Synagogue in Jedwabne. Source: wikipedia.org
Jedwabne in north eastern Poland is the scene today of commemorative events to mark the 69th anniversary of the murder of Jews in that locality, with a delegation of the Poland’s Jewish community taking part in the ceremony.
It was established in an investigation, concluded by the Institute of National Remembrance in 2003, that up to 340 Jews were murdered in Jedwabne on July 10, 1941. The Institute ruled that the Polish inhabitants of the locality played a ‘decisive role’ in the killing, but it can be assumed that they were instigated by the Germans. At least 300 Jews were burnt alive in a barn.
A barn will be burnt in a village near Tomaszow, south of Warsaw, later on Sunday in a performance staged by the prominent Polish artist Rałaf Betlejewski. In the run up to the performance, he appealed to Poles to send sheets of paper with their derogatory remarks and thoughts about Jews.
Some 85 such sheets, which he had received, will be turned to ashes in the fire. Betlejewski says the aim of his project is to open a new chapter in the debate about anti-Semitism. The performance has proved mixed reactions, mostly critical. (mk/jb)
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