PĄCZKI DAY

PĄCZKI DAY is today on “”Fat Tuesday”… not your ordinary doughnut – rum or pure spirits in the dough and filled with natural preserves or the traditional rose hip or rose petal jam. Poland celebrated last Thursday – Tłusty Czwartek.

Remembering Ed Koch

by Staś Kmieć

 You did not have to grow up in New York City to know the name Ed Koch.  He served as Mayor for three terms from 1978-1989, and used his sometimes combative style to rescue the city from near financial ruin. 

  He was a quintessential New Yorker and one of the city’s most popular and outspoken politicians - known for his no nonsense in-your-face, colorful personality, and his trademark question asked of friends and foes alike  - "How'm I doin'?"  Koch lived a life as big as the city he served – not afraid to speak his mind. He lived with a passion for politics and the Big Apple.

Son of immigrants

   Edward Irving Koch was born to Polish Jewish immigrants in the Bronx, NY in 1924.  His parents Louis and Yetta (later Americanized to Joyce) arrived in New York separately as teenagers from Poland in the early 1900s – Louis traveled from the village of Uścieszko in the Galician frontier.  He became a furrier and a partner in a shop until it folded during the Depression in 1931.

   Ed was drafted out of college by the army to serve in World War II as a combat infantryman in Europe.  Honorably discharged with the rank of Sergeant, he returned home and practiced law before turning to a political career. A lifelong Democrat, Koch served on City Council, then three terms in the Congress.  In 1977, he became New York’s 105th Mayor – a job Koch often said he wanted for life. 

   He took over a city facing financial crisis and is credited for saving it from disaster.  New York was graffiti-marred and crime-ridden.  He was the city’s Mayor for twelve years that were spirited, irreverent and rarely, if ever boring.

   After leaving office, Koch remained active and popular.  He practiced law, wrote more than a dozen books, came into the homes of many TV viewers as the Judge on the People’s Court, was a radio broadcaster, an inveterate movie reviewer, and became an enthusiastic Twitter user.  He also endured a stroke, a heart attack and quadruple bypass surgery.

   Ed Koch was involved with the Consulate General of Poland in New York for special events, such as the dedication of the Jan Karski monument.  The sculpture was formally dedicated by the former Mayor, who also renamed the intersection where the statue resides as “Jan Karski Corner.”  

   He was direct, unpredictable, and had an irrepressible character, but he claimed that the Ed Koch you saw was not who he was.  “I knew that to get attention, to get it done, and to get people to listen and support, you have to be bigger than life,” said Koch. 

   Much to his frustration the former Mayor was too ill to attend the premiere of the film Koch – a documentary about his life was released.  Ironically, the film opened to the general public on the day of his passing.

   Larger-than-life, the ebullient Ed Koch embodied New York chutzpah for the rest of the world.  "How'm I doin'?"  You did good!

NEW YORK, NY - Holocaust Exhibits at the United Nations

by Staś Kmieć by Staś Kmieć

On the occasion of the United Nations 2013 observance of the International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust, two new exhibits built around the theme Rescue during the Holocaust: The Courage to Care opened on January 22 at the UN Visitors Lobby – 1st Avenue between 45th and 46th St., New York.  The exhibit is open to the public through February 18.

   Through two extraordinary exhibits, film, educational activities and the annual memorial ceremony, the United Nations honored those who risked their own lives to save tens of thousands of Jews.    

   The World Knew – Jan Karski’s Mission for Humanity was produced by the Polish History Museum in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland and the Polish Mission to the UN. The exhibit lays out the captivating background of Polish native Jan Kozielewski, who under the assumed name of Jan Karski served as a courier for the Polish Underground State and informed Allied leaders about Nazi Germany’s ongoing extermination of the Jews. Karski was a Roman Catholic who later attained U.S. citizenship and was named an honorary citizen of Israel and a “Righteous Among the Nations.”

Permanent Representative to the 

UN from Poland Ryszard Sarkowicz

   “Millions of people's lives could have been saved had leaders at the time heeded Karski's advice. Unfortunately history took a different course,” said The Permanent Representative of the Republic of Poland to the United Nations H.E. Mr. Ryszard Sarkowicz.  “Karski's achievements have earned him a place in the pantheon of Polish greats and he is regarded by Poles as one of the country's undeniable heroes of the 21st century.  His story serves as a testament to the power of unbridled loyalty to one's homeland.” 

   Presented by The Jewish Foundation for the Righteous, Whoever Saves a Single Life … Rescuers of Jews during the Holocaust showcases some of those rare but exceedingly important instances where people fought to safeguard their Jewish fellow citizens during the Holocaust.

   ”The Righteous chose a different path – a much more difficult one.  They sought to become involved and in doing so risked their lives and often the lives of their families.  For if one were caught hiding a Jew in Eastern Europe, you were killed,” said Harvey Schulweis, Chairman of The Jewish Foundation for the Righteous. “Our exhibition provides a snapshot of some of the Righteous.”

   Ewa Wierzyńska, Leader of Jan Karski Legacy Program and Head of International Cooperation in the Polish History Museum provided commentary and historical perspective. 

Harvey Schulweis of The Jewish 

Foundation for the Righteous 

and H.E. Ryszard Sarkowicz

   “As I walk through the two exhibitions, I’m struck by their harmony,” remarked H.E. Sarkowicz.    “Together they convey just one, but very powerful reminder: when governments and states failed in saving millions, ordinary people with courage, moral integrity, compassion and self-sacrifice acted to save some of them.  In this respect, perhaps it’s more accurate to think of these two displays as one exhibition on the power of the individual human spirit.” 

Wanda Urbanska, Robert Billingsley of the Jan Karski Educational Foundation, Mme. Consul General Ewa Junczyk-Ziomecka, Bozena Nowicka McLees, and Ewa Wierzynska - Jan Karski Legacy Program and International Cooperation in the Polish History Museum

THE EAGLE'S CROWN RETURNS - December 29, 1989

On this day, December 29, 1989, Polish eagle got his crown back, as the parliament amended the socialist constitution of the People's republic of Poland. The amendment also restored the former name of the country, Rzeczpospolita Polska.

FEAST DAY: Swiety Mikolaj - Saint Nicholas

CHICAGO: Pan Tadeusz Score in Concert

The Paderewski Symphony Orchestra of Chicago under the direction of Wojciech Niewrzoł will present a concert version of the score from the Polish film – Pan Tadeusz on Saturday, December 1, 7:00 pm at Copernicus Center – 5216 W Lawrence Avenue, Chicago IL. 

  Pan Tadeusz is an epic poem by the famed poet, writer and philosopher Adam Mickiewicz.  The book was first published in 1834 in Paris, and is considered by many to be the last great epic poem in European literature – recognized as the national epic of Poland.  In 1999, a film version was made by director Andrzej Wajda.  The score by Wojciech Kilar is filled with majestic, heart-rending melodies and tense, visceral strings.
   Fragments of text will be interpreated by Chicago actors Elżbieta Kochanowska, Julitta Mroczkowska, Andrzej Krukowski, Bogdan Łańko and Stanisław Wojciech Malec.
   For tickets:  773-467-9000; www.pasochicago.org.

CHICAGO: Piano Recital Museum of America

Michal Korzistka will present a piano recital at the Polish Museum of America – 984 N. Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL on December 16, at 3:00 pm.  The concert program will include the works of Fryderyk Chopin, Karol Szymanowski and Wojciech Kilar. All proceeds will help support The Polish Museum of America Library Rare Book Restoration Project.

NEW YORK: “Simultaneous Translation” by Katarzyna Krakowiak

Simultaneous Translation – a performative reading by Katarzyna Krakowiak will take place on Wednesday November 28, 6:30 pm at Residency Unlimited – 360 Court Street (green door), Brooklyn, NY.

The artist will realize a site specific investigation into the acoustics of the church. Over the course of the evening she will perform a reading of the geometry of the space that will divulge how sound travels and voices are contained by the walls. Krakowiak has been an Artist in residence since October which was organized in association with A-I-R Laboratory/Centre for Contemporary Art Ujazdowski Castle in Warsaw, Poland with support of the Polish Cultural Institute, New York.

NEW JERSEY: Kisielewska Paintings at Skulski Gallery

The Skulski Art Gallery of the Polish Cultural Foundation will present an exhibit of paintings by Polish artist Malgorzata Kisielewska from December 7 through 31.

Kisielewska was born in Webrzezno, northern Poland.  Since an early age she showed a talent for painting, but in 1985 her talents came to the fore when she took up painting and started to express her emotions on a larger scale. Between 1985 and 1990 she completed about fifty oil works.  Encouraged by a friend, she entered a competition in Strasburg, France in 2001.  After she won the competition, her watercolors were presented at solo exhibition at the Palais de l’Europe in Strasburg.

   The public is welcome to the opening reception on Friday, December 7, 8:00-10:00 pm; admission is free and light refreshments will be served.

   Skulski Art Gallery – 177 Broadway, Clark, NJ, just of exit 135 from the Garden State Parkway.  For more information contact: 732-382-7197; aknowak@verizon.net.

NEW YORK: Love, Poetry and Art

Two Loves – an evening of love, poetry and art will take place on Tuesday, December 4, at 7:00 pm at The Kosciuszko Foundation – 15 East 65th Street, New York, NY; www.thekf.org.

The “two loves” are works by Polish poet Bolesław Leśmian and Pablo Neruda, a Chilean poet and Nobel Prize winner. 

   Books by both authors have been translated by Marian Polak-Chlabicz, who will read some of the poems and answer questions from the audience. The setting will be among drawings and paintings by Janusz Skowron, the illustrator of both the volumes.  Polish actor, Tadeusz Turkowski will offer his interpretation of the verse.

CHICAGO: Polish-Soviet War film and Q&A

The Polish Consulate in Chicago and The Polish Museum of America will hold a screening followed by Q&A with Anna Ferens , the director of What Can Dead Prisoners Do on Friday, November 30, at 6:30 pm at 984 N. Milwaukee Ave Chicago. 

   The film details the fate of the Soviet POWs captured by Poles following the Polish-Soviet War of 1919 after the Soviet invasion of Europe was stopped by the Polish Army at the gates of Warsaw. The documentary investigates the fate of those POWs and documents how their experience shaped Polish-Soviet relations for the future. Admission is free.

 

MUSIC: Folk Fusion Band in the US

 Zakopower, one of the hottest bands in Poland, combines Polish folk music with modern rock undertones, will perform in a Chicago area engagement.

·         November 24 at 8:00 pm The Club - 7600 S Cicero Ave, Burbank IL

Info: 773-865-7818 / Tickets: 973-980-5515m www.polskiekoncerty.com.

BROADWAY: A Christmas Story, The Musical

by Staś Kmieć
    This year, the adaptation of the iconic film about a boy who wants a BB gun for Christmas is coming to Broadway!  A kooky leg lamp, outrageous pink bunny pajamas, a cranky department store Santa, and a triple-dog-dare to lick a freezing flagpole are just a few of the obstacles that stand between Ralphie and his Christmas dream.

   The award-winning musical theatre composing teamYou +1'd this publicly. Undo of Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (known as Pasek and Paul) has been developing the show for the past few years.  Now the musical is on “The Great White Way,” running through December 30 at Broadway's Lunt-Fontanne Theatre.

   The cast includes Dan Lauria (TV’s The Wonder Years), Tony Award nominee Erin Dilly, and Eddie Korbich as Santa Claus.   The creative team of Tony Award-winning director John Rando, and choreographer Warren Carlisle bring this beloved movie to the Broadway stage.

ART: The Face on Veterans' Experiences

by Staś Kmieć

   As emancipation from the horrors of War, the voices of veterans of the Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan wars will animate a bronze commemorative statue of Abraham Lincoln that has stood silently in Manhattan’s Union Square Park since 1870. For thirty-one days, these memories and feelings will speak through Lincoln as part of an outdoor public art installation by Krzysztof Wodiczko entitled Abraham Lincoln: War Veteran Projection.

   The 23-minute video contains edited interviews with 14 U.S.; each person’s own words, voice, and gestures projected via sound and light brings the statue movingly to life.  An artist renowned for his large-scale light projections on architectural facades and monuments, Wodiczko was born in Warsaw, Poland, and now lives and works in New York City. He is a professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Design in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

   Union Square has been the site of some of the largest activist gatherings in American history since 1861, during the Civil War when hundreds of thousands descended on the square to show support for the Union cause, as part of a war that would end up taking the lives of over a half million Americans. More recently Union Square was the gathering place for peaceful protests, as well as a place of healing after the 9/11 attacks.

   Presented by More Art and the Polish Cultural Institute New York, in conjunction with the Union Square Partnership, the installation has been timed to honor Veterans Day and is on view through December 9, 6:00 -10:00 pm daily at Union Square Park North at 16th Street, New York, NY.

FILM: Important and Emotional Lincoln

by Staś Kmieć

   Steven Spielberg brings to the big screen Lincoln – essentially a single month of the 16th President’s life, in which we get a full and rich portrait of how he lived in his time.  The goal of the entire movie is the passage of the 13th Amendment which would abolish slavery – enabling human rights to an overlooked and abused minority.  Tony Kushner (Angels in America), in part from Doris Kearns Goodwin's book "Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln,” penned a screenplay said to be with much of the same flavor as one from Aaron Sorkin.

   Cinematographer Janusz Kamiński projects greyish hues and nearly blinding blasts of white light to the film.  In 1993, Kamiński won the Academy Award for his eloquent black-and-white photography in Schindler's List (1993),  and has since been a collaborator with the Spielberg on all his films. 

   The supporting cast includes Tommy Lee Jones, Sally Field, David Strathairn, and Hal Holbrook, and at the center of it all, there is Daniel Day-Lewis as Lincoln.

   Lincoln recently opened in NY and LA, prior to release nationwide.

FILM: Anna Karenina and its Mazurka

by Staś Kmieć

 Arriving in US theaters, Anna Karenina is acclaimed director Joe Wright’s new vision of the epic story of love, adapted from Leo Tolstoy’s great 1877 novel by Academy Award winner Tom Stoppard.  Starring Keira Knightly and Jude Law, the story unfolds in its original late 19th century Tsarist Russia high-society setting and powerfully explores the capacity for love that surges through the human heart, from the passion between adulterers to the bond between a mother and her children.

   This visually stunning and artistically bold film features music by Dario Marianelli and choreography by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui including the waltz, quadrille and mazurka – an important and fateful dance in the novel.

The mazurka originated in the 16th century as a peasant dance among the Mazurs of east-central Poland and was quickly adopted by the Polish court. It eventually spread to Russian and German ballrooms and by the 1830s had reached England and France. The mazurka is an important dance in many Russian novels – it also appears in Tolstoy’s War and Peace and Turgenev’s Fathers and Sons. 

MUSIC: Elektra Kurtis and Ensemble Elektra

November 29 at 7:00 pm - Crossing cultural and stylistic borders of music by infusing American Jazz and Rock with Mediterranean, Arabic, Latin and Polish styles, the program will consist of the ensemble's newest compositions and improvisations on themes from the Polish Podhale mountains, New York beats, Greek rhythms, Arabic modes and Szymanowski's ballet Harnasie.  A violinist and composer of Greek origin, Kurtis was raised in Poland. 

   Kosciuszko Foundation in New York – 212-734-2130; www.thekf.org.

HOLIDAY: A Lira Christmas

The Lira Ensemble will present their Annual Christmas Show - “Polish Carols, Song & Dance” featuring the Lira Singers, Lira Dancers and Lira Symphony:

· Sunday, November 25 at 3:00 pm – Macomb Center for the Performing Arts, 44575 Garfield Road, Clinton Township, MI

· Sunday, December 9 at 3:00 pm - North Shore Center for the Performing Arts,9501 Skokie Boulevard, Skokie, IL

773-508-7040 or 1-800-547-LIRA; www.liraensemble.org.

MUSIC: Niemen Concert in Manhattan

   Zespół Bracia, Paweł Kukiz, Janusz Radek, Anna Wyszkoni, Zbigniew Zamachowski will band together for a concert honoring the legendary Czesław Niemen on November 17 at 8:00 pm.  Niemen was one of the most important and original Polish singer-songwriters and rock balladeers of the last quarter-century.       
   Hunter College Assembly Hall – East 68th St (between Park & Lexington), New York NY.