There Were 8 Jews in Our Student Group. Almost All They Emigrated. Adam Gryniewicz about March ‘68

INTERVIEWEE: Adam Gryniewicz
INTERVIEWEE’S BIOGRAPHY AND DETAILED THEMES DEVELOPMENT: sztetl.org.pl/en/oral-history...
INTERVIEWER: Joanna Król
OPERATOR: Przemysław Jaczewski
DATE: November 28, 2014
RECORDING COPYRIGHT: POLIN Museum of the History of the Polish Jews
THE MOST IMPORTANT THEMES:
00:00:30 - Interviewee’s birthplace, political involvement of interviewee’s parents during the pre-War period, parents’ journey east. Life of the interviewee’s parents after their return to Poland, diplomatic work of interviewee’s father. The interviewee’s stay at the dormitory of the Foreign Service Staff Children Home.
00:04:47 - The first encounter with the Social and Cultural Society of Jews (TSKŻ) in Poland, participation in TSKŻ camps.
00:07:35 - The events of March ‘68, social involvement, social responsiveness of the interviewee and his friends - a characteristic trait of Jewish teenagers.
00:09:20 - Ideological and political views of the interviewee in the 1970s.
00:10:25 - The difference between Polish Jews and Poles of Jewish descent in the context of Poland and the events of March ’68.
00:12:50 - The Interviewee’s thoughts on the predictability of the government’s playing the Jewish card against the opposition.
00:16:00 - The beliefs and ideological choices of interviewee’s parents, the transformative nature of the communist ideology, the appeal of the communist ideology for Jewish teenagers - as an idea that can bridge gaps between nations through its internationalism. Disappointment with communism in the Soviet Union felt by the evacuated Jews and faith in building communism in Poland. The Kielce pogrom.
00:19:34 - The life of the interviewee’s relatives from Belgium.
00:21:15 - Slogans used in the fight with Zionism - the perspectives of Polish communists and Jewish communists.
00:22:10 - The waves of Jewish emigration from Poland.
24:25:00 - Resentment towards Poland, as felt by the Jewish emigrants of March ’68.
00:26:40 - The indifference of the Polish society to the emigration of Jews following March ’68.
00:28:45 - Description of the generation of March emigrants.
00:30:50 - The experience of the interviewee in the organization of “Reunion 68” meetings, lack of relatives and grandparents.
00:34:27 - Interviewee’s thoughts on different aspects of Jewish identity, being Jewish as a stigma.
00:39:00 - Interviewee’s thoughts on the relationship between citizenship and nationality.
00:41:20 - The importance of the events of March ‘68 for the individuals unaware of the Jewish aspects of their own identity.
00:44:50 - Jewish and non-Jewish audience of the Babel Club, entertainment and cultural activities of the Club, M. Rakowski’s visit to the club on 8 June 1967.
00:47:45 - Media reports about the Six-Day War, meeting with M. Rakowski at the Babel Club, the disbanding club in March 1968.
00:50:14 - Ideological views of the members of the Social and Cultural Society of Jews in Poland.
00:52:44 - Family situation in 1968.
00:55:58 - The Interviewee’s stay in Belgium in 1968, a “proposal” from the Security Office.
00:59:45 - Emigration of interviewee’s sister to Israel in the autumn of 1968, reasons for her choice of destination. Reasons why the interviewee’s mother stayed in Poland.
01:02:30 - The “Folks-Sztyme” newspaper.
01:04:07 - The interviewee’s language skills.
01:04:56 - Last year in Poland - interviewee’s memories.
01:06:26 - Making the decision about emigration.
01:10:30 - The dramatic nature of the emigration.
01:12:18 - Education and adaptation possibilities in the destination country.
01:13:30 - The definitive nature of emigration from Poland and the possibility of coming back, transit visits, first visit of the interviewee to Poland in 1978, contacts between the interviewee and his mother.
01:17:16 - The interviewee’s thoughts on his attitude towards Poland, current reasons for coming to Poland, the interviewee’s thoughts on the transformation Poland has undergone recently.
01:20:00 - The interviewee’s plans to move to Israel.
01:22:37 - The interviewee’s attitude to Judaism.
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