0-loc7Q-YX5VGoZZbtBj1pYXzo2-_t7dnf7N5z79t-3H9C5p2104r96lk684T98tW90_JoWUg53wZOysFUpkUxqspVzSM/s1600/Coloring+Book+w+CD.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="648" data-original-width="566" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOZpiAneLaEqG5TAIz45uOD8oD0Qj8zhzxPKXmrk5u-Xbeob0-loc7Q-YX5VGoZZbtBj1pYXzo2-_t7dnf7N5z79t-3H9C5p2104r96lk684T98tW90_JoWUg53wZOysFUpkUxqspVzSM/s200/Coloring+Book+w+CD.JPG" width="174" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">left-hand pages and a sketch of a dance couple ready for coloring on the
right-hand pages. The back of the book has corresponding dance moves for
<i>Chodzony, Polonez, Mazur, Krakowiak, Kujawiak, Oberek, Trojak, </i>and <i>Polka
Lubelska</i> clearly diagrammed for each song. (</span><a href="http://www.polandbymail.com/s/1/c_coloring%2bbooks.htm" id="Text2183Link5" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: red;">www.polandbymail.com/s/1/c_coloring%2bbooks.htm</span></b></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">)</span></div>
<div class="2017bodytext" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 14.25pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Polskie Stroje
Ludowe - Traditional Polish Costumes</span></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="2017bodytext" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 14.25pt;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSqHyKcQ_fpFOoMiGj2r3CUzeMAmsYhaLkD2qKKFibQkEv3CzW2MoXIHpKqN0reW6oBIU98ZnXqUnf7RdqzjQHEF16APWtjwyRFktOo2wYOiSXaVyd1w1vbOhBElFLWAzXTEwCZv7DuNE/s1600/Coloring+book.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="480" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSqHyKcQ_fpFOoMiGj2r3CUzeMAmsYhaLkD2qKKFibQkEv3CzW2MoXIHpKqN0reW6oBIU98ZnXqUnf7RdqzjQHEF16APWtjwyRFktOo2wYOiSXaVyd1w1vbOhBElFLWAzXTEwCZv7DuNE/s200/Coloring+book.JPG" width="136" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Children will
become familiar with the regional folk costumes of Poland – the left side of
the two-page spread contains a full color image of the pair from the region,
while the right side has a ready-to-color drawing of the same pair. (<a href="http://www.polandbymail.com/i/6445/polish-folk-costumes-coloring-book.htm#.WftSkWhSyUk" id="Text2183Link6"><b><span style="color: red;">www.polandbymail.com/i/6445/polish-folk-costumes-coloring-book.htm#.WftSkWhSyUk</span></b></a>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="2017bodytext" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 14.25pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Kolorowanki
Folkowa - Coloring Book of Polish Folk Designs</span></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="2017bodytext" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 14.25pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG-7D0mrNPykdHR8UWgj2U0myWYioDesQ1cg4I6ROc4TCHBreakHBhpJeueWvR7HGMkU6rz1Awvl29Pdg0TioulI1iwqbg890xA7QKK7Mr9P33ABqPWyZOziNBs3U_umY13nQ4rqtXw-M/s1600/9823638-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG-7D0mrNPykdHR8UWgj2U0myWYioDesQ1cg4I6ROc4TCHBreakHBhpJeueWvR7HGMkU6rz1Awvl29Pdg0TioulI1iwqbg890xA7QKK7Mr9P33ABqPWyZOziNBs3U_umY13nQ4rqtXw-M/s200/9823638-2.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">For the adult who
wants to unwind and relax after the pressures of a grueling day at work comes
this Polish-themed coloring book. Ideal for older students (12-14 years)
the book is folk tour around Poland – beginning with nine of the most
well-known folk costumes and then takes you to six Polish folk regions,
featuring art and artifacts from each region. Color the Lublin Easter <i>pisanki</i>,
the Kujawy chest, the Kraków <i>szopka</i> and Opole ceramics. (<a href="http://www.polartcenter.com/Kolorowanki_Folkowa_Coloring_Polish_Folk_Designs_p/9823638.htm" id="Text2183Link7"><b><span style="color: red;">www.polartcenter.com/Kolorowanki_Folkowa_Coloring_Polish_Folk_Designs_p/9823638.htm</span></b></a>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="2017bodytext" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 14.25pt;">
<b><span style="color: magenta; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Board Games</span></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhexYkOHNhKEf0E8ACS3cqy8itMFhxw-8j8u6lpBggGmuXJC0x7P8FmEPccCi3DmATviUfsSjjg9qhvD6DsqFM9kqBzm7XUKzTIwbLJYh_3VFHe7Xhm0myIalH8ylAPP9-Vu8PT_bEGx48/s1600/Board+Game.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="561" data-original-width="700" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhexYkOHNhKEf0E8ACS3cqy8itMFhxw-8j8u6lpBggGmuXJC0x7P8FmEPccCi3DmATviUfsSjjg9qhvD6DsqFM9kqBzm7XUKzTIwbLJYh_3VFHe7Xhm0myIalH8ylAPP9-Vu8PT_bEGx48/s320/Board+Game.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">For the older
youngster who’s learning Polish, here are some Polish-language Board games that
will exercise language skills, while making history and culture fun!</span></div>
<div class="2017bodytext" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 14.25pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><i>Slawni Polacy</i> -
Famous Poles<br /><i>
Odkryj Wawel</i> - Discover Wawel<br /><i>
Bitwa pod Grunwaldem</i> - Battle of Grunwald<br /><i>
Kocham Polske </i>- I Love Poland<br /><i>
Czerwony Kapture</i>k – Little Red Riding Hood (a children’s game) (<a href="http://www.polandbymail.com/s/1/c_board%2bgames.htm" id="Text2183Link8"><b><span style="color: red;">www.polandbymail.com/s/1/c_board%2bgames.htm</span></b></a>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="2017bodytext" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 14.25pt;">
<b><span style="color: magenta; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">BOOKS</span></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="2017bodytext" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 14.25pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">For those who
seek Polish recipes or like to settle down with a “good read,” PAJ Bookstore
offers an array of cookbooks, historical novels, cultural and history books.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="2017bodytext" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 14.25pt;">
<b><span style="color: magenta; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Historical
Novels</i></span></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="2017bodytext" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 14.25pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://polamjournal.com/Bookstore/Shop_for_Books/Lutz-Jadwiga-s_Crossing/lutz-jadwiga-s_crossing.html"><b><span style="color: red;">Jadwiga’s Crossing.</span></b></a> </span></i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The challenges and joys of
the trans-Atlantic crossing made by millions </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnw1v2DbOcHIXKj-0Epiy-5lN2lsLfN614ldwN8Hu20Pe9bMWPQiSMvU84pRvyIUIxoRgTxkkiZRt1CGsXWx8NoEVgko-Fpt8lYP3i-wq-vwuDUbPRp8fa-Kp0g39rLU-5sOARsGLijZ4/s1600/Jadwiga.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="591" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnw1v2DbOcHIXKj-0Epiy-5lN2lsLfN614ldwN8Hu20Pe9bMWPQiSMvU84pRvyIUIxoRgTxkkiZRt1CGsXWx8NoEVgko-Fpt8lYP3i-wq-vwuDUbPRp8fa-Kp0g39rLU-5sOARsGLijZ4/s200/Jadwiga.jpg" width="163" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">of European immigrants in the late
nineteenth century are explored in this meticulously researched work by Richard
and Aloysius Lutz – a must-read for Polish-Americans. Viewed through the
eyes of newlyweds Paul and Jadwiga Adamik, this compelling tale depicts the
hardships encountered by a group of Polish immigrants. Readers are introduced
to Poles and Polish folklore from several regions of then-partitioned Poland,
as well as the tensions that existed between Poles and the three nations that
occupied Poland in the nineteenth century: Prussia, Russia, and Austria.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="2017bodytext" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 14.25pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">By James
Conroyd Martin</span></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="2017bodytext" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 14.25pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Sweeping in scope
with a backdrop of Poland’s stormy history, James Conroyd Martin has written
four novels that will transport you to another time and another place.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijBmWmAw_j3w3pRhOtRLlY-1XqBwTQjrZZTf0rJRiJjiuGAK2sQJ1lUTo5uwINmYfIq5fVrx0FGQxPDXNfaaaR3brvrWLULfXWBKOqrJsitZcvxW6MaIBD0XYovjbx79X3jAC1DSa51tM/s1600/The+Boy..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="560" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijBmWmAw_j3w3pRhOtRLlY-1XqBwTQjrZZTf0rJRiJjiuGAK2sQJ1lUTo5uwINmYfIq5fVrx0FGQxPDXNfaaaR3brvrWLULfXWBKOqrJsitZcvxW6MaIBD0XYovjbx79X3jAC1DSa51tM/s200/The+Boy..jpg" width="155" /></a></div>
<div class="2017bodytext" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 14.25pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://polamjournal.com/Bookstore/Shop_for_Books/Martin_-_The_Boy_Who_Wanted_Wi/martin_-_the_boy_who_wanted_wings.html"><b><span style="color: red;">The Boy Who Wanted Wings. </span></b></a></span></i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">A dark Tatar raised by a
Polish peasant family, wishes to become a Polish hussar. When he meets the
daughter of the noble who owns the land that his parents work, he falls
hopelessly in love. Though she returns his love, race and class differences
make this quest as impossible as that of becoming a hussar.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="2017bodytext" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 14.25pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkqqpMIMAq6KLskNfjcQrSYQM8kbjmFRx59X_lZZ4hTWQWdgP7VfLrC0T7nlpk62RIY6WB-5oQQGACP5VFEXzsJW6uDQNLjVcz6ok7i0ZXkX5PhdLkWR4mQC3BS0mJd4WzfYazoI7QZIU/s1600/Push+not+the+River...jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="520" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkqqpMIMAq6KLskNfjcQrSYQM8kbjmFRx59X_lZZ4hTWQWdgP7VfLrC0T7nlpk62RIY6WB-5oQQGACP5VFEXzsJW6uDQNLjVcz6ok7i0ZXkX5PhdLkWR4mQC3BS0mJd4WzfYazoI7QZIU/s200/Push+not+the+River...jpg" width="144" /></a><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://polamjournal.com/Bookstore/Shop_for_Books/Martin_-_Trilogy/martin_-_trilogy.html"><b><span style="color: red;">Push Not the River</span></b></a>. </span></i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Based on the real diary of a
Polish countess who lived through the rise and fall of the Third of May
Constitution years, this romantic novel paints the portrait of the
metamorphosis of a nation. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcxK_p8vC-ckoGrcbLQnNRlF8UYKajtQaQPFn2WVqrhpwFRgzDuA4cWKGEsNeJElljp4AaazlnmvO-JqZb7f-_C-LfTE6AL8bOM_pDeh1D-lSRaRuSkLIpI1zCDm3AhM0pCYkYPnygRhc/s1600/AGAINST..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="607" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcxK_p8vC-ckoGrcbLQnNRlF8UYKajtQaQPFn2WVqrhpwFRgzDuA4cWKGEsNeJElljp4AaazlnmvO-JqZb7f-_C-LfTE6AL8bOM_pDeh1D-lSRaRuSkLIpI1zCDm3AhM0pCYkYPnygRhc/s200/AGAINST..jpg" width="168" /></a></div>
<div class="2017bodytext" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 14.25pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://polamjournal.com/Bookstore/Shop_for_Books/Martin_-_Trilogy/martin_-_trilogy.html"><b><span style="color: red;">Against a Crimson Sky </span></b></a>In
this sequel to <i>Push Not the River</i>, Martin takes the characters 20 years into
the fascinating Napoleonic era, highlighting the exploits of the glorious
Polish lancers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="2017bodytext" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 14.25pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://polamjournal.com/Bookstore/Shop_for_Books/Martin_-_Trilogy/martin_-_trilogy.html"><b><span style="color: red;">The Warsaw Conspiracy. </span></b></a>Completing
the trilogy, the family saga continues – this time set against the November
Rising (1830-1831).</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYtUlWUrzp6ryJDEIHlDSS1xQq_ElwhuYYMYveAQUiMrcrPTylEvvgwuoD7pggx6HeOYboXAUxwFepDVpC6ZgrtyAmRpP26qCpaKL1OBIIxe7OD4vMH5gz3fw4k-uivxpBIRPC1JWBNAw/s1600/Warsaw+Conspiracy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="574" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYtUlWUrzp6ryJDEIHlDSS1xQq_ElwhuYYMYveAQUiMrcrPTylEvvgwuoD7pggx6HeOYboXAUxwFepDVpC6ZgrtyAmRpP26qCpaKL1OBIIxe7OD4vMH5gz3fw4k-uivxpBIRPC1JWBNAw/s200/Warsaw+Conspiracy.jpg" width="159" /></a></div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="2017bodytext" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 14.25pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Each novel stands
alone, or you can get the “Trilogy Package” at an exclusive PAJ price. Vivid,
romantic, and thrillingly paced, the novels have been called “Poland’s Gone
with the Wind.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="2017bodytext" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 14.25pt;">
<b><span style="color: magenta; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>History</i></span></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="2017bodytext" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 14.25pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPJK3Vma_SzJwV4Fmrg9YJdU1DWZZE60eJZLchBOPJE16Qn4PGBVX3oWmi-O3OL7h6f9Z6c_vFdcSx8fFmzb9VkEjeHqH1mKBWJfCANOHq8CWWGP0qVak8XVOsAWqM7kQGyHLVPRlkbw8/s1600/Wearing+the+letter+P.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="624" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPJK3Vma_SzJwV4Fmrg9YJdU1DWZZE60eJZLchBOPJE16Qn4PGBVX3oWmi-O3OL7h6f9Z6c_vFdcSx8fFmzb9VkEjeHqH1mKBWJfCANOHq8CWWGP0qVak8XVOsAWqM7kQGyHLVPRlkbw8/s200/Wearing+the+letter+P.jpg" width="173" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://polamjournal.com/Bookstore/Shop_for_Books/Knab--_Wearing_the_Letter_-P-/knab--_wearing_the_letter_-p-.html"><b><span style="color: red;">Wearing the Letter P: Polish Women as Forced
Laborers in Nazi Germany, 1939-1945</span></b></a>. </span></div>
<div class="2017bodytext" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 14.25pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">PAJ’s Sophie Hodorowicz
Knab provides an important contribution to World War II history, based on
extensive research – archival records from the U.S. and Europe, family records,
war crime trial testimonies, diaries, and previously unpublished victim
accounts. Written by the daughter of Polish forced laborers, Knab’s
factual account gives a voice to the women who were taken from their homes as
young as 12 years old and subjected to slave labor conditions, starvation,
sexual exploitation, forced abortions and child separation — all while Nazi
propaganda depicted them as well-cared-for volunteers. Knab explains how it all
happened, from the beginning of occupation in Poland to liberation in an
unflinching, detailed portrait of a forgotten group of Nazi forced labor
survivors.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="2017bodytext" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 14.25pt;">
<b><span style="color: magenta; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Cookbooks</i></span></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="2017bodytext" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 14.25pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://polamjournal.com/Bookstore/Recipe_Books/Polish_Classic_Recipes/polish_classic_recipes.html"><b><span style="color: red;">Polish Classic Recipes</span></b></a> and <b><span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.polamjournal.com/Bookstore/Recipe_Books/Polish_Classic_Desserts/polish_classic_desserts.html">Classic Desserts</a></span></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikH-SLv98FOB1gjUdVlh1Bm1CGJTQClBwGZxHaCm92z9TcOikOvg_DsJi40fgWh1kgWI2MmyJBljfhbYWiK4oUnTbyMt-MVCp6FVcN68fUBdfrSDYPQcpZl5qmRkqerLh8ClywSYXBi08/s1600/CLASSSIC+ZERANSKI.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikH-SLv98FOB1gjUdVlh1Bm1CGJTQClBwGZxHaCm92z9TcOikOvg_DsJi40fgWh1kgWI2MmyJBljfhbYWiK4oUnTbyMt-MVCp6FVcN68fUBdfrSDYPQcpZl5qmRkqerLh8ClywSYXBi08/s320/CLASSSIC+ZERANSKI.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="2017bodytext" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 14.25pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Borrowing from
his mother’s extensive 1968 cookbook, </span><a href="http://polamjournal.com/Bookstore/Recipe_Books/The_Art_of_Polish_Cooking/the_art_of_polish_cooking.html" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: red;">The Art of Polish Cooking</span></b></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"> (also
available from PAJ), recipes are adapted by the husband-wife team – Laura and
Peter Zeranski into an easy-to follow format and are accentuated by tantalizing
images by photographer Bob Rock. The two cookbooks offer new recipes, as
well such favorites as Pope John Paul II’s favorite dessert – the crème cakes called
kremówki.</span></div>
<div class="2017bodytext" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 14.25pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://polamjournal.com/Bookstore/Recipe_Books/Polish_Country_Kitchen_Cookboo/polish_country_kitchen_cookbook.html"><b><span style="color: red;">Polish Country Kitchen Cookbook</span></b></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqYFcBfy-r8u-oRAyqFw0tYHsLiI3EknEFbBBBN_V4I-CT7sDy630HXayJDvkKet6kerdGEoxs3xyiWy2rDcxLf6r_w2hlNUP5B3S-52qr8QKudlzSejNruorGt-kL6DXNZ3CdX7t9yzg/s1600/Polish+COUNTRY.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="318" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqYFcBfy-r8u-oRAyqFw0tYHsLiI3EknEFbBBBN_V4I-CT7sDy630HXayJDvkKet6kerdGEoxs3xyiWy2rDcxLf6r_w2hlNUP5B3S-52qr8QKudlzSejNruorGt-kL6DXNZ3CdX7t9yzg/s200/Polish+COUNTRY.jpg" width="126" /></a></div>
<div class="2017bodytext" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 14.25pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">In this expanded
edition, PAJ’s Sophie Hodorowicz Knab offers recipes for favorite Polish foods
combined with the history and cultural traditions that created them. Arranged
according to the cycle of seasons, this cookbook with over 100 recipes explores
life in the Polish countryside through the year. I will open it to any page and
just start reading; it is a valuable resource for anyone wanting insight into
the reason and meaning behind traditional Polish village cooking, It’s
like having your Babcia in the kitchen with you!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="2017bodytext" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 14.25pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://polamjournal.com/Bookstore/Recipe_Books/Treasured_Polish_Recipes_for_A/treasured_polish_recipes_for_americans.html"><b><span style="color: red;">Treasured Polish Recipes for Americans –
25th Edition</span></b></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS-hCl0BF4JUnsUZppgabfOjbrkluBqslEyYZgX0nm5im7HnNWZ9HUNb0QVgao-iMqoH-eXR-p2dgM3Wtjy8wAHIhBfyOq2kCAucsVgTXHGoC468LlZsN_Kfu0IrbxngV3bJnZE9yeFGc/s1600/Treasured+Polish+Recipes.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="487" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS-hCl0BF4JUnsUZppgabfOjbrkluBqslEyYZgX0nm5im7HnNWZ9HUNb0QVgao-iMqoH-eXR-p2dgM3Wtjy8wAHIhBfyOq2kCAucsVgTXHGoC468LlZsN_Kfu0IrbxngV3bJnZE9yeFGc/s200/Treasured+Polish+Recipes.JPG" width="138" /></a></b></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">It’s the cookbook
many of us grew up with before ethnic cooking became popular, and it’s a
classic! First published in United States in 1948, it was the first
complete book of Polish cookery in the English language and hasn’t lost a bit
of its charm or relevance. For anyone beginning their collection, this is
the perfect “first Polish cookbook.” </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="2017bodytext" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 14.25pt;">
<span style="color: magenta;"><b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Bolesławiec
Pottery</span></b></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_EysjihmxbFdlQgL6xg4pNdMFDSl6-usgp98-QnMfc4y0VEbxxmVjSkAdORNXz9fR_ADB8VIESso_nTQcDOBtM_PBtMAkKYQjNl5HSzIhyphenhyphenvJcxL5HsuU0Z9odg1UhloRh0lcC-r-dXGU/s1600/BOLESLAWIEC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1467" data-original-width="1600" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_EysjihmxbFdlQgL6xg4pNdMFDSl6-usgp98-QnMfc4y0VEbxxmVjSkAdORNXz9fR_ADB8VIESso_nTQcDOBtM_PBtMAkKYQjNl5HSzIhyphenhyphenvJcxL5HsuU0Z9odg1UhloRh0lcC-r-dXGU/s320/BOLESLAWIEC.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="2017bodytext" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 14.25pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">“Bolesławiec” is
the collective term for pottery produced in Bolesławiec, Poland – also known as
“Polish pottery” or “Polish stoneware.” The town itself is often called
Miasto Ceramiki (town of ceramics).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="2017bodytext" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 14.25pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">For centuries one
of the premier art forms in Europe has been the ceramics created in the
southwestern Śląsk region. The durable and functional creamy white and blue
stoneware pieces are unique and easily identifiable. It is impossible to
talk about the town without talking about the ceramics that have been produced
there for over a thousand years. There has been a resurgence in the popularity
of Boleslawiec ceramic art in the United States, and many of my American
friends collect them.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWvVG0qymVqbx4TjkKuZY4cf9rX8w_T8t6w5uz_mZpO7FSlGuBhST4kquNHUBumo6yFAteC6XSz9L3eX4LFXTscVPbZ5nlP3onpO6xTpG5rdVAqyFl_K9Oznn0Ya0O_S028bUPtAmETSQ/s1600/Boleslawiec-Stoneware.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="599" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWvVG0qymVqbx4TjkKuZY4cf9rX8w_T8t6w5uz_mZpO7FSlGuBhST4kquNHUBumo6yFAteC6XSz9L3eX4LFXTscVPbZ5nlP3onpO6xTpG5rdVAqyFl_K9Oznn0Ya0O_S028bUPtAmETSQ/s200/Boleslawiec-Stoneware.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="2017bodytext" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 14.25pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Why Polish
pottery? There is no other, more durable or versatile stoneware available. The
pottery is microwavable, oven-safe, dishwasher safe, freezer safe, lead and
cadmium free. It’s been tested by the FDA and is food safe. The glaze on
the pottery allows for easy separation of foods – cutting down on the need for
oils and allowing healthier cooking and even easier clean-up<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="2017bodytext" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 14.25pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.artisanimports.com/" id="Text2183Link20"><b><span style="color: red;">www.artisanimports.com</span></b></a><br />
<a href="http://www.polishtreasures.com/" id="Text2183Link21"><b><span style="color: red;">www.polishtreasures.com</span></b></a><br />
<a href="http://www.polishpride.com/" id="Text2183Link22"><b><span style="color: red;">www.polishpride.com</span></b></a><br />
<b><span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.polishpotteryoutlet.com/" id="Text2183Link23">www.polishpotteryoutlet.com</a></span></b><br /><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><b>http://www.polartcenter.com/mobile/Category.aspx?id=280</b></span></div>
<div class="2017bodytext" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 14.25pt;">
<b><span style="color: magenta; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Aprons and
Towels</span></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4WB4eeOo5t1J0hlnhvrq7UkiDDPL-z_6bAFe7sR9xRbhOX17H6ySHTdFIHYOo0ItMx9RR9AlxTktOqFFrU4BUZDFzYryw8NIy19O340xjHu1cJL8DXG_pFJKziC5DJMaHaFxmRUh5CXc/s1600/Apron.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="699" data-original-width="700" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4WB4eeOo5t1J0hlnhvrq7UkiDDPL-z_6bAFe7sR9xRbhOX17H6ySHTdFIHYOo0ItMx9RR9AlxTktOqFFrU4BUZDFzYryw8NIy19O340xjHu1cJL8DXG_pFJKziC5DJMaHaFxmRUh5CXc/s200/Apron.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="2017bodytext" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 14.25pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">What better way
to cook your Polish dishes than in a <a href="http://polamjournal.com/Bookstore/Imports/imports.html"><b><span style="color: red;">White Eagle embroidered</span></b></a> 2-pocket
red apron? (Other styles available). New, larger kitchen towels are also
available in a variety of embroided phrases and patterns, from “Polish
Chef” to “I Love Kielbasa”.</span></div>
<div class="2017bodytext" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 14.25pt;">
<b><span style="color: magenta; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">A Polish
Christmas</span></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="2017bodytext" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 14.25pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Creating your own
Polish family traditions is an important way of continuing our heritage.
With each Christmas comes a decorated tree and the Wigilia Christmas Eve
dinner. Continue or begin including customs and ornaments to make your
Christmas “Polish.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="2017bodytext" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 14.25pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://polamjournal.com/Bookstore/Christmas_Store/christmas_store.html"><b><span style="color: red;">A Polish Christmas Eve </span></b></a>by
Rev. Czeslaw Krysa</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDxAXl7U4945v0MVSp0UUxrxyH2oO9_6YXnqLripx9fcDqPUW19bwaYt0Uyana3tL0k-eubGhscHJlZc6PORJew8ACVlwGR19uaTdJBccscq8wZGt8VbHD2gAH1kVNJoWMmzIRPpKV3Hw/s1600/KRYSA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="383" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDxAXl7U4945v0MVSp0UUxrxyH2oO9_6YXnqLripx9fcDqPUW19bwaYt0Uyana3tL0k-eubGhscHJlZc6PORJew8ACVlwGR19uaTdJBccscq8wZGt8VbHD2gAH1kVNJoWMmzIRPpKV3Hw/s200/KRYSA.jpg" width="153" /></a></div>
<div class="2017bodytext" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 14.25pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Learn about
<i>Wigilia</i>, the Christmas Eve dinner and how to make Polish paper ornaments and
traditional dishes. This book is a quick and easy reference, step-by-step guide
and international collection of customs, stories, recipes, carols and
decorations with glossary, pronunciation guide, and a regional map of Poland.
(www.polamjournal.com)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="2017bodytext" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 14.25pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: magenta;"><b><i><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Opłatek</span></i></b> </span>(<a href="http://polamjournal.com/Bookstore/Christmas_Store/christmas_store.html"><b><span style="color: red;">Polish Christmas Wafer</span></b></a>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs8lKfxwqmKXf4MuhSvri5OO4ufau9GVphV64zVfqioMrxjytBss35y1MeYo3bWlhERO1i3O1fdvXWe4lFxRXZPIxKmstynYRCVxD4l_ia5szV_cwXObZx8IoSaby6VvKPNPaKuJG2pow/s1600/plate2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="500" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs8lKfxwqmKXf4MuhSvri5OO4ufau9GVphV64zVfqioMrxjytBss35y1MeYo3bWlhERO1i3O1fdvXWe4lFxRXZPIxKmstynYRCVxD4l_ia5szV_cwXObZx8IoSaby6VvKPNPaKuJG2pow/s320/plate2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="2017bodytext" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 14.25pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The breaking of
the Christmas <i>opłatek</i> is a custom that began in Poland in the 10th century and
is practiced by people of Polish ancestry around the world. It is considered
the most ancient and beloved of Polish traditions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="2017bodytext" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 14.25pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The wafer
symbolizes the unity of the family, which many consider to be the main pillar
of society. According to beliefs, the bond of unity should exist between family
members. The wafer also symbolizes forgiveness and reconciliation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="2017bodytext" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 14.25pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Practice sharing
the Christmas wafer with family and guests. Many people place a piece in each
Christmas Card they mail.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="2017bodytext" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 14.25pt;">
<b><span style="color: magenta; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ornaments</span></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b></b></div>
<div class="2017bodytext" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 14.25pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">In Poland, the
making of <a href="http://polamjournal.com/Bookstore/Christmas_Store/christmas_store.html"><b><span style="color: red;">straw ornaments</span></b></a> dates to
the time when the only available </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieO6MNZaLb6k_2PjSV3J8ACKcKP-bp8oPvv8_330jMsxBMi4n_X7pO-M_Fb1YQ0nf2j0IW24mHrjrPl7_Jks_QV-0VJGukZAdyEs0S-qk7PntBDlrEt_reqTx-qa8i-ciqK2_ISG_XmYs/s1600/660-112.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="700" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieO6MNZaLb6k_2PjSV3J8ACKcKP-bp8oPvv8_330jMsxBMi4n_X7pO-M_Fb1YQ0nf2j0IW24mHrjrPl7_Jks_QV-0VJGukZAdyEs0S-qk7PntBDlrEt_reqTx-qa8i-ciqK2_ISG_XmYs/s200/660-112.JPG" width="200" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">materials for decorations were those that were
found on the farm. During the beginning of the Christmas season, homes were
creatively and ornately decorated using straw, paper, yarn, and cloth
ornaments. These ornaments are very different from modern Christmas
decorations. The designs include stars, wreaths, reindeer figures, pine cone
shapes, and bell shapes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFvfdkbM__M0xqpBeKOLvio9SsETu5ThGnUfD7CuWgl6f3qEaKrnI3sk-klbbzKB3JaDrZ0ddSQW80qlnMi7_ovJ9EhvKKS8IkXkqwuKti4OkIz5bklM1wKJuq47IcWuZn7ze8NVTfNbM/s1600/Folk+dancer+ornament.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="664" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFvfdkbM__M0xqpBeKOLvio9SsETu5ThGnUfD7CuWgl6f3qEaKrnI3sk-klbbzKB3JaDrZ0ddSQW80qlnMi7_ovJ9EhvKKS8IkXkqwuKti4OkIz5bklM1wKJuq47IcWuZn7ze8NVTfNbM/s200/Folk+dancer+ornament.jpg" width="131" /></a><br />
<div class="2017bodytext" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 14.25pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">In addition to
the traditional glass-blown Polish ornaments Polish Pottery and folk dancer
ornaments can make your tree a point of conversation and truly unique. (<a href="http://www.polishpride.com/" id="Text2183Link28"><b><span style="color: red;">www.polishpride.com</span></b></a>).<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Check out the PAJ Catalog for more items:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"> </span><a href="https://files.acrobat.com/a/preview/98e5ac99-ab86-4fa4-a09c-1adec9546d05" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background-color: white; color: #2a86d2; cursor: pointer; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" target="_blank"><b>https://files.acrobat.com/a/preview/98e5ac99-ab86-4fa4-a09c-1adec9546d05</b></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYfsWILOx_ng_CUGFYZYOSEoPS7sXeac5FYheovHpoKKmc7OC6WWqvx_7BtO5MNGzC9_d6xgserApIdXxii0wz-wGskkMpZiIn01nsaiZgy-0PKTP7zLdlWlyqagN4oKaIAPa8FCeFNpQ/s1600/Polish+pottery+ornament.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="462" data-original-width="750" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYfsWILOx_ng_CUGFYZYOSEoPS7sXeac5FYheovHpoKKmc7OC6WWqvx_7BtO5MNGzC9_d6xgserApIdXxii0wz-wGskkMpZiIn01nsaiZgy-0PKTP7zLdlWlyqagN4oKaIAPa8FCeFNpQ/s400/Polish+pottery+ornament.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Polish American Journal Todayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05026196765488014963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4941394628431466960.post-34554033097536492522017-11-16T18:22:00.002-08:002017-11-18T05:11:35.904-08:00ARTS: Polish-themed Indecent Airs on PBS – November 17<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 3.75pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 8.05pt; mso-outline-level: 1;">
by Staś
Kmieć</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhToHcRwmnexqYzU_QJy_szXjKYfqN7ORXHUlE_iqjThV-UjCsz0bwShwiGFOZIpX5DqEmzRlGduoV8j3IEfkBAmcDetUHxQ3DIqdmkHq5cZGKCaTohthWzr2ich-cIK6C91zO50KCyJiA/s1600/in-decenttonywinner_2_orig.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="852" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhToHcRwmnexqYzU_QJy_szXjKYfqN7ORXHUlE_iqjThV-UjCsz0bwShwiGFOZIpX5DqEmzRlGduoV8j3IEfkBAmcDetUHxQ3DIqdmkHq5cZGKCaTohthWzr2ich-cIK6C91zO50KCyJiA/s400/in-decenttonywinner_2_orig.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">PBS will air Paula Vogel's <i>Indecent</i> on
November 17 as part of its <i>Great Performances</i> series. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">The play with music won Tony Awards for Best Direction and Lighting Design and
was captured by eight high-definition cameras just before its final Broadway
performance on August 6. It was reviewed
in PAJ’s August issue.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.0pt; margin-bottom: 9.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Indecent</i> is based on
events surrounding Polish-Jewish writer Sholem Asch’s groundbreaking 1907
Yiddish masterwork <i>God of Vengeance</i> –
from its inception in Warsaw and its evolution throughout Europe to its
explosive run on Broadway in 1923 and beyond. The run was cut short when the cast
and producer were arrested on obscenity charges.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.0pt; margin-bottom: 9.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Based on the real-life “Ararat” Jewish Kleinkunst Theatre of
Łódz, a theater troupe of actors rise from the ashes to tell the story behind<i> </i><span style="font-family: inherit;">their play.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.0pt; margin-bottom: 9.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">PBS – November 17, 9:00 pm (<i>check local listings for time and additional showings</i>)</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">------------------------------------</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 16pt;">Review: <i>Indecent</i> on Broadway</span></b></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.0pt; margin-bottom: 9.0pt;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>reprinted from the August 2017 issue of </i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>The Polish American Journal</i></span></div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRn5kAWsm0B0xC2wdxTNTKRWTZVqSIdfwpMULBxiO8VBsFwc0sN5Oq7-VfzqpV_VjkDFUR57dyGWKJa-hPqCwbwWYAOVAF8OdZiaWZ-3D9yQu2tjSL8RTB9zZhBj2Y_r2dUEadgQiQREQ/s1600/20170608_154225.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="541" data-original-width="497" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRn5kAWsm0B0xC2wdxTNTKRWTZVqSIdfwpMULBxiO8VBsFwc0sN5Oq7-VfzqpV_VjkDFUR57dyGWKJa-hPqCwbwWYAOVAF8OdZiaWZ-3D9yQu2tjSL8RTB9zZhBj2Y_r2dUEadgQiQREQ/s400/20170608_154225.jpg" width="366" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The new
Broadway play</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Indecent</i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">takes an impressionistic look at a
controversial moment in Broadway history. </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The play
is based on the events surrounding Polish-Jewish writer Sholem<b> </b>Asch’s
groundbreaking 1907 Yiddish masterwork <i>God of Vengeance </i>(<i>Got fun nekome</i>) <i>– </i>from
its inception in Warsaw, Poland and its evolution throughout Europe and the
Lower East Side to its explosive run on the Great White Way in 1923, and
beyond. In Europe, the play was popular enough to be translated into
Polish, German, Russian, Hebrew, Italian, Czech and Norwegian. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It was a
controversial play when it </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">was
translated into English and bowed at the Apollo Theatre on West 42nd
St. Set in a brothel, the play includes Jewish prostitutes, the
first lesbian kiss on a Broadway stage, and the hurling of a Torah across the
stage. The run was cut short by six weeks when the cast and producer were
arrested, jailed, indicted and convicted on obscenity charges. The conviction was successfully
appealed. Later, it was performed as an
act of artistic affirmation in an attic in the Łódz Ghetto of German-occupied
Poland during World War II.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ0uMvRfVRvFfjNOlkOiuYx-5eow0Di0WCPoov67Kp2DEItv9KP_bID5D6eQXvjwy1fEURZP34sT17fTCGK7YJm0XKApHXKY3xQ9Ke3IRxBL7J3qkr2FghlJ4Uh7rngQD6SoaCPTIjK0I/s1600/GP_Indecent_2833+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ0uMvRfVRvFfjNOlkOiuYx-5eow0Di0WCPoov67Kp2DEItv9KP_bID5D6eQXvjwy1fEURZP34sT17fTCGK7YJm0XKApHXKY3xQ9Ke3IRxBL7J3qkr2FghlJ4Uh7rngQD6SoaCPTIjK0I/s320/GP_Indecent_2833+%25282%2529.jpg" width="216" /></span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">With
music and humor, <i>Indecent</i> explores the loss of Yiddish theater
and the ever-changing mores of audiences. Playwright Paula Vogel, also a
Pulitzer winner is marking her Broadway debut and provides the voice and
structure from which the story can be told.
<i>Indecent </i>examines artistic
struggles, but it is an immigrant story about a time in America when immigrants
were being pushed out.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The
superb 7-member ensemble portrays multiple roles and is accompanied by a
klezmer band of 3 onstage musicians – playing a variety of instruments. The production is enhanced by the intricate
and often symbolic direction by Rebecca Taichman and choreography by David
Dorfman. Some of the characters are
composites, while most are real-life figures.
Screen projections guide the audience through the constant shift in
personae. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Based on
the real-life "Ararat" Jewish Kleinkunst Theatre of Łódź, a theater
troupe of actors rising from the ashes tell the story behind <i>God of Vengeance. </i>The fictional Lemml, a former tailor and
now stage manager, who functions as the narrator/master of ceremonies, along
with the imagined company of<i> </i>Vera,
Otto, Halina, Mendel, Chana and Avram (portrayed by Richard Topol, Mimi Lieber,
Tom Nellis, Katrina Lenk, Steven Rattazzi, Adina Verson and Max Gordon Moore)
propel the story – making an indelible and lingering impression.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDfALG1zqWtv5gqPISLClnnzSbcKTxm0ul7OtXWTt2z-bNs7hEpTVxUFnQY3IPoTAID-eJU-rNQNsSBJUZ843CB_ugIiuQEosCDM6CxNeNC_du1Zm4_cdM0_4pyNjmoMBWb_l_YCxQrJY/s1600/GP_Indecent_2873+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1307" data-original-width="1446" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDfALG1zqWtv5gqPISLClnnzSbcKTxm0ul7OtXWTt2z-bNs7hEpTVxUFnQY3IPoTAID-eJU-rNQNsSBJUZ843CB_ugIiuQEosCDM6CxNeNC_du1Zm4_cdM0_4pyNjmoMBWb_l_YCxQrJY/s200/GP_Indecent_2873+%25282%2529.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The production
received three Tony Award nominations, with Rebecca Taichman winning
in the "Best Direction of a Play category and Christopher Akerlind
for "Lighting Design."</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.0pt; margin-bottom: 9.0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">Indecent</span></i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">will end its run at the Cort
Theatre on August 6 and is sure to enjoy subsequent new stagings at regional
theaters across the United States.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzz5yuL1TdC6Gx1BSWtegLars5wssO6aVZrzJzGD1gdzNcC9N2ZxnVxYbQ6limkFCRxpLo8wjDxYXC1kHefTQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
Polish American Journal Todayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05026196765488014963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4941394628431466960.post-53329023276622660382017-11-16T12:01:00.004-08:002017-11-16T12:16:23.698-08:00ARTS: Loving Vincent – the World’s First Oil-Painted Film<h1 style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">by Staś
Kmieć</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></h1>
<div>
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><i style="font-family: "times new roman", serif;">reprinted from the November 2017 issue of The Polish American Journal</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><i style="font-family: "times new roman", serif;"><br /></i></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb6wPnp03XEbES0qCV3eWqf5_wHT2PypiSCzpN5dw6ubh9eMIbczy2LZCTdsKJKgA3wDKv8Y_EkFkGNdEa0O_RLu8dve5tlTZBZYFwHZc-c9R1Kyg0v96DREXYO2v0BLfpaKuZkd06caA/s1600/Actor+Robert+Gulaczyk+is+Vincent+van+Gogh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1600" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb6wPnp03XEbES0qCV3eWqf5_wHT2PypiSCzpN5dw6ubh9eMIbczy2LZCTdsKJKgA3wDKv8Y_EkFkGNdEa0O_RLu8dve5tlTZBZYFwHZc-c9R1Kyg0v96DREXYO2v0BLfpaKuZkd06caA/s320/Actor+Robert+Gulaczyk+is+Vincent+van+Gogh.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Actor Robert Gulaczyk is Vincent van Gogh</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
It took seven years and 65,000 hand-painted frames to turn a live action feature into a one-of-kind animated film about the last days of Vincent Van Gogh. <i>Loving Vincent </i>is the first fully oil-painted feature film.</div>
<h1 style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span></h1>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background-color: black;">Co-director Dorota Kobiela, a graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in
Warsaw, was a painter working in <span style="border: 1pt none; padding: 0in;">animation</span> and
frustrated by a career that revolved around working on other people’s projects.
Determined to make something of her own, she set out to combine her passion for
painting and film. As a university student, she studied the intersection of
psychology and art, writing her thesis on the letters of van Gogh. Using this
as a starting point, she came up with an idea for a seven-minute short film
about the last day of van Gogh’s life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background-color: black;">She intended to paint the entire film herself; however once she
expanded the project into a feature film, the task of writing and directing was
such that she had to incorporate 95 painters from throughout Europe to complete
the project..<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin: 0in 0in 11.25pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background-color: black;">One line from van Gogh’s letter –
“We cannot speak other than by our paintings” – became the guiding principal of
<i>Loving Vincent.</i> “I took it literally,” said Kobiela.. “I
thought, ‘This is so amazing if I could actually do exactly that and make his
paintings speak and tell his story.'”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin: 0in 0in 11.25pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP1QNgEXj13U4gq1NfYtMp7FSIIlJzjqtKE_I3NhmmwoBIYK299xJXLHztHPFO46cvf56aGFQu9XlKv6FtakDH1xfA0WKhjHXYtO6yn4zMq-lDZxu_bEGc5tKVwc9VhO8XUxWNU5Ym7_0/s1600/Loving+Vincent.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="159" data-original-width="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP1QNgEXj13U4gq1NfYtMp7FSIIlJzjqtKE_I3NhmmwoBIYK299xJXLHztHPFO46cvf56aGFQu9XlKv6FtakDH1xfA0WKhjHXYtO6yn4zMq-lDZxu_bEGc5tKVwc9VhO8XUxWNU5Ym7_0/s1600/Loving+Vincent.jpeg" /></a><span style="background-color: black;">The directors would use 94 of the
artist’s paintings as the film’s settings, while also bringing to life the
painting’s real-life subjects – friends and acquaintances of the artist – to
piece together the mystery of van Gogh’s last days before his tragic death.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin: 0in 0in 11.25pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background-color: black;">For two weeks, the 95-minute
feature was shot with the cast – including notable actors like Saoirse Ronan
and Chris O’Dowd and Polish actor Robert Gulaczyk – largely against green
screens. Another two weeks were spent in Poland shooting backdrops and working
with body doubles to gather the rest of the footage needed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP1QNgEXj13U4gq1NfYtMp7FSIIlJzjqtKE_I3NhmmwoBIYK299xJXLHztHPFO46cvf56aGFQu9XlKv6FtakDH1xfA0WKhjHXYtO6yn4zMq-lDZxu_bEGc5tKVwc9VhO8XUxWNU5Ym7_0/s1600/Loving+Vincent.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: black;"></span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;">The directors composited the live-action footage with van Gogh’s paintings,
and used computer-generated animation to give the still-life backdrop a
three-dimensional realism. Once they had a final cut, painting began. For most of the film, the directors wanted
actual hand-brushed strokes that captured van Gogh’s style. Computer animation
would be unacceptable.</span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 11.25pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<i>Loving Vincent.</i> <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: black; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">was released in U.S. theaters on September 22 – </span>capturing the
world of van Gogh in a cinematic experience like no other.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;">
Official Trailer:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Gy0RVDM1sNA/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Gy0RVDM1sNA?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
Polish American Journal Todayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05026196765488014963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4941394628431466960.post-22571643270479236702017-11-16T11:51:00.000-08:002017-11-16T12:16:08.495-08:00ARTS REVIEW: Two Crowns – a Docudrama about St. Maximillian Kolbe<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
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by Staś Kmieć<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><i>reprinted from the November 2017 issue of The Polish American Journal</i></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDEsUzFY_MOol1eulgnadyHBbBrmzqJIrzk2gB31nPo-Xa3sKiIrYzDrvKJzvLQVv094YutdGU1PEVqDSV_B1vVTIfBh93Kj5eLZb-leGcUrp7yglKAdVlUqgNUIe-C_SiM62wSFcivms/s1600/DK7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="507" data-original-width="532" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDEsUzFY_MOol1eulgnadyHBbBrmzqJIrzk2gB31nPo-Xa3sKiIrYzDrvKJzvLQVv094YutdGU1PEVqDSV_B1vVTIfBh93Kj5eLZb-leGcUrp7yglKAdVlUqgNUIe-C_SiM62wSFcivms/s200/DK7.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">"We can build
many churches, but if we do not have our own media, these churches will be
empty." – St. Maximillian Maria Kolbe</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">This line stated
in the new Polish-language docudrama <i>Dwie
Korony</i> (Two Crowns) - with English subtitles, is significant in that the forward-thinking
Kolbe was referring to spreading the teachings of Church through a
mass-distributed booklet magazine. It
can also refer to the message this film has the potential of spreading worldwide. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The film by Michał
Kondrat, which premiered in New York, prior to its official opening in Poland,
is well-made and informative. It is more
“</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">History Channel” docudrama, than
feature film in its style. The
documentary aspects are intriguing and have a </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">high educational value. Archival footage is utilized; still
photographs come to life through 3D enhancement; and the animation aspects
contribute greatly to the narrative. The
film features anecdotes from people who knew Kolbe, the director's commentary,
and scenes depicting moments from the life of the future Polish saint.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdhZ02TguzbxveCQFHgCArSlMvO_Ua-Tx0aX-MsVgfrItypgN0czcP1lx3A4cAvWJRTpvSECEQx0b1jPjeR3Ow1NHeTGHlPFLbEtxTAsJhDsX2pGJpTB7CoiEfflkFXNtfGTwPr4ZqA3A/s1600/DK6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="960" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdhZ02TguzbxveCQFHgCArSlMvO_Ua-Tx0aX-MsVgfrItypgN0czcP1lx3A4cAvWJRTpvSECEQx0b1jPjeR3Ow1NHeTGHlPFLbEtxTAsJhDsX2pGJpTB7CoiEfflkFXNtfGTwPr4ZqA3A/s320/DK6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Live action
sequences have been staged to connect the story and to cut through the dryness
of the documentary format – often incorporating elements of humor. Due to the
structure, characters are not able to fully develop and remain
one-dimensional. Nevertheless, Adam
Woronowicz imbues a pious charisma and steadfast heroism into his role as
Kolbe. Perhaps, the most poignant scene
of the film is when Fr, Kolbe leads the fellow starvation inmates in a cycle of
prayer. </span><br />
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Of particular note
is the solitary piano composition by Robert Jansen – movingly played by Bartek
Szysz.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">It is surprising
that many people, even the youth in Poland do not know about Kolbe. Much of the information in the film can be
found in Tomasz P. Terlikowski’s “Biography of the Holy Martyr," but now
it is visualized for another generation.
Terlikowski appears in commentary sections, as well. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">As a sort of “tour
guide, Kondrat explores the history and elements of Kolbe's life, casting a new
light on the motives, dilemmas and his difficult choices, while highlighting
moments in the Franciscan’s biography.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdMKMtSnW6j3hao7RqW0RRWqIWhbtwKFK4eYjL19gFE0aresOmqx99fX3jeWRYwEtZwjnIr4woH70xjKd33NDOxg4KPZvWN-mOC2Er_UtElhOwl1kxuuqKs5Q5hW9GFgX1N7rgQZz3j6U/s1600/701536_1.2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="180" data-original-width="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdMKMtSnW6j3hao7RqW0RRWqIWhbtwKFK4eYjL19gFE0aresOmqx99fX3jeWRYwEtZwjnIr4woH70xjKd33NDOxg4KPZvWN-mOC2Er_UtElhOwl1kxuuqKs5Q5hW9GFgX1N7rgQZz3j6U/s1600/701536_1.2.jpg" /></a></div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Maximillian Kolbe,
the Franciscan priest who gave his life as a prisoner in Auschwitz led an
extraordinary life. It is interesting that he understood the essence of the
mass media and the role of language as spoken to the faithful. An
expressive, courageous and passionate publicist, he developed missions and
literary media in both Poland and Japan. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Kolbe was nicknamed“Crazy
Max,” because he was always working on new ideas. At age 21(1912), he presented
his patent for a spaceship. He also built a radio station and prepared a plan
for defending the Polish city of Lwów.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy5AfHVP44EWm29I_VJlbgcm24e5BlCcISrc58lVtsj8Yk_u38IMj3iMJ1Yb5iuFC9BggfQdp8VNQyWWh175bBc6Fu4P3ySVn2jU-C0f5GiA5rDVt_xCkOr-8o_b246Xsh1GYKd0dxEGQ/s1600/DK4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="960" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy5AfHVP44EWm29I_VJlbgcm24e5BlCcISrc58lVtsj8Yk_u38IMj3iMJ1Yb5iuFC9BggfQdp8VNQyWWh175bBc6Fu4P3ySVn2jU-C0f5GiA5rDVt_xCkOr-8o_b246Xsh1GYKd0dxEGQ/s320/DK4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Two Crowns </span></i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> is piece
of evangelical cinema that depicts a man of ideas; a man of blood and bones,
who was endowed with extraordinary spirituality and respect for his
neighbor. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px;">The Official Trailer: </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/7KWEY8Q7F38/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7KWEY8Q7F38?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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Polish American Journal Todayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05026196765488014963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4941394628431466960.post-26675505011862637042017-09-30T07:19:00.000-07:002017-10-10T13:03:43.337-07:00KULTURA: Polonia on Display - The XVII International Festival of Polonia Folk Ensembles <div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: #ea9999;"><b><span style="font-size: 24pt;">Po</span></b><b><span style="font-size: 20pt;">lonia on Display</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 20pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal;">
<b><i><span style="color: #d5a6bd; font-size: 13pt;">The International Festival of Polonia Folk Ensembles returns to Rzeszów</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<div style="font-size: small;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">by Staś Kmieć</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<i><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: yellow;">This article
appeared in two parts in the September and October issues of </span><b style="color: yellow;">The Polish American Journal</b><span style="color: yellow;"> print
edition – </span><a href="http://www.polamjournal.com/"><span style="color: cyan;">http://www.polamjournal.com/</span></a></span></span></i></div>
<div style="font-size: small;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #fff2cc;">Matthew Schmit and Amy Robertson </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fff2cc;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;"><span style="text-align: start;">from </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;"><i style="text-align: start;">Lajkonik Polish Folk Ensemble</i><span style="text-align: start;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #fff2cc;">of Tuscon, Arizona dance at the</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #fff2cc;"> open-air <i>skansen</i> museum in Kolbuszowa</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Over 1100 participants of thirty-seven groups from the Americas,
Australia, Asia and Europe attended the 17th International Festival of Polish
Folk Ensembles (<i>XVII Światowy Festiwal Polonijnych Zespołów
Folklorystycznych</i>) in Rzeszów, Poland.<i> </i>Representing 14
countries and 5 continents, they were a part of one of the largest events
of its kind in the world - giving them the opportunity to learn more
about the culture of their ancestral country, while forming a lasting bond with
other Poles from abroad.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">"The Festival gives a sense of community and leaves an
unforgettable impression,” said longtime Festival Director Mariusz
Grudzień. The ensembles were selected by a "qualifying
selection panel" – the staff at </span><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Oddzial Rzeszowski Stowarzyszenie Wspolnota Polska</span></i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">. At least 8 couples and a 45-minute program were required by
video submission in costume; and you must meet the deadline.</span></div>
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<span class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Folklore is an important shared identity – a connection through history and culture, and a symbol of ties to one’s country of origin and its traditions. The joint presentations allow participants to integrate and learn from each other.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I have experienced the festival – 3 times as a spectator and twice as a performer; accomplishing the daunting task of bringing my ensemble to perform in 1986. With the evolution of technology, I was once again transplanted to that place of Polonia connection and comradery through the internet transmission of the final two major concerts and through clips posted on Facebook. Vicariously, I was able to once again relive the magic of<b><i> </i></b>Rzeszów.</span></span></span><br />
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<span class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="color: #f4cccc; font-size: small;"><b>History of the Festival</b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: small;">The Polish Song and Dance Ensemble – </span><i style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Krakus</i><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: small;"> from Geng-Zwartberg, Belgium, under the direction of Bronisław and Wanda Stal, came on a performance tour of Rzeszów back in 1967.</span><span style="color: #372618; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: small;">From a conversation with Czesław Świątoniowski - director of the Provincial Culture Center, the idea of systematic meetings of Polish artistic ensembles in this city was given birth.</span><span style="color: #372618; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
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<span class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #262626;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fff2cc;">When the first festival debuted in 1969, 13 groups performed</span></span><b style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fff2cc;"> –</span></b></span><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fff2cc;"> </span></span>12 from Europe and one from the United States – Boston’s <i>Krakowiak Dancers</i>. The chief initiators were: Świątoniowski, journalist Lubomir Radłowski, and choreographer and cultural animator Roman Broż.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyKx57GGg79vqzvK3M_YmTboaQKNkcwmQF4OIzWPfHzH-MxhdNRXPaJQ2eBkGBKM_2XhzAB3-ilwtuajEJJ4y-O3f-h9zNyMW4Y5GOeRdFiwxFy_3kdPz_MDUcT3zi0Ch6u68bo1x33d8/s1600/20171001_083226.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyKx57GGg79vqzvK3M_YmTboaQKNkcwmQF4OIzWPfHzH-MxhdNRXPaJQ2eBkGBKM_2XhzAB3-ilwtuajEJJ4y-O3f-h9zNyMW4Y5GOeRdFiwxFy_3kdPz_MDUcT3zi0Ch6u68bo1x33d8/s200/20171001_083226.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
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<span class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">At that time under Communism, knowledge and resources regarding folk song and dance were limited, and the quality of performances varied. To enable groups to present a program with an eye to authenticity, workshop classes were given. Eventually, a training program - <i>Studium Folklorystyczne</i> was established – first in Tuchola, then Płock, and later it transferred to Lublin under Stanisław Leszczyński. A more recent edition - <i>Polonijne Studium Choreograficzne </i>was formed in Rzeszów by Alicja Haszczak. This resource continued to bring the presentation at festivals to a higher level. It was this validation of the knowledge they had achieved that the ensembles wanted to share with their counterparts from around the world.</span></span></span><br />
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<span class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The next festivals gained momentum, and their development was fueled by the desire of ensembles to showcase their successes and compare their skills. At the second Festival, ten more troupes participated, and at the next one the number increased to 27 groups. Over the years, the number has grown, and the seventh festival reached its peak with 46 groups. At the 1989 VIII Festival, two troupes from Lithuania took part. At the next festival, from behind the eastern border, other groups from the former Soviet Union followed.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="color: #f4cccc; font-size: small;"><b>The XVII Edition</b></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The 17th Festival took place between July 19-26. The schedule was packed with performances, events, rehearsals, workshops and training opportunities for dancers to enhance their folk skills and knowledge.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The troupes were divided into six groups (<i>zgrupowanie</i>) stationed in host cities during the days prior to the festival.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;">Dressed in Kurpie Zielony costume. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;">Agnieszka Mleczko-Ratliff of the </span><br />
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fff2cc;"><i style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;">Ojczyzna Polish Dancers </span></i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;"><span style="text-align: start;">of Baltimore, </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fff2cc;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;"><span style="text-align: start;">Maryland marches in the </span></span></span></span><span style="background-color: black; color: #fff2cc; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;">parade of </span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: #fff2cc; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;">Polonia Ensembles in Rzeszów </span></div>
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<span class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="PL">The groups attending the Festival were: </span></span></span></span><b style="font-family: sans-serif;">Australia:</b><span class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="PL"><b> </b></span><i><span lang="PL">Kujawy</span></i><span lang="PL">-</span><span lang="PL">Sydney, <i>Kukułeczka</i>-Perth;<b>Belarus: </b><i>Karolinka</i>-Brześć, <i>Lehici</i> -Grodno; <b>Brazil:</b> <i>Mazury</i></span></span></span></span><span lang="PL" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: small;">-Mallet, <i>Wisła</i>-Kurytyba; <b>Czech Republic</b>: <i>Olza</i>-Czeski Cieszyn, <i>Suszanie</i>-Sucha Górna;<b>Canada: </b><i>Lechowia</i>-Mississauga, <i>Polanie</i>-Calgary, <i>Polonez</i>-Vancouver, <i>Akademia Białego Orła</i>-Montreal, <i>Iskry</i>-Winnipeg, <i>Łowicz</i>-Edmonton, <i>Polonez</i>-Edmonton, <i>Polonez</i>-Hamilton, <i>Tatry-</i>Windsor; <b>Germany: </b><i>Polonia</i>-Hanower; <b>Great Britain: </b><i>Karolinka</i>-London, <i>Orlęta</i>-Londyn, <i>Polonez</i>-Manchester; <b>Lithuania: </b><i>Perła</i>-Niemenczyn, <i>Wilia</i>-Wilno; <b>Moldavia: </b><i>Polacy Budżaka</i>-Komrat; Russia: <i>Korale</i>-Krasnojarsk, <i>Korale</i>-St.Petersburg; <b>Switzerland: </b><i>Lasowiacy</i>-Winterthur;<b>Sweden: </b><i>Polonez</i>-</span><span lang="PL" style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: small;">Stockholm; <b>Ukraine</b></span><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span lang="PL"><span style="color: #fff2cc; font-weight: bold;">:</span><b> </b><i>Polanie znad Dniepru-Kiev</i></span></span><span lang="PL" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>;</i> <b>USA: </b><i>Dolina</i>-Minneapolis, <i>Lajkonik</i> -Chicago, <i>Lajkonik</i>-Tucson, <i>Ojczyzna</i>-Baltimore, <i>Polanie</i>-Detroit, <i>Polonia</i>-Chicago, <i>Rodacy</i>-Hamtramck, <i>Wesoły Lud</i>-Chicago.</span></div>
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<span class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Rzeszów region and the Subcarpathian district have special ties with Polonia. Over the years, many people have migrated from southeast Poland for a better life. The most popular destination – the United States.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The event was organized by the Rzeszów branch of the <i>Stowarzyszenie Wspólnota Polska</i> (Association of the Community of Poland) in co-operation with the Ministry of Culture and the National Heritage of the Republic of Poland, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Marshall and Municipal Offices of Rzeszow, and the Podkarpackie Voivodeship. Honorary Patronage of the festival was taken by President Andrzej Duda.</span></span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Dennis Klima, Choreographer of Ojczyzna-Baltimore</span><br />
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<span class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The event began with a colorful corridor of the costumed dancers who paraded through the streets, and ended at the Market Square, where the opening took place. Participants were welcomed by the city authorities with the symbolic “bread and salt,” and received symbolic keys to the city. A welcome concert followed with the Polish-Ukrainian <i>Dagadan</i> band, along with guests who had traditional songs from different regions of Poland, folk songs from Ukraine and Lemko, interwoven with jazz, electronics and a song recorded in Chinese.</span></span></span><br />
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<span class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Through the week, the<i> zgrupowanie</i> performed smaller concerts in the square. They were accompanied by the Podkarpacie Jarmark Fair, where artisans from all over the region exhibited and sold their wares.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The<b> </b>participants had the opportunity to visit many interesting places in the region including: the Castle Museum in Łancut, Museum of Folk Construction in Sanok, Museum of Folk Culture in Kolbuszowa, Arboretum and Department of Physiography in Bolestraszyce, and the Museum of Poles Rescuing Jews during World War II in Markowa.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Festival concluded with two large concerts under the direction of Janusz Chojecki. “Koncert Tanców Zamieszkania” was renamed “Folklor Narodów Świata” (Folklore of the Nations) and was intended to display national dances and choreography specific to the countries of residence. The participants stood on the stage holding in their hands the flag of their country - the national symbol that was raised over the heads of the gathered.<b> </b>The following day, each group performed a chosen folk dance at the over 3-hour Gala Concert under the theme “Karczma na Podzamczu” (The Divided Inn).</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>The Road to Rzeszów</b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: small;">It is a demanding task not only from the artistic standpoint, but also from logistic one – to bring all the costumes and props which are needed during the performances in Poland involves a lot of planning and finances.</span></div>
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<span class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“We decided to go with fewer longer dances, to reduce the number of costumes that we had to transport,” said Danny Pogoda, the artistic director of the <i>Polonez</i> <i>Polish Canadian Folk Ensemble</i> of Hamilton, Canada. “As it was, we had 10 extra hockey bags of costumes, which were very expensive.” One Australian group paid $12,000 to transport their costumes.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The longest trip was encountered by the Russian group – <i>Korale.</i> Its members had to travel for five days by train – over 3,728 miles to reach the festival from the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk. </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The largest amount of ensembles came from Canada with nine; second was the United States with eight. Five groups were first-timers. The veterans of the festival were <i>Olza</i>-Czech Republic, who took part 14 times,<i>Wesoły Lud</i>-Chicago: 11 and <i>Wilia</i>-Lithuania for the 10th time. The youngest active participant of was 16 years old and the oldest - 89 years old.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">“This year was Canada’s <i>Polonez</i> <i>Ensemble</i>’s
third festival,” said Pogoda. Pogoda was a dancer in the<i>Wawel Dance
Group</i> from St, Catharines, Ontario for 25 years under the tutelage of
Lena Kaczmarczyk – one of the original members of <i>Śląsk</i>. “I
do a lot of research for our dances through the internet and various books and
videos.”</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: sans-serif;">We had just finished our dinner show at </span><i style="font-family: sans-serif;">U Zajca</i><span style="font-family: sans-serif;"> and had all went outside as they set up a bonfire so we could roast </span><i style="font-family: sans-serif;">kiełbasy</i><span style="font-family: sans-serif;">,” said Kathy Wachon – who accompanied the group. “Having a wooden stage there, the dancers decided they wanted to perform their </span><i style="font-family: sans-serif;">Sądecki</i><span style="font-family: sans-serif;"> suite for fun. This was such a great group to go with; they genuinely have fun together.”</span></div>
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<span class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Back for their second festival was the <i>Lajkonik Polish Folk Ensemble</i> of Tuscon, Arizona. Far from the big Polish communities North and East, <i>Lajkonik </i>presents Polish culture in quite a remote area of the United States, attracting a membership consisting primarily of non-Polish friends. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">They presented <i>Dances from Podlasie</i> and a Fosse Broadway tribute at the smaller concerts. At the final concerts they displayed a Suite of Rzeszów Dances choreographed by Artistic Director Matthew Schmit (based on the teaching of specialist Edward Hoffman) and <i>Bronco de Sonora</i>, a Mexican Suite from the Sonora Desert bordering with their state.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">”The Festival is a life changing experience, especially when it comes to the love of Polish culture,” said founder and director Joanna Schmit. “Seeing such a broad variety of dances and costumes presented by so many other professional level groups from all over the world makes young people truly realize the beauty of Polish culture and turns their liking into <i>loving</i> Polish dance. This festival is a fuel for new true ambassadors of Polish culture abroad.”</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Matthew and his assistant Amy got engaged in Poland. He proposed in the Kościół Mariacki Tower in Kraków, just before the Festival.</span></span></span><br />
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<span class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #f4cccc; font-size: small;"><b><i>Wesoły Lud – </i></b><b>Chicago</b></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: black; font-size: small;"><i>Wesoły Lud Polish Folk Dance Company</i> of the Polish Roman Catholic Union of America celebrated its 40th Anniversary in 2017 with a Gala Concert in April and continued its celebration in Rzeszów.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: black; font-size: small;">They presented an Opoczno suite, originally choreographed by Sławomir Mazurkiewicz, and adapted by Artistic Director and Choreographer Richard Jaminski, who also choreographed the fun-filled "Fiddlemania” – A Polish American Chicago Polka. The Founder, Manager and Honorary Artistic Director/Choreographer - Micheline Jaminski is a product of Alliance College and its folk group – <i>Kujawiaki</i>; she is currently Vice President of PRCUA. Richard was a dancer with the <i>Bandoska Ensemble</i> of Rzeszów and had been sent by his director Bożena Niżańska to be the choreographer of <i>Rzeszowiacy</i> in Chicago in 1985.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: black; font-size: small;">“The Rzeszow Festival is the Olympics of Polish Folk Dance Culture,” said Micheline Jaminski. “It is an honor to qualify, a privilege to participate, and an amazing experience for the participants, as well as the audience.”</span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilFqucbTBuaHcnmltX56IR2CPnSa_RGWsIU9HGNoiC8uvtQzq6Vm96BMnUEmAJwWOnspvdnCfsiVGcHYuMtOyOnwH-BU04l136HNjuxAodrK7SWQ4740hhE57VF7-1h4ryCrQhxAJnVZ4/s1600/20170810_083034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="614" data-original-width="765" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilFqucbTBuaHcnmltX56IR2CPnSa_RGWsIU9HGNoiC8uvtQzq6Vm96BMnUEmAJwWOnspvdnCfsiVGcHYuMtOyOnwH-BU04l136HNjuxAodrK7SWQ4740hhE57VF7-1h4ryCrQhxAJnVZ4/s320/20170810_083034.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fce5cd;"><i><span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 8pt; line-height: 107%;">Wesoły Lud </span></i><span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 8pt; line-height: 107%;">attends Sunday Mass at Rzeszów Cathedral.</span></span></span></td></tr>
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<span class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #f4cccc; font-size: small;"><b><i>Ojczyzna–</i></b><b>Baltimore</b></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: black; font-size: small;"><i>Ojczyzna Polish Dancers</i> of Baltimore, Maryland attended the festival for the first time. At the final concerts they performed a <i>Texas Two Step</i> to Mary Chapin Carpenter’s “Passionate Kisses,” and <i>Dances from Sącz</i>. Choreographer Dennis Klima, a graduate of the <i>Studium Folklorystyczne</i> in Lublin wanted to make sure the presentation was polished and authentic – down to how te women tied their kerchiefs. He wanted to honor his instructor in this region – Michalina Wojtas, who he knew would be in attendance.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzqcwMpKDENsZqLM6zZM3AcrE9cOlNtY0MI36wwMtS0B6RWSxqTM5YvCM0ctCq-LCu-joNnrSoMajPzgCu0gHhvxljyTpjbqyZojv94UBGX8fboiJ8yDDjTfc9KAJP4d4AZ_0GrMayI8M/s1600/20170810_075932.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1385" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzqcwMpKDENsZqLM6zZM3AcrE9cOlNtY0MI36wwMtS0B6RWSxqTM5YvCM0ctCq-LCu-joNnrSoMajPzgCu0gHhvxljyTpjbqyZojv94UBGX8fboiJ8yDDjTfc9KAJP4d4AZ_0GrMayI8M/s200/20170810_075932.jpg" width="172" /></a><span style="background-color: black; font-size: small;">”The Festival was lots of fun, but also long hours of practice. The majority of our group had never experienced anything like it, therefore they weren't sure what to expect,” said Malgorzata Bondyra, <i>Ojczyzn</i>a’s Managing Director. “For some, the hardest were “noisy” nights, while others rather enjoyed that. Dozens of dancers from around the world gathered each night in front of our residence to listen to the <i>Olza</i> <i>kapela</i> folk band play mountain style tunes. Very often, their music didn't end until 4 or5 am!”</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: black; font-size: small;">“As always, it was a great experience meeting new people, re-connecting with old friends, choreographers and instructors” said Rajtar. “It’s a justification for the years of doing this, and rekindles the passion to continue.” </span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jarek Luiken from the <i style="text-align: start;">Dolina Polish Folk Dancers </i><span style="text-align: start;">of Minnesota jumps
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<span class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i style="background-color: black;">Łemkowie</i><span style="background-color: black; color: #1a1a1a;"> </span><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fff2cc;">are an ethnic sub-group inhabiting a stretch of the Carpathian Mountains known as </span></span><span style="background-color: black;">Lemkivshchyna, but are also situated throughout Poland, due to relocation after WWII.</span><span style="background-color: black; color: #1a1a1a;"> </span><span style="background-color: black; color: #fff2cc;">Lemkivshchyna became part of </span><span style="background-color: black;">Poland in medieval Piast times. Lemkos became an ethnic minority as part of the Austria province of the Polish partition of Galicia in 1772.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: black; font-size: small;">As in history, the Lemko path is varied. Two ensembles paid tribute to this unique culture. <i>Wisła </i>from <span lang="PL">Kurytyba</span>, Brazil showed a slick, polished, styled and stylized Ukrainian-<i>esque</i> dance – borrowing more from Russia’s overly imagined Moiseyev <i>Dance Company</i> than traditional dance. It was brilliantly entertaining.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: black; font-size: small;">The <i>Karolinka Polish Folk Song and Dance Company </i>of London translated the Lemko culture into an artistically prepared stage presentation. It rang true and was an honest representation of the Lemko people.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCrVLht1fJrMWhjHmnzbhAFedgvVnzotOeRNJBXOX31W_Bd-t-Xbdht99IzFoHCcQb_yw9gjVRpH-u9AuBKmTvdmA2oDwRrnezFO1g60q3zxaKjnxNcGEMCpxqNdD9vbiQMmuD9B_q10M/s1600/Karolinka%252C+Lemko.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1040" data-original-width="655" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCrVLht1fJrMWhjHmnzbhAFedgvVnzotOeRNJBXOX31W_Bd-t-Xbdht99IzFoHCcQb_yw9gjVRpH-u9AuBKmTvdmA2oDwRrnezFO1g60q3zxaKjnxNcGEMCpxqNdD9vbiQMmuD9B_q10M/s320/Karolinka%252C+Lemko.jpg" width="201" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Romek Kutereba and Alex Leckie<br />
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<span class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: black; font-size: small;">“Every few years <i>Karolinka</i> takes on a new project. We choose a lesser known region and start to prepare a new suite to present especially at the Festival,” said Artistic Director Jola Kutereba. “We made use of the knowledge of Lemko ethnographer Jerzy Starzyński – who we invited to London to teach <i>Karolinka</i>.”</span></span></span><br />
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<span class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: black; font-size: small;">They picked the Nowy Sącz area of Lemko to concentrate on, and Starzyński helped them research the costumes to be specific to that locale. Aneta Ormanczyk, one of the ensemble’s upcoming instructors took the task of assembling the information and transferring it into choreography.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: black; font-size: small;">Jola continues the legacy of the ensemble’s founder, her mother – Pani Maura; she is a graduate of <i>Studium Folklorystyczne </i>and continues at other training courses in Poland. “It is really important for <i>Karolinka</i> to be authentic in its presentation of regional and national <i>Polskie tańce</i>,” she said. “The social history of dance plays just as important a role as the technical and folk aspect in the recreation of dances.”</span></span></span><br />
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<span class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="color: #f4cccc; font-size: small;"><b style="background-color: black;">Commentary </b></span></span></span><br />
<span class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: lime;"><i style="color: black; font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #93c47d; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">* due to space limitations the commentary did not appear in the print edition</span></i></span></b></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: black; font-size: small;">As I was not able to view the smaller concerts of the <i>zgrupowanie</i>, any opinion and conclusions can be drawn only based on the final concerts. Watching the festival from an</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fff2cc;"> internet perspective</span></span><span style="background-color: black;">, I was struck by the old saying: “one step forward; two steps back.” The mode was less on traditional and focused on entertainment at the cost of authenticity.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: black;">The level of technical prowess in lighting, sound and set staging, as well as the dancer’s technique far exceeds the kaleidoscopic folk marathons of the past, but in many cases the substance and content was uneven and greatly lacking. There was </span><span style="color: #fff2cc;"><span style="background-color: black;">the</span><span style="background-color: black;"> great, the good and the very questionable.</span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: black; font-size: small;">I understand the international politics involved regarding former territories of Poland and transplanted Poles from the war. The eastern groups, in particular, showed their dances, rather than Polish repertoire or were stylized beyond recognition. The emphasis was heavy on Ukrainian and Lithuanian themes. </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: black; font-size: small;">In addition to multiple repetitions of the same <i>kujawiak </i>– “Już nie będziesz moja” to accommodate all the dance groups, there was the segue-way “earworm” music of the Lemko tune “Тече вода коломутна” (Tecze woda kałamutna), that was continuously repeated as a transition throughout the program and between each<i> zgupowanie</i> break. This broke the flow of the program.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: black; font-size: small;">The two pseudo-Góralskie mountain dances – full of showmanship and tricks had no base in Podhalańskie folklore. One actually used recorded Disco Polo – Góral pop tunes as its accompaniment. There was a<i> </i>lovely choreographic novelty – a beautifully costumed <i>walc</i> with no base in authentic Polish folk culture, except that it was danced to <i>Mazowsze </i>and<i> Śląsk</i> songs. Another group mimicked a near-perfect replica of a dance confection from <i>Śląsk</i>’s repertoire – <i>Chustkowy.</i></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: black; font-size: small;">At the earlier festivals, they might not have known the difference – information was limited, but now with all the training courses and material available, there are no excuses.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: black; font-size: small;">In the<i> Dances of the World </i>concert, other than the endless display of plaid shirts, denim, cowboy boots and hats, many groups were performing dances with no connection to their country.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: black; font-size: small;">Noted instructors in Poland have questioned the material of some of the presentations and wonder why no one wants to listen to constructive criticism? Does the new generation not care about authenticity and accuracy, only their own artistic interpretation? In this “Dancing with the Stars” era of flash, I hope this trend will be dealt with in the future.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: black; font-size: small;">I am certain the organizers are pleased that there are still large numbers of groups willing to travel and participate, and that young people are still interested in being Polish and proud of their heritage.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: black; font-size: small;">Those groups that stayed the course – shined and maintained a top standing. </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: black; font-size: small;">2017 marks 48 years since the first festival and in order to celebrate its golden 50th jubilee, there is talk to move up the triennial festival to 2019 – just for this occasion.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: black; font-size: small;">The festival has attracted a particularly older generation of emigrants, according to which the event has become an element that motivates Polish youth to take over national and folk traditions. Besides religion, it is one of the few factors that unites Poles on foreign soil.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: black; font-size: small;">The Festival has raised the need for organizing folk festivals in North America.<span style="color: #372618;"> </span>It was in Rzeszów that in 1974 the idea of organizing Polish festivals in the United States of America was born. In July 1983, during the next festival, the <i>Polish Folk Dance Association of the Americas</i> (PFDAA) was founded. Polonia festivals in England, France, Canada, Lithuania, Russia, Sweden and Ukraine have also had similar inspirations.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: black; font-size: small;">Danny Pogoda summarized: "After attending the Festival and seeing over 1100 dancers performing together, it is easy to appreciate the words to the contemporary song " Bo wszyscy Polacy, to jedna rodzina" (because all Poles are one family).</span></span></span><br />
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Polish American Journal Todayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05026196765488014963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4941394628431466960.post-28018792235931235252017-09-30T06:51:00.001-07:002017-10-01T04:41:08.133-07:00ARTSBEAT: Ziemba on Broadway Once Again<div dir="auto">
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<span class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #fff2cc; font-family: sans-serif;">Karen Ziemba is returning to Broadway for the 11th time in <i>The Prince of Broadway</i>. The musical is a celebration of the legendary career of director/producer Hal Prince and opened at MTC’s Samuel J. Friedman Theatre in August. It will play through October 22.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background: rgb(0 , 0 , 0); font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #fff2cc;">The new musical features both biographical
material and songs from many of the shows that earned Prince a record 21 Tony
Awards, including West Side Story, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the
Forum, Fiddler on the Roof, Cabaret, Evita, Company, Follies, A Little Night
Music, Sweeney Todd, and The Phantom of the Opera, and is led by a 9-member
ensemble cast.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: #fff2cc; font-family: sans-serif;">Born in St. Joseph, Michigan, Ziemba made her Broadway debut in </span><i style="background-color: black; color: #fff2cc; font-family: sans-serif;">A Chorus Line</i><span style="background-color: black; color: #fff2cc; font-family: sans-serif;"> as Diana Morales. Later, she played the lead of Peggy Sawyer in </span><i style="background-color: black; color: #fff2cc; font-family: sans-serif;">42nd Street</i><span style="background-color: black; color: #fff2cc; font-family: sans-serif;">, Polly Baker in </span><i style="background-color: black; color: #fff2cc; font-family: sans-serif;">Crazy for You</i><span style="background-color: black; color: #fff2cc; font-family: sans-serif;">, Roxie Hart in </span><i style="background-color: black; color: #fff2cc; font-family: sans-serif;">Chicago</i><span style="background-color: black; color: #fff2cc; font-family: sans-serif;">, and Belle Hagner in </span><i style="background-color: black; color: #fff2cc; font-family: sans-serif;">Teddy & Alice</i><span style="background-color: black; color: #fff2cc; font-family: sans-serif;">. She has also graced the Broadway stage in the companies of Steel Pier, Never Gonna Dance, Curtains, and Bullets Over Broadway. She won the Tony Award for “Best Featured Actress in a Musical” for her performance in </span><i style="background-color: black; color: #fff2cc; font-family: sans-serif;">Contact</i><span style="background-color: black; color: #fff2cc; font-family: sans-serif;">, playing the role of "the timid, abused mafioso's wife."</span></div>
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Polish American Journal Todayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05026196765488014963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4941394628431466960.post-91118207771135600702017-09-30T06:50:00.003-07:002017-10-01T04:52:24.793-07:00ARTSBEAT: Two Crowns – a Docudrama about Fr. Kolbe<div dir="auto">
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<b style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><i>Dwie Korony</i></b><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"> (Two Crowns), a film
about the life of Fr. Maximilian Maria Kolbe, a Polish Catholic martyr who died
at Auschwitz concentration camp, received its world premiere in May at the
Marché du Film – the annual distributor showing at the 70th Cannes
Festival. It premiered in the United States on September 12 at the
Anthology Film Archives in Manhattan; followed with two weekends of showings at
Film Noir Cinemas in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, along with select showings in New
Jersey leading up to the Polish premiere on October 13; after which it will have screenings in Chicago.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Shot in
Poland, Italy and Japan, the cast includes prominent Polish actors Adam
Woronowicz, Cezary Pazura, Artur Barciś and Dominika Figurska. Kolbe became an
Auschwitz prisoner in 1941.The priest, who had German roots, refused an offer
to be added to a list of “ethnic-Germans.” He sheltered over 2,000 Jews in a
Polish monastery which German occupiers eventually shut down, and was
imprisoned. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">At Auschwitz, Kolbe offered to take the place of a fellow
prisoner randomly selected to receive the death penalty with nine others in
retribution for the escape of three prisoners. He spent two weeks without bread
and water in the camp’s starvation bunker, before being given a lethal
injection. He was canonized in 1982 by Pope John Paul II. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The feature-length
docudrama, directed by Michał Kondrat, depicts the life of Fr. Maximilian from
childhood to his heroic decision. The storyline is depicted by acting
scenes that are interspersed with interviews. "Maximilian did everything
for love of God and man, and his whole life was a beautiful story and adventure
with God," said Kondrat. “I am glad that through this film the world
and also Poland will have the chance to be re-acquainted with Father Kolbe’s
exceptional life.” </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The title was taken from the view Kolbe had in
childhood. The Blessed Mary appeared to him and asked him to choose one of two
crowns. He chose both - one white, symbolizing purity and the other red,
symbolizing suffering. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Two prior films on the subject were: Życie za Życie,
Maksymilian Kolbe (Life for Life) directed by Krzysztof Zanussi (1991), and
Mariusz Walter’s 1974 short filmScena Zbiorowa ze Świętym (Collective scenes
with a Saint). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Information on showings of <i>Dwie Korony</i> can be found at:
www.facebook.com/FilmDwieKorony </span></div>
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Polish American Journal Todayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05026196765488014963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4941394628431466960.post-8582256106433430602017-09-30T06:49:00.001-07:002017-10-01T04:55:15.687-07:00KULTURA: Celebrate with “The Kościuszko Bridge”<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Celebrate with “The </span></b><b><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Kościuszko Bridge”</span></b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf3cXp-g5lOlFyHL7zglZ7zdCr6IsCKFLaKKQRs4WIDw5S_1INC4Oik8WQTmgKjJLkjieH5eCmMeCNnY0ZU1Og9h3BDRnyro0lBHLIbbslheIK31_JgyfPGrBYBX4yB7tbLFT_I5LTV04/s1600/Ko%25C5%259Bciuszko+Bridge-Photo+Weronika+Kwiatkowska.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1143" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf3cXp-g5lOlFyHL7zglZ7zdCr6IsCKFLaKKQRs4WIDw5S_1INC4Oik8WQTmgKjJLkjieH5eCmMeCNnY0ZU1Og9h3BDRnyro0lBHLIbbslheIK31_JgyfPGrBYBX4yB7tbLFT_I5LTV04/s320/Ko%25C5%259Bciuszko+Bridge-Photo+Weronika+Kwiatkowska.jpg" width="228" /></a></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #555555; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">by Staś Kmieć<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After nearly three years of construction </span><span style="color: #525252; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">New York City’s new Kosciuszko Bridge, opened in April and the now </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">the newest Brooklyn cocktail celebrates that event.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“The Kosciuszko Bridge” is a cocktail created for <i>The Vodka Contract</i> – a special event from the Spring Spirits series at Brooklyn's Museum of Food & Drink under the auspices of the Polish Cultural Institute New York. Joining the spirits of two nations, this aromatic concoction is a melding of the Polish herbal Bison Grass vodka, <i>Żubrówka</i> with New York's own <i>Dorothy Parker Gin</i> and a splash of <i>Doc's Draft Cider</i>. Created by Joel Lee Kulp of Grand Ferry Tavern in Brooklyn, it's the perfect drink for welcoming the newest New York bridge and for saying goodbye to the old one. As the engineer responsible for the fortifications at West Point - Tadeusz Kosciuszko would have certainly approved.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Kościuszko Bridge</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">• 1oz - <i>Żubrówka</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">• 1oz - <i>Dorothy Parker Gin</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">• 1oz - Doc’s<i> Draft Cider</i></span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Combine all ingredients in mixing glass, stir over ice and strain into a chilled cocktail</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">glass. Garnish with dry bison grass or rhubarb peel.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“The word “bridge” (“most” in Polish) is very beautiful and has many connotations,” said Magdalena Mazurek, who is responsible for historical events at PCINY. “Kościuszko blew up a number of bridges, but he built many more. He tore down walls. He did his best to find common ground among people of different races and creeds. He addressed the least fortunate.” Kościuszko said: “Each of us is born equal. Only education creates a difference.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For insights into the world of Polish spirits and cuisine join the Polish Cultural Institute New York's Polish Culinary Event at the New School for Social Research on November 6. <i><a href="http://www.polishculture-nyc.org/" style="color: #00a8ff; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">www.polishculture-nyc.org</a></i></span></div>
Polish American Journal Todayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05026196765488014963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4941394628431466960.post-34025409045526639552017-09-30T06:48:00.001-07:002017-10-01T05:07:10.257-07:00KULTURA: Polish tartan registered in Scotland<div>
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<span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A tartan design celebrating the cultural partnership between Kraków and Edinburgh has been officially added to the Scottish Register of Tartans, one of only a handful of tartans representing districts outside the Commonwealth.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: #fff2cc; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Designed by Edinburgh’s Alex Imrie, Poland’s first tartan, was selected by the residents of Kraków as one that “best represented the spirit” of Kraków. The tartan’s pattern is large to represent Kraków’s Old Town square and colors reflect the Polish and Scottish flags. It is being made in Scotland in one of its last remaining traditional weaving mills.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: #fff2cc; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The competition for Kraków’s tartan, which saw 26 entrants shortlisted to five before Imrie's design won an online poll, was organized by the cities of Kraków and Edinburgh, the Scottish-Polish Cultural Association, and the Consulate of the Republic of Poland in Edinburgh.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: #fff2cc; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Edinburgh's lord provost will present it to Kraków’s mayor on October 1st, a day after a film of its production is screened in Kraków’s Mały Rynek during the Scottish Tartan Festival in the historic Polish city.</span></div>
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Polish American Journal Todayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05026196765488014963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4941394628431466960.post-35863611440193178782017-09-30T06:47:00.002-07:002017-10-01T05:06:22.554-07:00KULTURA: Polish Sisters launch Polish Pride Apparel <div>
<b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">Polish Sisters launch Polish Pride Apparel </span></b><br />
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">Anna and Patricia Lakomy have launched a modern and patriotic apparel line – <i>Apolonia</i>, for other Polish-Americans. “It’s not what you wear, but being proud of who you are” reads Apolonia’s slogan. Their original, top selling design is the Polish-American Lips. These are white and red, just like the Polish flag and are available in many styles. </span><br />
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">Originally from NYC, the sisters were raised by Polish immigrant parents who came into the country as political refugees. Currently, the family resides in Connecticut. Anna is a graduate of the University of Connecticut and Patricia currently attends Southern Connecticut State University. Both sisters attended Saturday Polish schools – thanks to which they are bilingual. </span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">The Lakomy sisters said: “No matter where life takes us a piece of our hearts will always be in Poland. We celebrate that unique part of us with Apolonia.” Their designs can be seen on </span><i><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><a href="https://teespring.com/stores/apoloniaapparel" style="color: #00a8ff; font-family: AktivGrotesk, sans-serif; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">https://teespring.com/stores/apoloniaapparel</a></span></i><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">.</span></div>
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<br />Polish American Journal Todayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05026196765488014963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4941394628431466960.post-20444595992525025572017-09-30T06:46:00.004-07:002017-10-01T04:56:45.622-07:00ARTSBEAT - Film Preview: The Good Maharaja<div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The film <i>The Good Maharaja</i>, an Indian-Polish production set for a 2018 release tells the true story of how Maharaja Jam Sahib of Nawanagar she<span class="textexposedshow">ltered 1,000 abandoned Polish children in his princely state in British India during World War II. It features Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt in the titular role.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Director Omung Kumar <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">has been working on the </span>big-budget period drama<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"> for over 1 ½ years, and intends for it to span across continents. "We have photographs of the Maharaja for reference. We will take certain creative liberties but are trying to keep things as authentic as possible,” said Kumar. “I wanted to direct this film because it's a superb story."</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Poland's parliament last year passed a resolution in honor of the Maharaja on the 50th anniversary of his death. </span></div>
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Polish American Journal Todayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05026196765488014963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4941394628431466960.post-79269097210213843622017-09-30T06:44:00.002-07:002017-10-01T05:04:48.426-07:00PAJ FEATURE: Shh — Librarians Meet in Poland<div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Over
3,100 top-level library and information science and technology professionals
met in Poland for the International Federation of Library Associations and
Institutions 83rd World Library and Information Congress. Opening ceremonies
included performances by groups from the 122 participating countries.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">$31.1
Million Gates Grant Announced as Librarians from<br />
Around the World Unite in Poland around a Global Vision</span></i><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">WROCŁAW, Poland — Nothing short of a
unified global vision for the role of libraries around the world will satisfy
the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA),
and a $31.1 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is now
about to make that vision a reality.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Capping a 15-country $13.5 million
investment in the foundation’s “Global Libraries” program, the grant to IFLA
aims to improve the lives of 1 billion “information poor” by positioning the
world’s 320,000 public libraries as “critical community assets and providers of
information through relevant technologies” by 2030.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The grant was announced in Wrocław,
where some 330 Americans registered for IFLA’s 83rd World Library and
Information Congress, August 19-26. The Congress is the world’s largest such
gathering, bringing together 3,100 top-level library and information science
and technology professionals from academic, public, school, medical, technical,
and government libraries from 122 countries. Bringing the weeklong IFLA
congress to Poland was something of a coup for the Congress organizers,
providing an opportunity to showcase Poland’s blossoming economy. The abundance
of consumer goods evident in post-communist Poland belies the urgent need for
information professionals in government and business to harness information
technology in the service of education, economic development, and democracy.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">“Where were you going, Poland, before
you were so rudely interrupted?” asked Richard Butterwick-Pawlikowski during
his keynote address. The professor of Polish-Lithuanian history at University
College London summarized hundreds of years of Polish history during which the
“interruptions” of war and foreign domination prevented Poland from “moving
toward modernity without autocratic monarchs or violent revolution.” He reminded
the international audience that the democratic Polish Constitution of 1791 was
the second such document in the world, preceded only by the American
Constitution that went into effect in 1789.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Digitization of rare and unique library
and archival material is accelerating in Poland at breakneck speed, said
Krzysztof Szubert, a strategist for Poland’s Ministry of Digital Affairs, who
pointed out that Poland currently has the distinction of being the fourth
fastest growing economy in the European Union and is looking toward a “digital
data driven future” where “data is a catalyst for economic growth.” Ensuring
that information is freely accessible for public use in libraries and archives
is one of IFLA’s core values, but the ministry, like the library federation,
must also support equitable copyright law that is fair to those who create the
data in the first place.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Among the delegates from the United
States were members of the Polish American Librarians Association (PALA),
including President Leonard Kniffel of Chicago, Vice President and President
Elect Ewa Barczyk of Milwaukee, Krystyna Matusiak of Denver, and Iwona Bozek
and Krystyna Grell from the Polish Museum of America Library in Chicago. They
helped staff the American Library Association exhibition booth and disseminated
material from Polish libraries and cultural institutions in the United States.
Marek Sroka of the University of Illinois Library delivered a paper about his
research into a little-remembered Rockefeller Foundation project that funded
the rehabilitation of Eastern European libraries following World War II.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The congress began with country caucuses
designed to give delegates an opportunity to strategize, and for seven-year-old
PALA it was an opportunity to recruit members and remind American delegates
that Polish people have lived in the United States for over 400 years,
beginning in 1608 in the Jamestown Colony, and there are some 10 million
Americans of Polish descent in the United States today, making it the largest
diaspora of Poles in the world. One of the goals of PALA is to have a positive
impact on library collections and services to the Polish American community and
on the representation of Polish history and culture in the collections,
programs, and services of our nation’s libraries.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">IFLA in Poland was a rare opportunity
for U.S. librarians to learn from their Polish colleagues. A mere 20 years ago,
a meeting of the library federation in Poland seemed like a pipe dream to many
Polish and Polish American librarians, but change has been strong and steady.
The library profession’s most important international organization, IFLA has
held its annual congress only twice before in Poland during its 80-year
history. The other conferences occurred in 1936 and 1959, both in Warsaw. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">IFLA in Wrocław was also an opportunity
to raise awareness outside the Polish community. Members of the American
delegation began the congress by trying to learn how to pronounce Wrocław,
which invariably led to laughter and then into a serious exploration of the
city’s history and architecture and pre-World War II life as the German city of
Breslau. A narrated interpretation of Wrocław’s checkered history through dance
and music — as well as a cultural evening with a light show and an elaborate
array of Polish food, from peasant to haute cuisine — made Wrocław’s historic
and technologically well-equipped Centennial Hall (a UNESCO World Heritage
Site), the ideal venue the Congress, which convenes annually in a different
spot around the world. Next year’s congress will meet in Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The exhibition boasted some 60
exhibitors — high-tech companies, university presses, and professional
associations, including the Polish Library Association, which is headquartered
in Warsaw. Around its periphery, 248 sessions involved the delegates in seminars,
meetings, and presentations that fostered discussion of the similarities
between libraries, no matter where in the world they are located.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Rafał Dutkiewicz, mayor of Wrocław;
Tomasz Makowski, director of the National Library; and Elżbieta Stefańczyk,
president of the Polish Library Association greeted the delegates, and IFLA
President Donna Scheeder of the Library of Congress in Washington D.C. presided
over the general sessions. PALA members met with Stefańczyk and mapped out a
strategy for cooperation that will benefit Polish and Polish American
librarians and library patrons. The Polish Museum of America Library in
Chicago, for example, holds many books and materials that are not available in
Poland because of the destruction that occurred during World War II. The Polish
Library Association, on the other hand, has Polish genealogical and historical
resources and connections that American librarians could use to help their
patrons with genealogical and scholarly research.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">At the closing session, Mayor Dutkiewicz
praised the congress theme: “Libraries. Solidarity. Society.” and the national
pride so evident throughout the event, but he warned that the wave of
“nationalism” that seems to be sweeping over the world is quite another matter,
and librarians seem to know the difference. “Nationalism is like a sweaty man
who needs to take a shower,” he asserted. “Take a shower Europe. Take a shower
Poland,” he said.” Having just launched the quest for a unified vision for
libraries, the audience cheered Dutkiewicz with a standing ovation.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Librarians and library supporters alike
can learn more about the Polish American Library Association on its website at <a href="http://www.palalib.org/" id="Text2183Link1" style="cursor: pointer;" target="_blank"><span style="color: red; text-decoration-line: none;">www.PALAlib.org</span></a>,
the American Library Association at <a href="http://www.ala.org/" id="Text2183Link2" style="cursor: pointer;" target="_blank"><span style="color: red; text-decoration-line: none;">www.ALA.org</span></a>,
the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions at <a href="http://www.ifla.org/" id="Text2183Link3" style="cursor: pointer;" target="_blank"><span style="color: red; text-decoration-line: none;">www.IFLA.org</span></a>,
and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Global Libraries at <a href="http://www.gatesfoundation.org/" id="Text2183Link4" style="cursor: pointer;" target="_blank"><span style="color: red; text-decoration-line: none;">www.GatesFoundation.org</span></a>.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Polish American Journal Todayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05026196765488014963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4941394628431466960.post-47817898213827248542017-09-30T06:43:00.001-07:002017-10-01T09:51:51.879-07:00BOOKS: Henry: A Polish Swimmer’s True Story of Friendship from Auschwitz to America<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuRt-97xSRXrrCZFUO5Edcaem0umpjzXHjnbI1fkSpn0iR-dBRLV4VfMG2W8rgaQ26_wdQo96OsLlFC5yEBABek-w8-qGr0JQShiJMJTyib5VesMorKZR60XP3aRxc_Ok0P2iUFJhqYIY/s1600/61MuFtJp5FL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1360" data-original-width="907" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuRt-97xSRXrrCZFUO5Edcaem0umpjzXHjnbI1fkSpn0iR-dBRLV4VfMG2W8rgaQ26_wdQo96OsLlFC5yEBABek-w8-qGr0JQShiJMJTyib5VesMorKZR60XP3aRxc_Ok0P2iUFJhqYIY/s320/61MuFtJp5FL.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">by Katrina Shawver</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Koehlerbooks 2017, 308 pgs.</span></b></div>
<div class="2017_body_text" style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5em; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 19px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Drawing on numerous interviews, primary documents, and photographs, Katrina Shawver presents the harrowing experience of Henry Zguda, a seemingly ordinary man with an extraordinary past. Shawver first met Henry when he was eighty-five, first interviewing him in the hopes of writing an article for a newspaper. She saw that his story was far deeper than one article could ever encompass. What resulted was the book, <i>Henry: A Polish Swimmer’s True Story of Friendship from Auschwitz to America, </i>a true story about a survivor of the most notorious Nazi concentration camps, Auschwitz and Buchenwald.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Henry grew up in Krakow and as a young man joined the YMCA. Zguda was first drawn to basketball, but when he learned that members of the swim team had their fees waived he switched sports. In doing so he immersed himself into the world of competitive swimming and water polo. To earn a living, Henry took a job working for a seed company, doing everything from hauling seeds to supervising a team of women. This simple blissful of life came to an end September 1, 1939, with the Nazi invasion of Poland. Despite the oppressive regime Zguda was able to continue working to support his mother. For three years Henry lived like this until 1942 when he was arrested on suspicion of being part of the Polish Underground. After being interrogated and not producing any useful information, Zguda was sent to Auschwitz. Through smarts and luck, Henry managed to survive in the death camp, rising from a potato peeler to one of the camp’s cooks.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Interspersed with Henry’s stories are Shawver’s descriptions of her research and her own discovery of Polish history. On her own, she visited the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum to go through archival records and tour the former concentration camp. She also delved into the National Archives in College Park, Maryland searching the original photographs from Dauchau and Buchenwald to further Henry’s story.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Wisely, Shawver chose to not guide Henry in the interviews. This leads to interesting side stories, at times jumping through the years and touching on various topics from the boxing matches that the Germans organized in the camps and a secret murder plot.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">He also described being able to send letters from Auschwitz.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Once a month, or every six weeks, you could write a letter. These were official letters on camp paper. They gather us all in one room and give us like ten pencils for three hundred guys. You cannot write whatever you wanted to. Every letter had to begin with: I feel good. I am very glad I am here … I have to figure out what to say. How are you? How is the uncle? I had many uncles, but ‘the uncle’ was the phrase I used to refer to the underground.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After liberation, Henry would move to the United States where he met and married his wife in New York. In 1963 he became a citizen.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Through all his hardships Henry Zguda never lost hope or his sense of humor which is present throughout the book. This is a much-needed addition to your library.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Katrina Shawver has a B.A. in English/Political Science from the University of Arizona. She has written hundreds of newspaper columns for <i>The Arizona Republic </i>as well as various other occupations. She lives in Phoenix with her husband.</span></div>
Polish American Journal Todayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05026196765488014963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4941394628431466960.post-35244213345543948532017-09-30T06:28:00.001-07:002017-09-30T07:13:47.453-07:00ARTSBEAT: Indecent on Broadway (Review)<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal;">
The new Broadway play <i>Indecent</i> takes an impressionistic look at a controversial moment in Broadway history. </div>
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The play is based on the events surrounding Polish-Jewish writer Sholem<b> </b>Asch’s groundbreaking 1907 Yiddish masterwork <i>God of Vengeance </i>(<i>Got fun nekome</i>) <i>– </i>from its inception in Warsaw, Poland and its evolution throughout Europe and the Lower East Side to its explosive run on the Great White Way in 1923, and beyond. In Europe, the play was popular enough to be translated into Polish, German, Russian, Hebrew, Italian, Czech and Norwegian. </div>
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It was a controversial play when <a href="https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/the-god-of-vengeance-9166" style="color: #00a8ff; font-family: AktivGrotesk, sans-serif; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: windowtext;">it </span></a>was translated into English and bowed at the Apollo Theatre on West 42nd St. Set in a brothel, the play includes Jewish prostitutes, the first lesbian kiss on a Broadway stage, and the hurling of a Torah across the stage. The run was cut short by six weeks when the cast and producer were arrested, jailed, indicted and convicted on obscenity charges. The conviction was successfully appealed. Later, it was performed as an act of artistic affirmation in an attic in the Łódz Ghetto of German-occupied Poland during World War II.</div>
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With music and humor, <i>Indecent</i> explores the loss of Yiddish theater and the ever-changing mores of audiences. Playwright Paula Vogel, also a Pulitzer winner is marking her Broadway debut and provides the voice and structure from which the story can be told. <i>Indecent </i>examines artistic struggles, but it is an immigrant story about a time in America when immigrants were being pushed out.</div>
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The superb 7-member ensemble portrays multiple roles and is accompanied by a klezmer band of 3 onstage musicians – playing a variety of instruments. The production is enhanced by the intricate and often symbolic direction by Rebecca Taichman and choreography by David Dorfman. Some of the characters are composites, while most are real-life figures. Screen projections guide the audience through the constant shift in personae.</div>
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Based on the real-life "Ararat" Jewish Kleinkunst Theatre of Łódź, a theater troupe of actors rising from the ashes tell the story behind <i>God of Vengeance. </i>The fictional Lemml, a former tailor and now stage manager, who functions as the narrator/master of ceremonies, along with the imagined company of<i> </i>Vera, Otto, Halina, Mendel, Chana and Avram (portrayed by Richard Topol, Mimi Lieber, Tom Nellis, Katrina Lenk, Steven Rattazzi, Adina Verson and Max Gordon Moore) propel the story – making an indelible and lingering impression.</div>
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The production received three Tony Award nominations, with Rebecca Taichman winning in the "Best Direction of a Play category and Christopher Akerlind for "Lighting Design."</div>
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<i>Indecent</i> will end its run at the Cort Theatre on August 6 and is sure to enjoy subsequent new stagings at regional theaters across the United States.</div>
<br />Polish American Journal Todayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05026196765488014963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4941394628431466960.post-13796716405977628372017-09-30T06:26:00.003-07:002017-09-30T06:26:58.655-07:00Polish Philosopher and Psychologist Receive Irena Sendler AwardPolish American Journal Todayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05026196765488014963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4941394628431466960.post-86188190417853356222017-09-30T06:25:00.002-07:002017-09-30T06:25:57.384-07:00ARTSBEAT: "The Polka King" – A Story of RedemptionPolish American Journal Todayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05026196765488014963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4941394628431466960.post-8453325208468204312017-09-30T04:51:00.000-07:002017-09-30T05:03:49.338-07:00NEWS REPORT: Will Fairy Tale Białowieża forest survive?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9NBmlpDFZyqMYJB6GlvLYaKdsIvaefAclDdgA_oEePy2INLulepQy6TnnTxa4EEaDRKnm4bMn7fskjY5mvhxBqUlxM3XGy3fh_GpBWDXharNfwTVWGkqVHUkTm9XreEZ-ZYHIsGqfy2s/s1600/20170908_180941.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="970" data-original-width="1271" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9NBmlpDFZyqMYJB6GlvLYaKdsIvaefAclDdgA_oEePy2INLulepQy6TnnTxa4EEaDRKnm4bMn7fskjY5mvhxBqUlxM3XGy3fh_GpBWDXharNfwTVWGkqVHUkTm9XreEZ-ZYHIsGqfy2s/s320/20170908_180941.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: #ffe599; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Campaigners
in Poland are worried about the future of one of Europe's last
primeval forests, as the Polish government defies an </span><span style="background-color: black; color: #ffe599; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">European Union</span><span style="background-color: black; color: #ffe599; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> order to stop
logging there.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #ffe599; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Primeval
forest like Białowieża in Poland once covered the European plain 10,000 years
ago, the forest and the rare species that call it home are nearly all that's
left. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">It is habitat to 20,000 animal species, including 250 types
of bird and hundreds of European bison, along with towering firs, oaks and
ashes.</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #ffe599; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Designated a UNESCO World
Heritage site in 1979, the forest </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">blankets
the border between Poland and Belarus, but on the Polish side the forest has
become a battleground. The country's Nationalist government has brought heavy-duty
harvesters into <span style="color: #404040;">Białowieża</span>; they claim it is to tackle a bark beetle infestation, but
environmentalists backed by the EU say that is a smoke screen for
commercial logging. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #ffe599; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">It
was Environment Minister Jan Szyszko’s decision to triple the amount of logging
back in 2016. </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Szyszko said the operation was aimed at
protecting sites of great heritage value that are part of Natura 2000, an EU
network set up to preserve Europe’s most valuable and threatened species and
habitats.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: #ffe599; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">In August, the European
court of justice ordered Poland to stop logging. “I didn't expect them to withdraw; I thought
maybe they would try to hide their activity for maybe one week, but that didn't
happen,” said Jakub Rok, an environmental researcher and activist. “Just a few days after the decision, they
were already working exactly the same way.”
An act of defiance like this by a European member state is
unprecedented.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5dfb8LHe1AMP2jrmdfDZ_xpvQeyXKC4AbObXuvhTPRJB_4-0dmNaOUE-eyO2gqgjOg2uVO0H-8_7D8YrlOM2H9DDc0JqxrOvGcDzJIEmVcE86vn4ZmAUeCFhRYfcTAsoaN0Sd2DcMp68/s1600/20170908_181016.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #ffe599; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1310" data-original-width="1585" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5dfb8LHe1AMP2jrmdfDZ_xpvQeyXKC4AbObXuvhTPRJB_4-0dmNaOUE-eyO2gqgjOg2uVO0H-8_7D8YrlOM2H9DDc0JqxrOvGcDzJIEmVcE86vn4ZmAUeCFhRYfcTAsoaN0Sd2DcMp68/s320/20170908_181016.png" width="320" /></span></span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: #ffe599; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Activists have been
trying to block the harvesters for months. “Our aim is to protect the forest
and our tool is using nonviolent direct action,” said Rok. They thought the
court ruling would stop the logging, but it makes allowances for public safety
– a technicality that was used by the government.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #ffe599; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The fact is that there
is a beetle infestation in </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Białowieża</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">; dead spruce trees are everywhere, it's just
most scientists don't believe that's necessarily a problem. “We, as scientists
don’t see any danger, any threat to the forest,” said Rafal Kowalczyk, Head of
the Mammal Research Institute.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: #ffe599; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">“The larger part of the
natural section of the forest was never planted by humans. In this forest,
there are also spruce trees dying. The
large amount is very important in a natural forest, because there is a lot of
biological diversity linked to the dead wood.
They [the ministry] are using the bark beetle outbreak as a reason for
the logging, which is not true.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: #ffe599; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> “We need to halt this [bark beetle] disease in
its tracks,” said Poland’s environment minister Jan Szyszko. “We need to ensure
that there is a healthy logging of trees, something that is planned. We want to
protect priority habitats for the EU. We are trying to improve and correct the
situation.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #ffe599; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">The
only published inventory shows that nearly half of the trees earmarked for
logging may be non-spruce varieties, which have been unaffected by the beetle
outbreak. Environmental campaigners warn that the tree chopping will </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">destroy an ecosystem unspoiled for more than 10,000 years<span style="color: #333333;">.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #ffe599; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The protection of the </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Białowieża</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> Forest dates back to the
14th century. It is now protected by several Polish, European and international
protected area systems such as UNESCO World Heritage List and Natura 2000. 17%
of the Polish side of the Forest is also a national park, although for more
than 20 years scientists and experts have recommended the protection of the
entire Bialowieza Forest as a national park.</span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJPVL7RG1Pe1hBdx6kn5gjMsL9uso3g0GndROinMYti7Y5eiyY6iJ8wqxfxjaW6cGO4GJXe90VV9ExqgLS-rxTOLo10mH8hFOt0rnji8-2nshOd2g67e7LrLdmQ3H2dpiuG1lEdK255D0/s1600/Ols-w-BPN-w-kwietniu-copyright-Jan-Walencik-2009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #ffe599; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1181" data-original-width="1575" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJPVL7RG1Pe1hBdx6kn5gjMsL9uso3g0GndROinMYti7Y5eiyY6iJ8wqxfxjaW6cGO4GJXe90VV9ExqgLS-rxTOLo10mH8hFOt0rnji8-2nshOd2g67e7LrLdmQ3H2dpiuG1lEdK255D0/s320/Ols-w-BPN-w-kwietniu-copyright-Jan-Walencik-2009.jpg" width="320" /></span></span></a></div>
<span style="color: #ffe599; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #f1c232;"><o:p></o:p><br /></span></span>
</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: #ffe599; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">“I'm really frustrated
that I'm a witness of something which is irreversible,” said Arkadiusz Smyk, a
local anti-logging group member. “If you
convert a natural forest into a regular managed forest, you make this forest
exactly the same as other forests in Europe.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: #ffe599; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The real tragedy is that
somewhere amidst the politics. a unique forest is being destroyed and its value
remains the one thing all sides can agree on.
Will this unique forest survive the fight for its future? It's about the forest; the forest must win.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: #ffe599; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #ffe599; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">To show your support of
the </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Białowieża Forest in
Poland, log onto: </span><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">www.ilovebialowieza.com<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #ffe599; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #ffe599; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #f1c232;"><br /></span></span>
</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #ffe599; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">-- Based on recent reports by the BBC and other
sources</span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
Polish American Journal Todayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05026196765488014963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4941394628431466960.post-88628332223662979602017-09-23T15:08:00.000-07:002017-09-30T04:58:33.218-07:00Helpful Books on Polish Genealogy<div class="2017_body_text" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5em; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 19px;">
<b>by Stephen M. Szabados</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh-ctWYmJPO9wEcbMLW2sWBJaGM5SJgt9Zn3ydii0YnEGANj5aWl6VxY3s69trHDgHI52-eVW1_NYzJvYGfTD9EnY6Hl6KSsQVr0FZHd1YeVGvGBSICDLXWPx4R47644DBEmPbESjE44U/s1600/Genealogy_pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="793" data-original-width="1037" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh-ctWYmJPO9wEcbMLW2sWBJaGM5SJgt9Zn3ydii0YnEGANj5aWl6VxY3s69trHDgHI52-eVW1_NYzJvYGfTD9EnY6Hl6KSsQVr0FZHd1YeVGvGBSICDLXWPx4R47644DBEmPbESjE44U/s320/Genealogy_pic.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="2017_body_text" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5em; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 19px;">
Books on Polish genealogy are another important element in developing your genealogy research skills. <i>Polish Roots 2nd Edition </i>by Rosemary Chorzempa and <i>Going Home: A Guide to Polish American Family History Research </i>by Jonathan Shea have proven to be reference volumes explaining many of the Polish documents that are available. <i>Sto Lat: A Modern Guide To Polish Genealogy </i>by Cecile Wendt Jensen and my book Polish Genealogy: <i>Four Steps to Success </i>present plans to logically do Polish genealogically research.</div>
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The challenges of translating your Polish records can be reduced by using the glossaries found in Jonathan Shea’s book <i>Going Home: A Guide to Polish American Family History Research </i>and the series he wrote with William Hoffman <i>In Their Words – Polish, Latin, and Russian. </i>If you find Polish records in the narrative format, you will find <i>A Translation Guide to 19th Century Polish-Language Civil-Registration Documents </i>by Judith R. Frazin is an excellent user-friendly and practical resource.</div>
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<b>Basic Research</b><br />
<i>Polish Genealogy: Four Steps to Success </i>by Stephen Szabados: Offers a logical process to approach Polish genealogical research. This book is designed to give the researcher the tools needed to research their Polish ancestors and find possible answers to the origins of their Polish heritage. The book also lists many sources of information that will add to their family history; identify where their ancestors were born and where to find their Polish records.</div>
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<i>A Modern Guide to Polish Genealogy </i>by Cecile (Ceil) Wendt Jensen: The author offers a plan for researching at least one hundred years of family records, and is a compilation of the author’s techniques. Common research questions are answered and suggestions are offered to help novice and advanced researchers find ancestors in both North America and Poland.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGvMnqQYH_hjWDkxkRDFIi1W8lFFuksPXHc3rEyK5jXRkfIY4TuXLWItNzwxI3jI3efajNUoSWg2Kpi4ktc9D-goGt9ovznx4yLHTyWF_joSkzDxlbUyzBOieZrG0o6tnmZnZJHFFj1kM/s1600/genealogy-photo-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="256" data-original-width="640" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGvMnqQYH_hjWDkxkRDFIi1W8lFFuksPXHc3rEyK5jXRkfIY4TuXLWItNzwxI3jI3efajNUoSWg2Kpi4ktc9D-goGt9ovznx4yLHTyWF_joSkzDxlbUyzBOieZrG0o6tnmZnZJHFFj1kM/s320/genealogy-photo-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Long-term Reference</b><br />
<i>Going Home: A Guide to Polish American Family History Research </i>by Jonathan Shea: An indispensable reference book that covers every possible topic on Polish genealogy: history, gazetteers, maps, vocabulary lists, Polish surnames, archives.</div>
<div class="2017_body_text" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5em; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 19px;">
<i>Polish Roots 2nd Edition </i>by Rosemary A. Chorzempa: This book examines Polish American resources such as family papers and standard records employed in genealogical research. Also, lists libraries and archives where information can be found.</div>
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<b>Translations</b><br />
<i>In Their Words </i>by Jonathan D. Shea and William F. Hoffman: This is a three book series covering the three of the languages used to created Polish records (Polish, Latin, and Russian). The records reviewed are not just birth, marriage and death records but also passports, obituaries, population registers, and military service records. Also includes information on the different alphabets, spelling, pronunciation, and standard handwriting for the three languages.</div>
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<i>A Translation Guide to 19th Century Polish-Language Civil-Registration Documents </i>by Judith R. Frazin: The 472-page book includes a step-by-step guide on how to divide each narrative document into a series of “mini-documents”; seven sample documents with important words and the information which follows these words highlighted; and fifteen topical vocabulary lists.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFwqW8NTJXQjb3OTtkF_N06V_fNefxBrMSCy6XVfy2mni7b1uQHXxAyXNOy2QfGtrW-l9ImJf1aMK7BuHCY6u5ksq12juk8mOkfsGBxWfnTAUsTPw09EON_5H2lEhV4zM4J_xc5E2hs70/s1600/Genealogy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1211" data-original-width="1600" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFwqW8NTJXQjb3OTtkF_N06V_fNefxBrMSCy6XVfy2mni7b1uQHXxAyXNOy2QfGtrW-l9ImJf1aMK7BuHCY6u5ksq12juk8mOkfsGBxWfnTAUsTPw09EON_5H2lEhV4zM4J_xc5E2hs70/s320/Genealogy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Additional books that I have found useful in my Polish genealogical research and writing my family histories include:</div>
<ul style="font-family: arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px;">
<li class="2017_body_text" style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #cccccc;"><i>The Study of Obituaries as a Source for Polish Genealogical Research </i>by Thomas E Golembiewski</span></li>
<li class="2017_body_text" style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #cccccc;"><i>Polish Customs, Traditions and Folklore </i>by Sophie Hodorowicz Knab</span></li>
<li class="2017_body_text" style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #cccccc;"><i>Polish Immigrants and Industrial Chicago: Workers on The South Side, 1880-1922 </i>(1991) by Pacyga, Dominic A</span></li>
<li class="2017_body_text" style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #cccccc;"><i>Forgotten Doors, The Other Ports of Entry to the United States </i>edited by M. Mark Stolarik</span></li>
<li class="2017_body_text" style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #cccccc;"><i>Daily Life in Immigrant America 1870-1920 </i>by June Granatir Alexander, Ivan R Dee</span></li>
<li class="2017_body_text" style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #cccccc;"><i>God’s Playground: A History of Poland </i>by Norman Davies</span></li>
</ul>
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Also, do not forget books on Polish communities and neighborhoods:</div>
<ul style="font-family: arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px;">
<li class="2017_body_text" style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #cccccc;"><i>Detroit’s Polonia (Mich.)</i> (Images of America) by Cecile Wendt Jensen</span></li>
<li class="2017_body_text" style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #cccccc;"><i>A History of Polish-Americans in Pittsfield, Mass., 1862-1945 </i>by Florence Waszkelewicz Clowes</span></li>
<li class="2017_body_text" style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #cccccc;"><i>Chicago’s Polish Downtown</i> (Images of America) by Victoria Granacki</span></li>
<li class="2017_body_text" style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #cccccc;"><i>Avondale and Chicago’s Polish Village </i>by Jacob Kaplan, Daniel Pogorzelski, Rob Reid, Elisa Addlesperger, Dominic Pacyga.</span></li>
<li class="2017_body_text" style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #cccccc;"><i>Polish Community of New Britain </i>(Images of America) by Jonathan Shea and Barbara Proko</span></li>
<li class="2017_body_text" style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #cccccc;"><i>Toledo’s Polonia</i> (Ohio) (Images of America) by Rev. Richard Philiposki and Toledo Polish Genealogical Society</span></li>
</ul>
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Now sit back, read, and enjoy your Polish heritage.</div>
<div class="2017_body_text" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5em; list-style-type: none;">
<i>Stephen M. Szabados is a prominent genealogist, and the author of four books, “Finding Grandma’s European Ancestors,” “Find Your Family History,” “Polish Genealogy,” and “Memories of Dziadka.”</i></div>
Polish American Journal Todayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05026196765488014963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4941394628431466960.post-34627778128445757282017-09-23T13:13:00.000-07:002017-09-30T04:59:21.565-07:00BOOK REVIEW: SEPTEMBER 2017 A Minor Apocalypse: Warsaw during the First World War by Robert Blobaum<div>
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<b>Cornell University Press, 2017, 320 pgs.</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6O2rpkKeEoC-5RKF3_r3ZSzxWG7Sd-y1ggw6CskCqSLqwboDVMVuB01Fr2cTxCS2NDtnWPYHiP4B5SWXzQ-eOgTlvYDoBBYfkdIVc2gt2PM2AuFLnqf2RtrTYRQQu4UI8z9WU1eDJ7tQ/s1600/9781501705236.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; font-size: 10px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1198" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6O2rpkKeEoC-5RKF3_r3ZSzxWG7Sd-y1ggw6CskCqSLqwboDVMVuB01Fr2cTxCS2NDtnWPYHiP4B5SWXzQ-eOgTlvYDoBBYfkdIVc2gt2PM2AuFLnqf2RtrTYRQQu4UI8z9WU1eDJ7tQ/s320/9781501705236.jpg" width="213" /></a>During World War II, Warsaw was decimated by the Germans and the Soviets. Around 84% of the city was destroyed. It is estimated that between 150,000 and 250,000 were killed in the Warsaw Uprising. Before that, however, Warsaw also experienced another tragedy. During the First World War, it suffered hardships that caused mass starvation and outbreaks of diseases that devastated the city. Robert Blobaum calls what Warsaw went through, “a minor apocalypse.”</div>
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After the outbreak of what was then known as the Great War, Warsaw was put under extreme military restriction. Warsaw was not yet part of a free and independent Poland; before the war it was known as the third city of the Russian Empire. At the beginning of the war, Warsaw’s supplies were often requisitioned by the Russian military. Its population was also under stress. It ebbed and flowed due to deportations, evacuations, men leaving the city for work, arrival of refugees and injured soldiers. In 1915 the population began to stabilize somewhat. The Russian authorities were forced out of the city and the citizens of Warsaw were put under a new regime: the German military. However, the fleeing Russians continued to take supplies from the city. The Germans instituted rationing of food and other supplies such as coal and soap. The city’s population was able to acquire some food despite inflation caused by the war. However, the Germans started banning certain kinds of food that could be sold on the free market which restricted the food supply even more and the threat of starvation loomed again.</div>
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“In February 1916, sales of meat and meat by-products, poultry, and fish were specifically prohibited in eleven Warsaw bazaars ‘in the interest of public health,’” he writes. “A week later the transport of livestock and meat from Warsaw County, even to the city of Warsaw, was prohibited.”</div>
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All of this restriction caused very long lines stores, growing poverty, and ever-increasing inflation. Some of Warsaw’s citizens grew so desperate that they started begging. There were even begging rings established who put young children in all of the busiest streets of Warsaw to beg for the group.</div>
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Blobaum analyzes the economic and cultural impact the Great War had upon Warsaw in great detail. He explains the extent of the devastation that it saw, as well as how it used such a tragedy to innovate — the expansion of the urban welfare system by the Warsaw Citizens Committee, is a good example of this. He used numerous sources for his in-depth analyses including primary sources, newspapers and other periodicals, and books which he lists in the bibliography. The book also contains a comprehensive index.</div>
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Robert Blobaum is Eberly Family distinguished professor of History at West Virginia Univerisity. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Nebraska and has authored two other books: <i>Rewolucja: Russian Poland, 1904-1907, Antisemitism and Its Opponents in Modern Poland, </i>and many articles.</div>
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This review is based on an advanced reader copy.</div>
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