WWII took an enormous toll on the Jewish population in Poland. The members of this population who survived had two options – to stay in Poland and try to rebuild their lives, or emigrate. Jews who chose to stay in Poland after WWII faced anti-Jewish sentiments from non-Jewish Polish citizens and the struggle to reintegrate themselves into a county that had been home to their ancestors for hundreds of years.
Jewish Emigration after WWII
Jews who emigrated from Poland after WWII chose to do so for many reasons. Emigration out of Poland represented a chance to escape the reminders of war that had torn apart families, destroyed property and possessions, and stalled careers and educations. In addition, emigration for Jews out of Poland was relatively easy – even encouraged – especially if those wishing to emigrate indicated that they wanted to move to Israel.
Anti-Jewish Sentiment
Because the number of Jews, as well as populations of non-Polish ethnic groups, had dwindled in Poland, Catholicism and Polish identity became more tightly intertwined. Though Jews had been a part of Polish history for centuries, they faced anti-Jewish sentiment in the form of encouraged emigration, inability to retrieve property and possessions lost during the war, high taxation, rumor and suspicion, redirection to the areas of Poland recovered as a result of redrawn borders (former German territories), and pogroms. Though artisans, businessmen, doctors, and other professionals were needed in the reconstruction of Poland, even skilled Jews were subject to severe intolerance.
Jewish Attempts at Reintegration
Jews who remained in Poland did so because they were unable to leave – due to age, infirmity, or other circumstances – or because they chose to do remain in the country they considered their home. Many Jews who remained in Poland rather than emigrating strove to restore their sense of security, identity, and community. Other Jews were less interested in their Jewish identities than their Polish identities and sought to integrate fully into the new Polish way of life without overtly acknowledging their Jewish heritage.
Poland became an increasingly unwelcome place for Jews. The late 1940s saw large waves of Jewish emigration out of Poland until the Jewish population almost ceased to exist. The Polish population in general, and the political culture specifically, created a hostile environment for those who chose to stay in Poland.
References
Checinski, Michael. Poland: Communism, Nationalism, Anti-Semitism. New York: Karz-Cohl Publishing, 1982. 7-42.
Lukowski, Jerzy, and Zawadski, Hubert. A Concise History of Poland. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006. 283-284.
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