Prayers in Memory of the Late Władysław Bartoszewski

Chief Rabbi of Poland, Rabbi Michael Schudrich recited Psalm 15:

Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent?
Who may live on your holy mountain?
The one whose walk is blameless,
who does what is righteous,
who speaks the truth from their heart.

Rabbi Schudrich added that "When, 3,000 years ago, King David wrote that psalm, he must have had someone in mind as was Professor Władysław Bartoszewski”.

Addressing those assembled in the synagogue, Chairman of the Union of Jewish Religious Communities Lesław Piszewski said, "Władysław Bartoszewski visited us often in this synagogue. He was an unrivaled role model for us all. Whenever I was due to meet him, I was overcome with fear as to whether I would behave appropriately in the presence of this great man. But my fear evaporated quickly into a normal, warm discussion." 

Rabbi Schudrich added that "If not for Władysław Bartoszewski, there would be several hundreds of Jews fewer in this world. They were rescued not just because Bartoszewski was active in ŻEGOTA, but also because he, as an individual, demonstrated unusual determination".

Those present in the synagogue included representatives of the Union of Jewish Religious Communities in Poland, the Cultural Attaché of the Israeli Embassy Anna Ben Ezra, members of the Jewish Historical Institute Association, staff and members of the Jewish Community of Warsaw, the Emanuel Ringelblum Jewish Historical Institute and the Museum of the History of Polish Jews POLIN.

The Professor's son, Władysław Teofil Bartoszewski, could not hide his emotions at the prayers and recalled, "My father was not prejudiced against anyone. In his childhood, he played with Jewish children in the Krasiński Gardens. I remember, when I was five years old, my father took me to the site of the former ghetto. My father held me by one hand, Marek Edelman held the other. There is a word in Yiddish which has passed into English usage. My father was a mensch". The Professor's son, then sat down, overcome with emotion.

The Honorary Chairman of the Jewish Historical Institute Association, Marian Turski, announced that he would organise a seminar on the life of Bartoszewski on the first anniversary of his passing. He stressed the significant role Władysław Bartoszewski played in the politics of Lecha Wałęsa regarding Polish-Jewish relations, as well as in restoring the memory of the Auschwitz camp which, in Polish public discourse over the years, had been a symbol of Polish martyrdom, completely stripped of the fact that the vast majority of its victims had been Jews.

"The seminar should cover at least two areas, Bartoszewski and Israel, Bartoszewski and the issue of Polish-Jewish relations. And a third area can now be included - how Bartoszewski brought up his son, the next generation", said Marian Turski.

The next generation is already expressing itself on this subject.

 "I never met Władysław Bartoszewski personally", said a representative of the younger generation of Warsaw's Jewish community, its current Chairperson Anna Chipczyńska. "But I know that he was a guardian of our memory. He reminded us of what was important in life. He was like a moral backbone for us. He taught us how to live with kindness in a democratic state."

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PSALM 15

Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent?
Who may live on your holy mountain?
 
The one whose walk is blameless,
who does what is righteous,
who speaks the truth from their heart;
 
whose tongue utters no slander,
who does no wrong to a neighbour,
and casts no slur on others;
 
who despises a vile person
but honors those who fear the Lord;
who keeps an oath even when it hurts,
and does not change their mind;
 
who lends money to the poor without interest;
who does not accept a bribe against the innocent.
 
Whoever does these things will never be shaken.