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Warsaw, Poland - Prisoners to Renovate Jewish Historical Sites |
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Warsaw, Poland - The Polish government and a local Jewish organization have signed an unprecedented cooperation agreement under which prison inmates will help to refurbish Jewish historical sites throughout the country.
The deal was inked between Poland's Central Board of Prisons Service and the Warsaw-based Foundation for the Preservation of Jewish Heritage in Poland, and is believed to be the first of its kind in Europe.
It will make use of funds provided to Poland by the European Union under a program which sponsors a variety of projects for those serving time in the correctional system.
Inmates from 85 Polish jails are expected to take part.
"The agreement is based on the idea that prisoners will help to maintain and fix up Jewish cemeteries and other historical Jewish sites as part of their rehabilitation process," Foundation CEO Monika Krawczyk said.
"It will also involve an educational component, such as teaching them about Jews and Jewish history in Poland," she added.
The idea behind the program arose after the Polish Prisons Service and its Israeli counterpart agreed several months ago to cooperate in jointly restoring the Jewish cemetery in the city of Radom, 100 km. south of Warsaw.
"After that initiative was launched, we thought: Why limit it to Radom? Why not do it more generally throughout Poland?" explained Krawczyk, whose foundation is responsible for more than 1,100 Jewish cemeteries across the country, many of which are in dire need of repair.
"I think this agreement is a good and very constructive example to follow, because it is based on respect for history but is also directed to the future," she said.
The refurbishing of Jewish burial grounds will be carried out under the supervision of the Polish Rabbinical Commission on Cemeteries, which is headed by Polish Chief Rabbi Michael Schudrich.
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Read Comments (5) — Post Yours »
1
Jun 23, 2009 at 05:18 PM concerned Says:
I hope this won't make those prisoners into antisemites, I would anybody I'm forced to work for..........
2
Jun 23, 2009 at 04:49 PM Anonymous Says:
I do not believe that as Jew we should use any prison labor (forced labor, that is what the Nazi did ) to enhance or renovate any Jewish sites not a good idea.
3
Jun 23, 2009 at 09:15 PM Anonymous Says:
“ I do not believe that as Jew we should use any prison labor (forced labor, that is what the Nazi did ) to enhance or renovate any Jewish sites not a good idea. ”
Most prisoners have to do various tasks as part of their incarceration. I feel that this experience may actually be educational for them and hopefully give them a more fav orable understanding of Jews and the holocaust.
4
Jun 24, 2009 at 02:14 AM Morons Says:
What morons and fools. The prisoners who are already the lowest of the Polish society will know exactly where the Yiddish makomos are located. Do we see what news stories there are in Ukraine, Poland, Romania, Hungary and Russia already?
5
Jun 25, 2009 at 07:53 AM me Says:
Jewish prisoners built enough sites. It's somebody elses turn.