Tag:

poland

God’s Creative Power Protects Ukrainian Soldiers From Bullets

by Lauren Koch March 12, 2023

written by Lauren Koch

Ukrainian soldiers recently shared images of God’s creative power protecting them from bullets. James Goll, with God Encounters ministry, shared the testimony yesterday.

“The Word of God Stops Bullet” Goll exclaimed in his post, which shows images of solar powered bibles that soldiers listen to while they carry them.

“We talk about and quote verses about God being a shield around us, how He will protect us from evil and here we have a literal representation! My ministry @godencounters has been sending solar powered bibles into Ukraine and Poland so that the word of God can be heard! These soldiers carry it on them wherever they go. We recently were sent these photos of 1) a solar powered bible that literally stopped a bullet and several soldiers receiving their bible.

God’s creative power stops bullet

Thank you to all who have partnered with us to make this possible. You are literally changing lives!”

Incredibly, this physical depiction of God’s protection around us reminds of the importance of His word. Read the verses below today for encouragement today!

“Every word of God is tested; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.” (Proverbs 30:5)

The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. (Psalm 18:2)

LEARN MORE ABOUT GOD TV’S CONNECTION TO REVIVAL: THE BROWNSVILLE REVIVAL AND GOD TV – LOOK WHAT HAPPENS WHEN CHRISTIANS WORK TOGETHER

Header image: Screenshot from @jamesgoll instagram, Shared March 9, 2023, https://www.instagram.com/p/CplERz0pEN_/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3D

New Polish Law Denies Justice to Holocaust Victims

by Ron Cantor August 23, 2021

written by Ron Cantor

A new law in Poland slammed the door shut Saturday on heirs trying to reclaim their family property stolen during World War II and the Holocaust. Despite strong opposition from the US and Israel, Poland continued forward with the move, which effectively ended any hopes of restitution for the homes, land, jewelry, art, and other valuables confiscated from Jewish Poles by the Nazis.

After approving the law, Poland’s President Andrzej Duda defiantly declared, “I unequivocally reject this rhetoric and say it with all my strength. Linking this act with the Holocaust raises my firm objections.” He hoped it would end decades of “chaos” caused by “reprivatization mafias.”

Reprivatization refers to the process of restoring to its former owners, properties seized by a government or regime like the Nazis. Referring to them as “mafia” is one of the most disgusting forms of antisemitism and disrespect for holocaust survivors that I have seen in recent years, and it’s not coming from some lunatic white supremacist, but the president of Poland, where three million Jews were murdered.

Israel Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said, “This is a shameful decision and disgraceful contempt for the memory of the Holocaust. (It) is a serious step that Israel will not be able to accept lightly.”

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Poland must find a way to “provide justice” for victims of the Holocaust that took place on Polish soil.

Israel Foreign Minister Yair Lapid called the law “immoral” and “antisemitic.” Lapid said the new law “damages both the memory of the Holocaust and the rights of its victims. I will continue to oppose any attempt to rewrite history and to promote concessions that come at the expense of the Holocaust, of the Jewish people, or the rights of Holocaust victims.”

The rift escalated into a diplomatic row, as both countries called their envoys back home, with Israel advising the Polish ambassador to Israel to remain on vacation and not come back to Israel. Also, Poland is “reexamining” whether to continue to allow an annual Holocaust memorial trip for Israeli high schools, claiming the “anti-Poland” trips teach Jewish youth to hate Poland.

Germany has dealt with its antisemitic past and is prospering. The way forward is not to deny the past, but to deal with it and reject it. It is ironic that Poland doesn’t want people to hate Poland, but their actions against survivors are actually causing people to hate Poland.

About 90 percent of Poland’s Jewish population before WWII—3 million Jews, including Lapid’s grandfather—were killed in the Holocaust. The new law puts a 30-year time limit on challenging property confiscations—for Jews and non-Jews. It also affects Poles who had property confiscated by the Communists in the era after the war.

While most members of the European Union have set up a restitution fund to compensate Jews who lost property in WW II, Poland has refused to, because as Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said, Poland “won’t pay for Germany’s crimes.”

August 23, 2021 0 comments

Israel flag, Poland flag, Concentration camp

Articles Israel Israel Insider News

Diplomatic Tensions Flare Between Israel and Poland Over Holocaust Restitution Law

by Ron Cantor July 2, 2021

written by Ron Cantor

On Sunday, Israel and Poland demanded a meeting with each other’s ambassadors over legislation in Poland that would limit restitution for victims of the Holocaust.

The tensions are not new, but the rift is growing wider between the two nations over the Polish treatment of victims of the Holocaust and their heirs. The bill currently advancing through Poland’s parliament would put a 10-to-30-year limit on the time Jews have to contest past decisions on restitution. It would potentially limit Jews from regaining any property that was stolen as a result of the Holocaust.

Israel’s Foreign Minister Yair Lapid called the legislation “immoral and a disgrace. Polish Prime Minister Mateus Morawiecki fired back, “I can only say that as long as I am the prime minister, Poland will not pay for German crimes: Neither zloty, nor euro, nor dollar.”

History—and who is to blame—is really at the heart of this battle with Poland to “never forget” the Holocaust. Making restitution for the Holocaust is a hot-button topic for many Poles. Poland is the only European Union country that has not made legal provisions for Jews to reclaim or be compensated for private property seized by the Nazis or the communists. Last year, Andrzej Duda, newly re-elected president of Poland, campaigned last year against restitution measures for Holocaust victims.

“I will never sign a law that will privilege any ethnic group vis-à-vis others. Damages should be paid by the one that started the war.” And to be clear, they were suffering from German nationalism and racism against them, as they were seen by the Nazis as an inferior race.

The prevailing attitude in Poland’s nationalist government is that Poland is also a victim of Nazi atrocities. Indeed, millions of ethnic Poles died from fighting or hardships in the war. While many citizens hid Jews or helped them escape—more Poles have been recognized for their heroic actions during the Holocaust than any other nationality—there is much historical evidence that other Poles aided or participated with the Nazis in the murder of 3 million Polish Jews.

Jews were extorted with the threat of being turned in to the Nazis. Property was stolen by Poles when Jews were forced into the ghetto. And an entire Polish police force of 20,000 men ensured the Jews stayed in their ghettos. Before the war, there was much antisemitism. Some politicians had even talked about forcibly removing the 3 million Jews from the country.

Overall, most Polish people today believe that restitution should solely be the responsibility of the German people.

Lapid, whose late father was deported to a concentration camp before being rescued by a Swedish diplomat and whose great-grandmother was murdered in the gas chambers of Auschwitz, had strong words for Poland.

“No law will change history. It is a disgrace that will not erase the horrors or the memory of the Holocaust. The prime minister of Poland should check the facts again. Millions of Jews were killed on Polish soil, and no legislation will erase their memory. We’re not interested in Polish money, and hinting at such is antisemitic.”

World War II and the Nazi reign of terror ended more than 70 years ago. The communist regime that followed ended in the late 1980s. And still, for the last 30 years, Poland has refused to return the property stolen from Jews. The latest legislative move is part of a systemic denial over Poland’s role in the Holocaust over the last several years. Three years ago, Poland passed a law making it illegal to accuse them of being complicit in Nazi war crimes. Earlier this year, President Duda refused to attend the World Holocaust Forum in Israel.

“This law is a slap in the face to what remains of Polish Jewry and survivors of Nazi brutality everywhere. It pains me to say this, but I think that the time has come for the international Jewish community to reevaluate our relationship (Poland),” said Ronald Lauder, president of the World Jewish Congress, representing Jews in 100 nations.

July 2, 2021 0 comments

holocaust word on chalkboard, yellow jude star

Articles Israel Israel Insider News

Poland: FM Lapid’s Attack on Holocaust Reparations Law is ‘Indicative of Ignorance of the Facts’

by The Israel Insider June 29, 2021

written by The Israel Insider

Foreign Minister Yair Lapid’s attack on Poland’s amended Code of Administrative Procedure that relates to reparations for Jewish victims of the Holocaust is “indicative of ignorance of the facts and the Polish law,” Poland’s Foreign Ministry charged.

The Polish legislation, which was passed by the Sejm on Thursday with 309 votes in favor, no opposition, and 120 abstentions, sets a 30-year deadline for Jews to recover property seized by Nazi Germany in Poland, essentially preventing any Holocaust-era compensation claims or appeals of past decisions.

Lapid stated in response to the vote at the Sejm that “no law will change history,” and the law is “a disgrace and will seriously harm relations between the countries.”

Israel “will stand as a wall of protection in defense of the memory of the Holocaust, as well as to defend the honor of Holocaust survivors and their property. Poland, on whose soil millions of Jews were murdered, knows what is the right thing to do,” he said.

“Preserving the memory of the Holocaust and being concerned for the rights of Holocaust survivors, including the matter of restitution of Jewish property from the Holocaust era, are central components of the State of Israel’s experience and its defined identity,” he underscored.

He pointed to the Terezin Declaration, issued in 2009, which calls for all relevant states to act for the restitution of Jewish property that was stolen during the Holocaust era.

“Israel expects that these states will act according to this principle. The fact that Poland is forsaking the Declaration is extremely worrisome and grave,” he demanded.

The draft law “will in effect prevent the restitution of Jewish property, or the provision of compensation, to Holocaust survivors and their heirs. It is a horrific injustice and disgrace that harms the rights of Holocaust survivors, their heirs, and members of the Jewish communities that existed in Poland for hundreds of years. This is an incomprehensible action,” he explained.

” We view with gravity the attempt to prevent the restitution of the property that was stolen by the Nazis (and their helpers) in European states during the Holocaust to their legal owners,” he concluded.

Poland on Friday noted “with concern the statements of the Israeli side on the amended Code of Administrative Procedure.”

“Those comments are indicative of ignorance of the facts and the Polish law. Poland is by no means responsible for the Holocaust, an atrocity committed by the German occupant also on Polish citizens of Jewish origin. Millions of citizens of the Second Polish Republic became victims of German crimes,” Poland Foreign Ministry said Friday.

The amendment results from the obligation to implement the Constitutional Tribunal’s verdict of May 2015 into the Polish legal system, the statement said.

The Tribunal ruled that the situation where no time limit applies to the possibility of declaring invalid the administrative decisions issued with a gross violation of law is contrary to the principle of a democratic state of law. The adoption of the Act by the Polish Sejm as the performance of the Tribunal’s verdict is a legal consequence of the judgment and a duty of the authorities, Poland said

The amendment is “based on the need to ensure citizens’ trust in the state and to implement the principle of legal certainty. The possibility of challenging a decision issued by public authorities cannot be unlimited in time. Such a situation gives rise to uncertainty as to the existing legal relationship and creates the impression that a decision is provisional,” the statement said.

Israel and Poland have repeatedly clashed in recent years over issues pertaining to the Holocaust, its history and memory, but these incidents have not had a significant impact on the relations between the two countries.

June 29, 2021 0 comments

Articles

New Cinematic Audio Bible Featuring Hundreds Of Voice Actors Is Gearing Up For Recording

by Rhoda Gayle October 2, 2020

written by Rhoda Gayle

A new cinematic audio Bible featuring hundreds of voice actors is being set up to record next year!

Cinematic Audio Bible

Filmmaker, audio producer, and director Krzysztof Czeczot from Poland is gearing up for a “super-production” of a cinematic audio Bible. The audio Bible is meant to provide an epic and realistic recording of the sacred Scriptures.

“As a filmmaker, audio producer, and director, I want the Audio Bible to feel like a cinematic audio experience,” Krzysztof said in an interview with Aleteia. “When you close your eyes, you should be in the middle of the story, because the word has power, but also, the word has space.”

Krzysztof Czeczot

The 41-year-old artist explained that that the production is through a binaural recording, an audio technique that will produce a “3D sound” experience to listeners. Krzysztof and his team personally traveled to Israel to record “the sounds of the spirit of the place.” They were able to record people in the market, the animals, and all other key elements in the Bible.

“We were in Jerusalem, we were in the desert. We were on the Dead Sea, we were in Jericho,” he added.

Production

Krzysztof hopes the project will become a “beautiful tool for everyday reflection and practice for millions of Americans and English-speaking users around the world.”

The production will be featuring hundreds of voice actors. The estimated cost for the project is about $1.5 million. So far, they are already halfway through in terms of fundraising. Krzysztof and his team are “pretty confident about starting to record next year.”

The filmmaker previously released a Polish audio Bible which sold around 145,000 copies. Their YouTube channel “The Audio Bible Project” has also over 5.4 million views.

October 2, 2020 0 comments

Articles

Smog-Eating Mural Purifies The Air In Warsaw, Poland

by Christa August 18, 2020

written by Christa

Warsaw, Poland has become one of the cities pioneering “smog-eating murals”. The project has reached 13 cities – Jakarta, Manila, Sao Paulo, Santiago, Johannesburg, Melbourne, Bangkok, Bogota and Panama City.

Smog-eating Mural

The mural is part of the City Forest Campaign from Converse, one of the big shoemaker in the industry. A spokesman from Converse said, “Pollution levels have dropped in many cities around the world as people are no longer commuting as much.”

“Companies are working slower, and for the time being everything has slowed down. At Converse we saw this as an opportunity to speak up and help produce fresh air through painting murals. Furthermore, we felt it was a good way to reunite communities as they return to normal life after such a long period of isolation.”

Moreover, the paint in the mural has titanium oxide which turns air pollutants into harmless nitrates and carbonates. The mural reportedly can clean the surrounding air equal to 720 trees. The finished project is the equivalent to Converse planting 3,000 trees.

Artist Maciek Polak and Dawid Ryski designed the mural. Good Looking studio painted it on the side of the building located at popular metro stop. It features smiling flowers amid high rising towers with words, “Create Together for Tomorrow”. They hope to promote positive impact for the future as locals start to go back in their normal lives.

Historic Church Destroyed By Fire But A Painting Of Jesus Was Recovered Unharmed

This is not the first time a smog-eating mural has been introduced in hopes of purifying air. Early last year, a body of students called Greeks Gone Green in California put up a mural in Price Center. They hope to reduce impact of smog emitted from cars. Shashi Mostafa, the mural’s artist, said, “Raising awareness toward the problem is one of the first steps in getting more people to make the push.” She added, “So that everyone, no matter what social class, will benefit from a healthier environment.”

Reference: The First News

August 18, 2020 0 comments

News

Former Chief Rabbi: Poles ‘shot selves in foot’ With Holocaust Law

by GOD TV July 9, 2018

written by GOD TV

The controversy surrounding a Polish law that criminalizes “defamation of Poland” by accusing the Polish state of complicity in Nazi crimes during World War II was a self-inflicted wound, former Chief Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau said Sunday.

Speaking to TPS by phone as Prime Minister Netanyahu continued trying to minimize the political fallout at home sparked by the publication of a joint statement with Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki last week in a range of leading international newspapers, including Israel’s Haaretz, Lau said that Poland alone created the controversy via a lack of foresight.

“The whole thing stems from a mistaken comment by President Obama,” Lau said, referring to the former US president’s reference in 2012 to “Polish death camps.”

“But Obama apologised and said he misspoke. That should have been the end of it. And if the Poles had just let it go, it would have been. It’s correct that the camps in Poland were the product of Germany.

“But they wouldn’t let it go, and that breathed life into the whole issue. Nobody would have spoken about Kielce. No one would have spoken about Yebvane (two pogroms that took place in Poland after the end of World War II. Dozens of Holocaust survivors were killed by their non-Jewish Polish neighbors). If the Polish government would have condemned Obama’s statement and forgotten about it, the issue would have been put to rest then and there,” said Lau, who was born in the town of Piotrków Trybunalski and survived the Buchenwald concentration camp together with an older brother after their parents were murdered.

At the same time, the rabbi noted that Poland’s assertion that Poles were also victims of a brutal Nazi occupation, and added that Yad Vashem has recognized more Poles as Righteous Gentiles for working to save Jews during the Holocaust than any other country. But he said that Poland’s attempts to whitewash the country’s wartime history by overstating the contributions of everyday Poles to save Jews only serves to highlight the country’s moral failing at the time.

“It’s true: Thousands of Poles went put themselves in danger in order to save Jews,” he said. “More than 6,000 people from Poland have been recognized as Righteous Gentiles, more than any other country.

“But the population of Poland at the time was 21 million, the overwhelming majority of whom either did nothing or even collaborated with the Nazi killing industry. It’s true, the Poles did not build death camps, but there is a reason the Nazis built all six of their death camps – Auschwitz/Birkenau, Chelmno, Treblinka, Majdanek, Sobibór and Belzec – on Polish soil,” Lau added. “The thousands of Righteous Gentiles were not the rule. They were the exception that proved the rule.”

Rabbi Lau repeated his criticism of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s joint statement with Mateusz Morawiecki, published last week in a variety of international media, including Israel’s Hebrew-language Ha’aretz daily, and called on the premier to correct the statement to bring it in line with the “solid history.”

Netanyahu, for his part, said the government’s negotiations with Warsaw were intended to press the Polish Sjem (parliament) to annul clauses in the law that could have threatened the integrity of Holocaust research, and insisted that that goal had been achieved.

But the premier also noted he has taken into account the anger expressed from many quarters around the country since the agreement was announced and said he would give expression to those concerns. Over the weekend, Netanyahu attempted to minimize the political damage at home by filing a complaint with the Polish government over the publication of the ad.

Yad Vashem, the national Holocaust memorial, also criticised the statement, calling the joint statement of used “highly problematic wording that contradict(ed) existing and accepted historical knowledge in this field.”

Among other issues, Yad Vashem rejected the equation of anti-Polish sentiment with anti-Semitism, calling terms such as ‘anti-Polonism’ “fundamentally anachronistic” that have “nothing whatsoever to do with anti-Semitism.”

In addition, over the weekend, the Education Ministry issued new instructions regarding the teaching of the Holocaust in Israeli high schools, requiring students to study attitudes of the Polish people towards the Jews during the Holocaust. The topic was previously considered an elective subject.

Written by Andrew Friedman/TPS, with additional reporting by Yona Schnitzer | Photo by Hillel Maeir/TPS

July 9, 2018 0 comments

News

Yad Vashem Joins Political Right, Left in Battering Netanyahu for Joint Statement with Polish PM

by GOD TV July 6, 2018

written by GOD TV

Education Minister Naftali Bennett, Meretz chairwoman Tamar Zandberg, and Yad Vashem officials lashed out at Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu Thursday, blasting the premier’s endorsement of an initiative by the Polish parliament to revise a controversial law criminalising accusations that Poland was complicit in Nazi atrocities during World War II.

On June 27, Netanyahu told reporters at the Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv that Israel and Poland had established teams to reach “joint understandings,”and praised Polish Prime Minister Morawiecki and the Polish government for establishing an “official Polish group dedicated to the dialogue with its Israeli partners on historical issues relating to the Holocaust.”

Thursday, however, a full-page ad signed by both leaders published in local and international media by a Warsaw-based not-for-profit with ties to the Polish government sparked a strong round of criticism.

“This declaration has no historical or factual legitimacy,” Bennett said. “It would be better to have no statement at all than to have one that is full of lies and signed by the government of Israel.”

Bennett stressed that the cabinet had not been given an opportunity to review the statement and that it does not represent the government’s views.

“It is unacceptable to me, as the minister of education, and I demand that the prime minister change or annul (the statement) immediately. Else, let him table it for discussion and a vote by the cabinet, where I’m sure it would be rejected,” Bennett fumed.

Meretz chairwoman Tamar Zandberg added that Netanyahu had “sold his soul to the devil” and “abandoned the European Jewish community.”

Yad Vashem, the national Holocaust memorial expressed similar criticism of the statement. In a statement released Thursday, Yad Vashem said the joint statement of used “highly problematic wording that contradict(ed) existing and accepted historical knowledge in this field.”

Alongside Yad Vashem’s condemnation, however, Yaakov Nagel and Yosef Ciechanover, two close aides to the prime minister who negotiated the deal, said that Yad Vashem Chief Historian Prof. Dina Porat had accompanied the negotiations “from the start” and signed off on the joint declaration.

“The joint declaration signed by the Polish government includes explicit reference to the fact that the right to conduct independent research has been preserved, and that no law prevents or will prevent this in the future,” Nagel and Chiehanover said.

But a spokesman for Yad Vashem distanced the organization from Porat’s stamp of approval, saying only that “Dr. Porat is Yad Vashem’s Chief Historian. Her involvement in any process regarding the join statement between Israel and Poland was not done on behalf of Yad Vashem. Prof. Porat is also the Head of the Kantor Center for the Study of Contemporary European Jewry and holds the Alfred P. Slaner Chair for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism and Racism at Tel Aviv University.”

Written by TPS | Photo by Hillel Maeir/TPS

July 6, 2018 0 comments

News

Poland to Amend Holocaust Denial Law

by GOD TV June 28, 2018

written by GOD TV

Poland will amend a controversial law that makes it a crime in the country to accuse Poland of having been complicit in Nazi atrocities during World War II.

Asking the parliament to change the existing law on Wednesday, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said the law had not been effective and that he would seek lesser, civil penalties rather than criminal charges.

“ The law did not achieve its goal – defend the good name of Poland,” said Morawiecki in a statement.

The Sejm, the lower house of the Polish parliament, ratified Morawiecki’s request following an emotional session and the measure will now have to be approved by the Senate.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the decision, and also calling on Poland to maintain freedom to research the Holocaust honestly and openly.

In a media statement broadcast from the Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv Netanyahu added that Israel and Poland had established teams to reach joint understandings and stressed that both countries condemn anti-Semitism and anti-Polish sentiment.

Netanyahu praised Polish counterpart Prime Minister Morawiecki and praised the Polish government for establishing an “official Polish group dedicated to the dialogue with its Israeli partners on historical issues relating to the Holocaust” and said the teams had “fulfilled our duty to guarantee the historical truth about the Holocaust.”

At the same time as Netanyahu addressed reporters in Tel Aviv, Morawiecki did the same in Warsaw, telling Polish reporters that the Holocaust was an “unprecedented crime, committed by Nazi Germany against the Jewish nation, including all Poles of Jewish origin.

“Poland has always expressed the highest understanding of the significance of the Holocaust as the most tragic part of the Jewish national experience,” he said.

Outside of Netanyahu’s inner circle, however, reaction to the Polish decision was cool, with opposition parliamentarians and the Yad Vashem national Holocaust memorial left unimpressed by the change.

“(I) hope (the whole law) will be shelved. History cannot be whitewashed and cannot be changed,” Zionist Union chairman Avi Gabbay wrote on Twitter, calling the law a “Holocaust denial law.”.

MK Itzik Shmuli (Zionist Union), who sponsored a response to Poland’s bill with a proposal to criminalize denial or diminishing the role of collaborators with the Nazis in perpetrating the Holocaust, and to guarantee legal protection for Holocaust survivors, educators and tour guides who may be prosecuted in a foreign country for relating historical truths, added that change is “certainly welcome but not enough.

“According to the law, it would still be forbidden to mention the role of some Poles in crimes committed against Jews, except that instead of criminal proceedings, a civil proceeding would be instituted. We assure the Holocaust survivors that this attempt will not succeed ” he said in a statement.

The Yad Vashem added in a statement that amending the controversial law is a “positive development in the right direction,” but added that “the correct way to combat historical misrepresentations is by reinforcing open, free research and educational activities.

“Yad Vashem reiterates its support for ensuring that educators and researchers are not hindered in grappling with the complex truth of Polish-Jewish relations before, during and after the Holocaust,” the Center said in a statement.

The Polish parliament’s approval of the law in February ignited a diplomatic crisis between Jerusalem and Warsaw. At the time, some senior Israeli diplomats asked Netanyahu to recall Ambassador Anna Azari from Warsaw in protest, and Netanyahu said Israel has “no tolerance” for distorting the truth and rewriting history or denying the Holocaust.

“We will never accept any attempt to rewrite history; we will not accept any restriction on the study of historical truth,”Netanyahu said.

In addition, Education Minister Naftali Bennett instructed schools to devote two hours of class time to lessons about “the involvement of local populations, including in Poland, in the Holocaust of the Jewish people.”

Soon after Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki settled the diplomatic skirmish and agreed to open an immediate dialogue to try to reach understandings.

Written by Mara Vigevani/TPS | Photo by Ehud Amiton/TPS

June 28, 2018 0 comments

Articles

Flight Deck: 8 Things I Liked About Poland And A Couple Of Things I Didn’t

by Al Gibson July 26, 2017

written by Al Gibson

If travel is your passion, I would highly recommend a visit to Poland

I’d never considered a trip to Eastern Europe before, but Poland exceeded my expectations.

As many Poles have immigrated to the UK, I wondered what was wrong with their country and never thought I’d venture there. That all changed with an invitation to a traditional Polish wedding.

Any misgivings I may have had (like driving on the other side of the road) were overturned as I fell in love with what is a beautiful country. Here are some things I liked and I have thrown in a couple I didn’t for the sake of objectivity!

The Polish people are wonderful! They are friendly and helpful, with an attractive humility. Even though I knew no Polish the people I met made every effort to communicate with me and make me feel welcome. Others went out of their way to assist me.
Poland is full of great traditions. The wedding was a wonderful two-day celebration with nostalgic live music and dancing and the food kept coming. Before he left for the ceremony, the groom was serenaded by a band that drew a crowd, and he wasn’t allowed to leave until he’d supplied them with vodka! At the reception, the bride didn’t throw her bouquet but her veil and the groom, his bowtie instead of a garter. The fortunate boy and girl who received the items had to put them on and dance together. Talk about instant matchmaking!
The countryside is magnificent. From rolling hills to forested outcrops to wide-open spaces, the landscape of Poland does not disappoint. I asked some Polish people if they were bothered that so many tourists come, not to enjoy the scenic views, but to witness first-hand the notorious extermination camps of World War 11. I was surprised by the reply. They said they were always pleased when visitors wanted to see the Holocaust sites as this showed respect for the millions of people who lost their lives including their own countrymen.
Poland has a deep respect for the past. I was impressed that many historic sites have been preserved, particularly Auschwitz-Birkenau, which stands as a dire warning against genocide. I was deeply moved as I was confronted by the scale of what happened there, walking around the vast camp. I couldn’t have gone to Poland and not seen this World Heritage Site, which has become a global symbol of a horror that must never be repeated. It was encouraging to see so many people there, who will never forget the experience, lest it happen again.
There is much innovation in Poland. You may have been told that Poland is poor or backward, but that’s not the case. I was surprised to see so many modern buildings like the airport in Krakow. The network of roads is well established and has all the usual roadside services one would expect including McDonald’s. What impressed me most, was the miles of sound barriers on each side of the highway with green or brown panels to echo the countryside and blue panels for the sky. Another thing that really got my attention was the solar and wind-powered street lamps, which I saw for the first time in my life. What a clever idea!
The food in Poland is delicious. From the spicy kebab I was served in a charming village restaurant to the extravagant buffet at the wedding, it was a culinary adventure. It was great to try so many different types of bread, meats, cheeses, cakes and biscuits and combinations I hadn’t tried before like coleslaw with horseradish. And, while British hot dogs drip with ketchup, making a mess, the Polish equivalent does not. The crisp rolls come with a hole for the sausage, which is inserted at the top, not the side. I remember seeing this in France, how very European!
Classical music is still part of the culture. Poland has many great composers and it was refreshing to stumble upon an orchestra playing in a town square. The music at the wedding was lively, with a band spurting forth many a catchy tune, complete with piano accordion, which I haven’t seen in years. It was almost impossible to resist dancing. Polish music sure puts a smile on your face!
A visit is fairly inexpensive. One of the best things about visiting Poland is the value for money. Upon conversion, the Zloty seems to go far. Food and drink are much cheaper than in the UK and one can stay in a luxury hotel for the price you would spend on a budget one at home. Internal travel and car hire is also reasonably priced, although beware of the hidden costs of the later.

All in all, I had a brilliant trip to Poland but there were a couple of things that could have been better

There could be more English TV. At the hotels I stayed at, I could only access Polish TV except in Krakow where I could get CNN, so I was able to get some international news. It would have been good to have access to the BBC and GOD TV, but I was able to do this online and I had no problems with the wifi in the places I stayed.
Car hire companies must be more authentic. Regrettably, I was let down by the car hire company I used at Krakow Airport. Though I returned the car early and in what I thought was the tip-top condition I was charged an extortionate amount for a small scratch that I wasn’t sure was even my fault. Upon my return, I discovered this is a scam that is widespread throughout Europe where budget car hire companies pay their staff incentives to get the most out of each rental. Of course, I wouldn’t use this company again but from what I’ve read it seems they make more money out of making claims against drivers than out of the rentals so they’re not at all concerned about repeat business.

This unexpected drama at the end of my trip was most off-putting, but I decided not to let it spoilt my trip and put it down to experience. The good thing is that I learned a lot from visiting Poland. I learned that it is an amazing country and I would love to go back and see more. I discovered that driving on the other side of the road is not that difficult and I now have the confidence to drive in other European destinations. Probably not in a hire car though… I think I will take my own, via ferry! But, I will definitely visit Poland again.

Al Gibson is a Christian journalist who has worked for GOD TV for many years. He is also the author of several books aimed at helping people overcome obstacles.

July 26, 2017 1 comment