Polonica in the world

[gigi]

Nager lived through Nazi Holocaust
Polish native had family, built business in Wisconsin

By Amy Rabideau Silvers of the Journal Sentinel
Posted: Nov. 9, 2008



Against all odds, Sam Nager survived.

He was 9 when Hitler's army invaded Poland in September 1939.

"His father brought him to a farmer," said daughter Elizabeth Nager. "He gave the farmer two big bags of tobacco," and asked him to take care of the boy.

"That was the last time he saw his father, the last time he saw his mother."

Young Sam spent 1 1/2 years hiding in the farmer's barn before being taken prisoner by the Nazis. He spent the rest of the war as a laborer at the Buchenwald concentration camp in Germany.

For many years, his family did not understand why he never spoke of the day the camp was finally liberated in 1945.

The answer proved to be painfully, horribly simple: He was so near death that he was unaware of it. Nager would spend the next 10 months hospitalized before beginning the journey that brought him to the U.S. and Wisconsin.

Nager died of natural causes Thursday in Madison, where he last lived. He was 78.

In 1996, he traveled back to Poland with Chuck Greenberg, his son-in-law, visiting the little town of Dynow where he grew up.

There he met a Christian woman he had known in grade school, when Poland still had millions of Jewish people and everyone lived side by side. She showed him an old photo of their second-grade class. It was the only photo that had survived from his childhood.



"In 1948, he came to this country an orphan with nothing, with only a third-grade education," Elizabeth said.

He was first sent to Duluth, Minn., where he began learning English and began a job. He also met the former Fay Passon, who became his wife. They later moved to Green Bay, which had a synagogue and 100 Jewish families, because he wanted to raise his family in the faith, his daughter said.

He also became the owner of his own business, Sam's Quality Furniture on Main St. He served on both the Green Bay Common Council and the Brown County Board.

About 1980, the couple moved to Madison, where he worked as a furniture salesman for American of Madison.

"He had a phenomenal memory for people and their circumstances," she said. "He would remember people and details years later."

In one way, his memory was too good. He needed to reassure himself that there was food in the house, that his adult children did not need his help.

And he was never free of the nightmares from those war years. As Nager got older, he struggled with depression. The past did not want to stay buried.

Family members helped him apply for war reparations. For all he lost - virtually all of his family, the family home, half of his childhood - he received a check for $5,696.30.

It was never really about the money.

"It was an acknowledgment of what happened," Greenberg said. "It was very important to him, more than the dollar amount."

"He was extremely proud of being married, having kids, having grandchildren," Elizabeth said. "He was proud of everything he accomplished. He considered himself lucky to be in the greatest country in the world.

"I really hope that his parents somehow knew that he survived and that he went on to live a good life," she said. "I think about him meeting up with his parents again. . . . He was a good man."

jsonline.com

[gigi]

Holiday Traditions: A Polish Christmas

Although he didn't grow up in Poland, his native country, Ted Lopuszynski grew up surrounded by fellow Polish people and their traditions.

No matter where they lived, the Polish families kept their culture alive, especially on the holidays.

"We celebrated the same way with my father until he died," said Lopuszynski, a former Yamhill County Commissioner who lives in McMinnville. "And we still try to use the same traditions."

Wherever they were at Christmastime, the Polish families, mostly Catholic, celebrated the birth of Jesus.

"When I was 5 or 6, I discovered that Jesus was not Polish. Here I thought he was," Lopuszynski recalled. He was deeply disappointed, he said, until he realized Jesus was a savior for all nationalities.

Christmas Eve was a day of rest from work. Men and boys put up the Christmas tree, which would be decorated with homemade baubles and paper change. Women and girls cooked the Christmas Eve dinner of fishes, borscht, dumplings, pirogi, cabbage rolls and desserts - no meat, because it was a day of abstinence.

"We waited until the first star came out before serving dinner," he recalled. They also set an extra place at the table, just in case strangers stopped by needing food.

The meal always started with oplatek, or symbolic Christmas wafers that are broken and shared, similar to the act of communion. "The head of the family would break the oplatek and share it with his wife and his mother, then they would share it with others and wish them happiness," Lopuszynski said.

The meal ended with his favorite part, dessert. "Just awesome," he said. His favorite was a sweet called krusciki, a crispy, sugary twist of dough that his aunt and sister-in-law still prepare.

The family sang "Silent Night" and other carols in Polish. "Everyone held hands and sang," Lopuszynski said. In later years, after he married an American girl named Cathy and other non-Polish speakers married into the extended family, Polish and English-language songs would be alternated.

Lopuszynski always loved the singing. "I didn't know I had a lousy voice until I was 11 or 12," he said, "but to this day, I can always be counted on to add volume."

He jokes that a few years ago his granddaughter, then 8 or 9 years old, told him, "Grandpa, it would be more patriotic for you to not sing the National Anthem."

During the Christmas seasons of Lopuszynski's youth, he often saw red-robed St. Nicholas - Swiety Mikolaj, in Polish - at school pageants, Boy Scout meetings and other events.

When the saint departed, children's stockings were filled with oranges and apples. Children who had behaved badly received a lump of coal, said Lopusynski, who claims he never found coal in his own stocking.

Christmas gifts were simple, such as homemade toys and clothing. "Not like the wish list we received from our grandkids this year, all filled with electronics," Lopusynski said with a laugh.

Back then, he and other children would receive only one or two presents each. "It was partly the time, the 1940s, and partly the economy," he said. "We were very happy with whatever we had."

He was 9 or 10 years old before he received his first store-bought toy: A model of a B-52 bomber sent by his aunt, who lived in the United States.

The airplane was more than a gift: it also symbolized the Allied victory in World War II - a war that had dramatic impact on Lopuszynski's life.

He was born in Poland in 1938. At the time, Poland was the largest country in Europe, stretching from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea, and almost as far east as Moscow. It was home to numerous ethnic groups.

Germany invaded Poland on Sept. 1, 1939, and began systematically eliminating those that Hitler didn't want there. Millions of Polish Jews were killed. Many others were banished from their homeland.

The Soviets, not yet enemies of Hitler, took over some of the eastern portions of the country later that September. "The Germans did some of their ethnic cleansing by putting people in Russia," Lopuszynski explained.

His family lived in Dmytrow, a village in the part of Eastern Poland that now is in Ukraine. One day in 1940, soldiers came and told them they had 30 minutes to leave.

"We had no time to pack; they put us on cattle cars," Lopuszynski said. "My dad was away on business, and when he returned he found us gone."

His father loaded up all the food, clothes and cash he could carry and went in search of his wife, toddler son Ted and infant twins, as well as other family members. Eventually he caught up with the train and they were reunited.

But conditions were awful, Lopuszynski said. More than 50 people were packed in a boxcar in below-zero temperatures. A stove in one corner of the car provided feeble warmth and heat for cooking.

One day, his mother was working the stove and the train rocked, showering her with boiling water. The injuries that led to her death several weeks later. The twins died as well, one by one.

The remaining family members ended up in northern Russia, north of the Arctic Circle. Lopuszynski's father was a master brick maker, so they were more fortunate than many: They lived in the brickyard where heat was available.

In 1941, Germany attacked Russia, and the Soviets joined the Allies. Poland mustered troops to join the fight against Hitler, as well.

Lopuszynski's father enlisted in the 2nd Polish Army Corps. He and other new military recruits were sent south to Uzbekistan for training, and their families followed. From there, the civilians followed the troops into Persia, now Iran.

Although he was just a little boy, Lopuszynski has many memories of those days in the Middle East. He was temporarily blinded in a train wreck that killed many others. While in the hospital, a nurse was taking his temperature and the thermometer was accidentally broken; afraid he would be blamed, he ran away. Another time, his uncle brought some fruit to the malnourished youngster; he ate so much of the unfamiliar treat, he became ill.

But finally, after years of hardship, things started getting better. "In Persia, the British government started taking care of us," he said.

In late 1945 or early 1946, shortly after the war ended, the British moved Polish refugees to Lebanon. For the first time Lopuszynski could remember, his life was stable and he could go to school. "Those were some of my happiest childhood days," he said. "We had adequate food, we had time to make toys for ourselves ... ."

In 1948, he was reunited with his father, who had been moved to Britain with about 250,000 other members of the Polish army. The youngster settled into the barracks with the soldiers, who were stationed near Glasgow, Scotland.

"My aunt, who had married an American soldier, sent me the B-52 and a six-shooter cap pistol," he recalled. "I shot the cap pistol in the barracks and it scared the soldiers."

In Scotland and England, Lopuszynski attended Polish schools with other children from his homeland. Lessons were taught in Polish, and they learned English as a second language.

The Lopuszynskis immigrated to the United States after his father remarried a Polish woman. They arrived in Pennsylvania - like many other Polish immigrants - on Nov. 21, 1951, just in time to celebrate Thanksgiving. A year later, a relative in Vancouver, Wash., talked them into moving to the West Coast.

Lopuszynski graduated from high school in Vancouver and went on to Washington State University, majoring in political science. He decided to enlist in the Navy, but accompanied a friend to a Marines recruiting center and ended up spending 10 years in the Marines, instead.

He served in Okinawa and Vietnam and commanded six company-sized units. He organized an artillery school at Camp Pendleton in 1966 and a language school to teach military interrogation vocabulary and techniques.

On Valentine's Day of 1962, he and two other lieutenants went out to a club. "I saw this cute little thing sitting there and made a date for a week later," he said.

He and Cathy were married that July. They raised two children, Michael and Judith, and now have three grandchildren, Sara, Brittney and Michael, whom he calls "the smartest and best-looking kids in the world."

The Lopuszynskis moved to McMinnville in the early 1970s after he left the Marines. They became Singer sewing machine dealers and opened Cathy's Sewing Center downtown.

He became active in the Democratic party and served as Yamhill County commission twice, from 1975 to 1995 and again from 1997 to 2001. As each calendar year drew to a close, he wished his fellow commissioners the joy of the season, "Wesolych Swiat" - merry Christmas, in Polish.

newsregister.com

[Bonobo]

Class teaches Polish culture
December 28, 2008
By Janna Odenthal
Gary (IN) Post-Tribune

PORTAGE — Wigilia, the most important day on the Polish calendar, is a time when animals are said to talk and futures are told. The day — Christmas Eve — is a time of hospitality, caroling and gift-giving.

Ken Kaminski, co-organizer of the Polish American Cultural Society of Northwest Indiana, lived in Poland for nearly 10 years. The Rev. Walter J. Rakoczy, pastor of Our Savior Catholic Church in Portage, stayed there on several occasions.


media1.post-trib.com/multimedia/rakoczy.jpg_20081224_10_24_57_20-281-400.imageContent
The Rev. Walter Rakoczy, of Nativity of our Savior Catholic Church in Portage, conducts a class on Polish language, traditions and customs at the church.


Together they are bringing the Polish culture to Americans by teaching the language, customs, culture and history.

Portage resident Dorothy Posiadlik said she speaks a little Polish and is trying to learn more. She started coming to the group about a year ago.

"It's a hard language to learn. The tours are wonderful. They've gone to see different churches in Chicago. They were beautiful, breath-taking. We also went to a Polish restaurant. It was fabulous. It's wonderful to get involved in your culture," said Posiadlik.

This month, the class is celebrating the holidays.

Wigilia, which starts when a child sees the night's first stars, is celebrated with a traditional, meatless dinner with symbolic foods.

The 12-course meal represents the number of months in a year and the number of Christ's apostles. A place is set for missing relatives or a passing stranger.

The meal begins with the breaking of the Christmas wafer.

Dishes may include cabbage, cheese, dried fruit, mushroom soup, boiled potatoes, pickled herring, pierogi, beans, poppy seed pastries, sauerkraut, dumplings, nuts, candies, braided bread and more.

Rakoczy went to the village of his ancestors and spent Christmas with relatives there one year.

"No matter how bad things got under World War II or under the communists, Christmas Eve was always celebrated. It's the most important day in Poland," said Rakoczy.

Various types of Polish candies were brought in for tasting at the class' Wigilia. A Christmas card of a manger scene handmade of dyed straw was passed around the class.

Other discussions in a recent class included the Americanization of names and the nine different versions of the word "potato."

Vocabulary words were recited by the group. A Polish dictionary with phrases, various magazines and a Polish/English Mass and prayer book were among the items shared.

Schererville resident Gerard Dupczak said he's been trying to learn Polish for more than 50 years. He attended class recently for the first time.

"It's the language of my ancestors. My parents were first- generation American," he said. "They've both passed away, so I haven't had a chance to be around where it's spoken. If I come to a place like this and hear it spoken conversationally, then it helps with my understanding. "

[Bonobo]

ArtsFlash: It's Warmer in Warsaw
Wednesday, January 14th, 2009
carolyn huckabay
Philadelphia citypaper.net


Well, today anyway (by about 10 degrees). Bundle up and head Westward, young men and women: Drexel's Westphal College of Media Arts & Design is hosting the opening reception of their new exhibit "Polish Posters" this evening at 5.

If you're brave enough to make the trek, you'll be bombarded — er, rewarded — with the College's collection of 1,500-plus posters made from the 1930s through the '90s. Sez the press release:

Poster design in Poland has been a visual voice of the political, social and cultural times for more than a century. … These posters advertise American movies, sports, tourism and consumer products. They represent internationally known artists whose work brought Poland to the forefront of modern poster design in the 1920s and '30s with influences from Expressionism, Constructivism, Functionalism and Art Deco. After WWII, an era of social realism dominated the design and posters were the communication media of the Communist authorities as they encouraged the populace to rebuild.

They're also hosting a screening of Freedom on the Fence, "a documentary project about the history of Polish posters and their significance to the social, political and cultural life of Poland," tomorrow at 6 p.m.

Is it wrong that I hope there'll be pierogies?

[gigi]

Polish-born Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel marched alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the Selma Civil Rights March. One of his quotes was, "Racism is man's gravest threat to man - the maximum hatred for a minimum reason."


TWO PROPHETS, ONE SOUL: REV. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. AND RABBI ABRAHAM JOSHUA HESCHEL
by Harold M. Schulweis


Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, second from right

More than a coincidence of calendar couples the anniversary of the births of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., January 15 and Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, January 11. Two men from different geographies, color, creed, theological background were joined in a spiritual kinship whose legacy address our own times.

Heschel, a Polish immigrant, scion of a long line of Chasidic rabbis, Professor of Jewish Ethics and Mysticism at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America and King, an American descendant of slaves, a compassionate protector of the oppressed, charismatic orator, writer and theologian, marched side-by- side from Selma to Montgomery to protest the pernicious racism that poisoned America and humiliated its African-American citizens. A host of white citizens, filled with venomous hate, surrounded the marchers, jeered and spat upon them. But as Heschel declared later: "When I marched in Selma, my feet were praying." It is important not only to protest against evil but to be seen protesting. Faith in the goodness and oneness of God is powerfully expressed through the language of feet, hands, and spine.

Heschel and King, these two contemporary prophets remind us to eschew the invidious "one downsmanship" that compares one people's sufferings against another. Comparative victimizing is a divisive exercise that diminishes the anguish of our pain and replaces empathy with insensitivity. King and Heschel were united in the kinship of suffering and the shared vision of great dreams. Strengthened by the tradition of both biblical testaments, they defied the killers of the dreams quotations out of their bodies.

Describing Heschel as "one of the great men of our age, a truly great prophet", Martin Luther King declared: "He has been with us in many struggles. I remember marching from Selma to Montgomery, how he stood at my side...I remember very well when we were in Chicago for the Conference on Religion and Race...to a great extent his speech inspired clergymen of all faiths to do something they had not done before."

At that conference Heschel reminded the assembly that the first Conference on Religion and Race took place in Egypt where the main participants were Pharaoh and Moses. Moses' words were: "Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, let My people go" and the Pharaoh retorted "Who is the Lord that I should heed this voice and let Israel go." That summit meeting in Egypt has not come to an end. Pharaoh is still not ready to capitulate. The Exodus began, but we are still stranded in the desert. It was easier for the Israelites to cross the Red Sea than for men and women of different color to enter our institutions, our colleges, our universities, our neighborhoods.

"How can we love our neighbor", Heschel asks rhetorically when we flee from him and leave him abandoned, congested in the neglected ghettos of the inner city?

After the assassination of King, Heschel said of him "Martin Luther King is a sign that God has not forsaken the United States of America. God has sent him to us...his mission is sacred...I call upon every Jew to hearken to his voice, to share his vision, to follow in his way. The whole future of America will depend upon the influence of Dr. King."

King and Heschel speak to our community in the diction of the ancient prophets. They dare remind us that while "some are guilty, all are responsible." That moral responsibility transcends class, creed and race. Heschel and King taught us that the opposite of good is not evil but indifference and that silence in the presence of evil amounts to consent. They charged us to transcend the cleavages that distract us from the solidarity of our goal, and to publicly stand together against the twin evils of racism and anti-Semitism.

The calendrical coincidence of their birth anniversaries calls upon us to resurrect the moral passion and wisdom that infused their lives. Our celebration of their birthdays offers testimony to the immortality of their influence. Their creeds, dogmas, pigmentation, like ours, are different. But our tears are the same.

source: shalomctr.org
photo: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Joshua_Heschel

[Bonobo]

Poland-born, Mark Brener, former owner of the New York-based Emperor's Club Escort Service
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The man who led a prostitution ring whose clients included former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer was sentenced on Friday to 30 months in prison.
Mark Brener, 63, who has been held in detention since his arrest last March, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit prostitution offenses and money laundering.
In sentencing Brener, U.S. District Judge Denny Chin said he was unmoved by an appeal by Brener's lawyer that he had been "collateral damage" in the Spitzer investigation. Chin also dismissed the notion that prostitution is a victimless crime.
"It may go on all the time," said Chin. "It's certainly my view that a number of people are significantly hurt by this."
Last November, federal prosecutors said they had decided not to prosecute Spitzer, who resigned as governor last March after he had patronized a $1,000-an-hour prostitute.
Prostitution is illegal in most U.S. states, but clients are rarely prosecuted.
Brener was one of four people charged with running the Emperors Club VIP. The ring's manager was sentenced last month to six months in prison. A booking agent was sentenced to one year of probation and a second is still awaiting sentencing.
During the hearing Brener broke down in tears as he prepared to speak. "I am sorry, truly sorry," he said.
If the case had gone to trial and he had been convicted, Brener -- a U.S. citizen born in Poland -- would have faced up to 25 years in prison.



How is it? If the accused pleads guilty, there is no trial but only the judge gives a verdict, right?
If there is a trial, in case of guilty verdict by jury, the sentence might be much higher?

[valpomike]

Money talks and bull ---- walks. This is life in the big city. It will only, now with our new leader, get worse.


Mike

[Bonobo]

Feb 11, 2009 21:31:36 GMT 1 valpomike said:

Money talks and bull ---- walks.

Nice saying. ;D ;D Strange but I have never come across it in my English text books. Must be one of rarely used proverbs....

This is life in the big city. It will only, now with our new leader, get worse.
Mike

Let`s be optimistic. Those demos have a few good men, not all are so bad. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

[valpomike]

Who, all the good ones are dead.

Mike

[valpomike]

Another one that comes to mind, is, Remember the golden rule, he who has the gold, makes the rules.
The sure is the truth.

Mike

[locopolaco]

Feb 11, 2009 23:26:01 GMT 1 Bonobo said:

Feb 11, 2009 21:31:36 GMT 1 valpomike said:

Money talks and bull ---- walks.

Nice saying. ;D ;D Strange but I have never come across it in my English text books. Must be one of rarely used proverbs....

This is life in the big city. It will only, now with our new leader, get worse.
Mike

Let`s be optimistic. Those demos have a few good men, not all are so bad. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

no, the saying is actually used a LOT.

what? the bad US economy is somehow obama's fault now? wtf??

[tomek]

Feb 11, 2009 21:31:36 GMT 1 valpomike said:

Money talks and bull ---- walks. This is life in the big city. It will only, now with our new leader, get worse.
Mike

What the connection of bull and money? Like bull in Exchange on Wall street? Why bull walks and money talk?

[Bonobo]

Feb 15, 2009 15:57:47 GMT 1 tomek said:

Feb 11, 2009 21:31:36 GMT 1 valpomike said:

Money talks and bull ---- walks. This is life in the big city. It will only, now with our new leader, get worse.
Mike

What the connection of bull and money? Like bull in Exchange on Wall street? Why bull walks and money talk?

;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

[Bonobo]

Koch Lorber Films

A scene from Andrzej Wajda's "Katyn," which deals with the massacre of Poles in 1940.
By A. O. SCOTT
The New York Times
February 18, 2009

The first scene in "Katyn," Andrzej Wajda's solemn and searing new film, takes place on a bridge somewhere in Poland in mid-September 1939. The bridge is aswarm with people fleeing in opposite directions. Panicked families trying to escape the Germans, who invaded on the first of the month, collide with equally terrified compatriots coming from the eastern part of the country, scene of a recent Soviet intervention.

The chaos and terror form a living tableau of Poland's terrible predicament in the middle of the last century, when it was caught in the pincers of two toxic strains of European totalitarianism. In 1939 Hitler and Stalin pledged mutual nonaggression, a pact that lasted long enough for their armies to collude in the destruction of Polish sovereignty.

In the spring of 1940 the Soviets proceeded with the "liquidation" of the Polish officer corps, shooting nearly 15,000 men in Katyn Forest, including Mr. Wajda's father, and burying them in mass graves. As Mr. Wajda makes clear, the intent was not simply to destroy Poland's military command but also to purge its population of engineers, intellectuals and other citizens whose education and expertise might help the country to function independently.

The Nazis, meanwhile, contributed to this project by shutting down universities and rounding up professors. Just as one character, the army captain Andrzej (Artur Zmijewski), awaits his fate at the hands of the Russians, his father, a professor in Krakow, falls into the hands of the SS.

Afterward, when the Nazis and the Soviets resumed their customary aggression, each used the other's barbarity for propaganda. The Germans dug up the bodies in Katyn and promoted themselves as protectors of the Poles against Bolshevik terror. When the tide of war turned, the Red Army repeated the exercise, blaming Hitler and fudging the dates of the massacre so it could be added to the list of German atrocities.

After the war the falsified Russian version of history was enforced by the usual police-state means. Even as the truth about Katyn continued to haunt Poles' memories, it became, for much of the rest of the world, a hazy footnote, a symbol of Poland's enduring historical bad luck.

But Poland has at least been fortunate to have, in Mr. Wajda, a tireless, clear-sighted chronicler. At 82, he has produced, in movies like "Ashes and Diamonds" and "Man of Marble," an unparalleled cinematic record of Polish history, and "Katyn," nominated for an Academy Award last year, is a powerful corrective to decades of distortion and forgetting.

With elegant concision, the film explores both the events leading up to the massacre and its aftermath, following a group of officers and their families through the agonies of war and the miseries of peacetime under Communism, circling back to end with an unsparing reconstruction of some of the killings.

The deaths are terrible and painful to watch, but the film's dramatic momentum is carried by the sisters, mothers and widows of the dead, whose attempts to hold on to the truth are almost unbearably poignant. Maja Ostaszewska is quietly magnificent as Andrzej's wife, Anna, who clings to the hope that he has, somehow, survived. Others, like the sisters of a young lieutenant, try to figure out how to honor his memory and carry on with their lives. One of them risks arrest by commissioning a gravestone with the accurate date of his death, while the other resigns herself to an occasional gesture of subversion and the knowledge that "Poland will never be free."

The existence of "Katyn" contradicts her certainty — Poland is now free to take stock of its own past — but Mr. Wajda is too honest and sensitive a filmmaker to foreshadow an eventual redemptive ending. Instead, he focuses on the grief and confusion of his characters, and on the ferocity with which they hold on to the dignity that history conspires to strip from them. The result is a film with a stately, deliberate quality that insulates it against sentimentality and makes it all the more devastating.

KATYN

Opens on Wednesday in Manhattan.

Directed by Andrzej Wajda; written by Mr. Wajda, Wladyslaw Pasikowski and Przemyslaw Nowakowski, based on the novel "Post Mortem" by Andrzej Mularczyk; director of photography, Pawel Edelman; edited by Milenia Fiedler and Rafal Listopad; music by Krzysztof Penderecki; produced by Michal Kwiecinski; released by Koch Lorber Films. At Film Forum, 209 West Houston Street, West Village. In Polish, with English subtitles. Running time: 2 hours 1 minute. This film is not rated.

WITH: Maja Ostaszewska (Anna), Artur Zmijewski (Andrzej), Andrzej Chyra (Jerzy) and Jan Englert (General).

[Bonobo]

The Pork Underground: An appreciation of pig meat
Maia Filar
National Post, Canada

Friday, February 20, 2009
I was told to wear pink, come alone and bring a found or bought object that demonstrated my devotion to pork. Such was my initiation into The Pork Underground. On a balmy February night, I approach Bartek Komorowski's Montreal home. The invitation stated that there will be no membership per se, but guests who adequately demonstrate their devotion to pork and amuse their host would be invited again. The pressure was on.

The Pork Underground is an appreciation club with the most discerning of guests: a Montreal chef, a couple of food critics, some bloggers and plain old meat lovers gathering to value and consume an animal that still gets a bad rap for the way it was cooked 40 years ago. But on this night, it was brined, rendered, braised and marinated to the point where it was unrecognizable if compared to the well-done pork chop with applesauce grandmothers used to cook.

"I am Polish, so I am practically made of pork," says Komorowski, a freelance urban planner who started the club as an excuse to consume large amounts of the meat he grew up on. "And I love pork. It's a very diplomatic meat." Pork is the most widely eaten food in the world, and has made a big comeback on the culinary scene, especially in Quebec. With restaurants like Au Pied de Cochon and cookbooks like Stephane Reynaud's Pork and Sons, it seems only fitting that a group of food worshippers here would choose it as the subject of reverence. "A lot of local restaurants are into using local products, and it just so happens that there is a lot of pork farming on the south shore of Montreal," Komorowski says. That meant that the evening's meal, which consisted of a rum and five spice terrine, cabbage and pork belly soup and a leg of ham, was prepared using locally raised meat.

Komorowski started a now-defunct order of the pig last year, with the intention of creating an active food group where people could come together to cook, eat and be merry. "At first, I demanded that people demonstrate their devotion to pork by writing an essay or, alternatively, creating some kind of pork-related article," he says. "The club was not passive. You had to be actively engaged."

That quickly fell apart after people didn't pull their weight, so he started a new underground faction reserved for extremely dedicated members. "Pork club is supposed to be a big banquet where you eat such copious amounts of food that everyone is in a food coma afterwards. Not something that should be emulated and done everyday. It can't become mundane. It has to be occasional and therefore special."

Before getting down to it, we all had to present our pork objects. Mark Slutsky, a food writer and editor at the Montreal Mirror, helped kick the night off with his ode to the pig, a sonnet that described his struggle as a pork-loving Jewish man.

"Judge not the man who strives to keep kosher, His people's beliefs may rule and guide him. Such prejudice is base; there's nothing gaucher; matters this holy aren't subject to whim. If he choose to abstain from all shellfish, All insects, all mammals with cloven hoof, Respect his decision, it is his wish, The fabric of his life; its warp and woof. But know there's one beast to make him crumble, To cause his faith to be cast asunder, Don't judge him if he fails, should he fumble, Dare not denounce his prandial blunder. Be it bacon or rib that pierce his fork, All men weaken in the presence of pork."

The rest of the table went one by one. Anthony Kinik, half of the food blog An Endless Banquet, sketched a postcard-sized rendering of a Tenderflake package. His other half and Laloux pastry chef Michelle Marek, presented a crossword puzzle. And so on.

Then we ate. Peasant food at its best, the terrine was coarsely chopped and served on baguette with tons of butter. The soup was a subtle and flavourful cabbage base with pork belly pieces and candied garlic scattered throughout. Komorowski had cured the meat five days before, and it made for a fatty and delicious addition to every spoonful.

The main dish was a leg of ham that had been brined for three days and marinated in port, brandy and spices. Cooked in a pot and then in the oven, it was served with creamy mashed potatoes, but the clincher was in the clove and white pepper braising jus. Nitrate-free, the meat was its natural grayish colour. After we ate and did a few too many rounds of vodka shots, everyone teetered home. So, did Komorowski feel we properly saluted his favourite animal? "Oh yes, and it properly filled us up for the winter. A pig is just a refrigerator that keeps your calories fresh."

[Bonobo]

Paczki trip over the tongue, melt in the mouth
Francis X. Donnelly
The Detroit News
2/24/09

For something they can't spell or pronounce, Metro Detroiters are
crazy about paczki.

The Paczki Express Bakery Bus Tour was Saturday. This morning, a
band called the Polish Muslims will sing odes to paczki in a
Hamtramck bar.

It may be the only doughnut with its own parade.

But paczki (pronounced POONCH-key) are no ordinary Polish pastries.

They're hulking softball-sized slabs of deep-fried dough filled with
jelly or custard, not to mention 420 calories and 25 grams of fat.

In other words, heaven.

"I love them, probably too much," said Sue Everitt, 48, of Warren,
after buying a dozen from New Palace Bakery in Hamtramck. "Hopefully my friends will eat them before I do."

By the end of today, Paczki Day, it will seem like everyone in
southeastern Michigan will have eaten one, or four, of the saintly
orbs.

That may sound like a lot of lard, but this is how the region
celebrates the coming of Lent.

What began as a Catholic tradition has spread to other groups. Call
them the Religious Order of Sweets Lovers.

In Poland, Catholics made the doughnuts as they emptied their
cupboards of lard, eggs and fruit before the start of Lent, a 40-day
period of fasting before Easter.

When the Polish immigrated to Detroit in the early 1900s, they
brought dessert with them.

By the 1980s, paczki were so popular here that they moved from the shelves of Polish bakeries to other pastry shops and supermarkets.

In coming to America, the Poles often replaced Irish immigrants in
low-skilled jobs.

Now they're hoping Paczki Day will join St. Patrick's Day as a feast
day that draws attention to a nationality.

[Bonobo]

Drinking in Polish bars
What to drink, how to order it, and everything else you need to know about drinking the Polish way.

By Gretchen Kalwinski and David Tamarkin
Time Out Chicago / Issue 209 : Feb 26–Mar 4, 2009


www.timeout.com/chicago/resizeImage/htdocs/export_images/209/209.x600.feat.polish.bars.vodka.jpg?width=480
Photo: Martha Williams; Vodka Courtesy of Sam's Wines and Spirits

Pay for your drinks. Don't start a fight. No groping anybody you don't know. There are some rules you have to follow at every bar. But if you're trying to blend in at a Polish bar like Ola's Liquor (947 N Damen Ave, 773-384-7250) or Bim Bom (5226 W Belmont Ave, 773-777-2120), you need to follow an extra set of edicts. The first one: Don't speak loudly and slowly to the bartenders—they' re Polish, not deaf, and they probably understand English as well as you do. For more guidelines on how to avoid acting like a typical American jackass, read on.

DO
drink at least one cocktail that's fruity. Polish drinkers have a sweet tooth—try the bison-grass vodka with apple cider.

DON'T
order wine. You would not believe what passes for wine at a Polish bar.

DO
order Sobieski vodka. Only recently available in the States, this vodka—one of Poland's most popular—is much more nuanced than its low price tag suggests.

DON'T
order a Bud Light. You're in a Polish bar. Only Okocim ("oh-KO-chim" ) and other light-as-water Polish lagers will do.

DO
order a shot with your beer. Poles drink their light beers with a side of something stronger—vodka, usually, or krupnik, a honey liquor.

DO
ask the bartender if he can make you a furious dog shot, which, according to TOC's Polish intern, involves vodka, fruit syrup and Tabasco.

DON'T
be surprised if he has no idea what you're talking about and makes you a Polish flag (vodka and cherry juice) instead.

DO
try to hit on the beautiful Polish bartender. Couldn't hurt.

DON'T
tell her she looks like Anna Kournikova. Anna Kournikova is Russian, genius.

[gigi]

Proud To Be Polish

by Alexandra Grochulski, age 16
(born in USA, parents both born in Poland)


We are proud to be Polish
People of many talents,
People of much history.
We are descendants of many heroes
Such as Kosciuszko and Pilsudski.
We are writers and composers,
We possess it in our kin.
Our influences: Adam Mickiewicz and Chopin
We are proud to be Polish.
Struggling through the strife of our country
We persevere.
We come from many lines of scientists:
Maria Sklodowska and Mikolaj Kopernik
"On wstrzymial slonce, wzruszyl ziemie Polskie go wydalo plemie."
"He stopped the sun, moved the earth polish nation gave him birth."
We are saints, ok maybe not all of us
But in our hearts we know what's right
Just like the Sw. Maximillian and the Pope,
Creating everything good in their sight.
We are proud to be Polish.
We are proud of our heroes, writers, composers
Scientists, and saints.
Of our churches, Kosciol Mariacki,
Matka Boska Czestochowska z Jasnej Gory,
And Wieliczka..
Now its our turn to be proud of ourselves
And our accomplishments.
We should be proud to show others
We are polish.
People of integrity and dignity.
People of history.
We are Polish.

[Bonobo]

Naive but very patriotic.

[valpomike]

Gigi,

Thank you very much, that was great. Tell them all.

Mike

[Bonobo]

Polish Studies at Columbia University
Poland.pl
2009-03-25

Poland's foreign minister Radoslaw Sikorski alongside culture minister Bogdan Zdrojewski and treasury minister Aleksander Grad held a press conference in Warsaw to announce the raising of funds for the endowment of the chair of Polish studies which will open at New York's Columbia University.

Since November 2007 three million dollars have been raised as a joined effort of the Foundation for Polish Science, the Polish Consulate in New York and professor John Micgiel of Columbia University. The Chair of Polish studies will be inaugurated next year and will offer classes and academic work from the scope of social and political sciences as well as humanities of Poland and Central and Eastern Europe. It is to be a center promoting Poland in the United States.

[valpomike]

Could you get our leader to take some classes, he could, and needs to learn.
This could be good for all of us, I think.

Mike

[Bonobo]

City has rich history of Polish immigration
By JENNIFER ABEL
New Britain (CT) Herald
Thursday, April 2, 2009

NEW BRITAIN — When immigrants leave Poland and come to America, where do they go? The answer is "New Britain" so often that it is the fourth-largest new immigrant city in America for Poles.

That's just one of the facts discussed by Mary Patrice Erdmans, a Central Connecticut State University sociology professor, in her Wednesday night lecture "How Are New Polish Immigrants Doing in the U.S.? Educational and Occupational Trends in the Past 40 Years."

"In the last 50 years, a half-million Poles came here as permanent residents," Erdmans said. "Another 3 million came on temporary visas. In the 1970s and '80s, the people on temporary visas often did not go home." Many of these people were not allowed to work here but did anyway, because the American dollar was so much stronger than the Polish zloty.

"The Polish community had a saying: `Land in Chicago in the morning, make your monthly salary by noon.'" This was no exaggeration when the average Pole in Poland earned (in zlotys) roughly five American dollars a month.

Erdmans compared this immigration wave of the '70s and '80s to the immigrants that came to America between 1880 and 1920, all hoping for a better life. But in the 1920s, Polish immigration to America trickled to a mere 7,000 people per year, due to the passing of the "Origins Act" in 1924. (World War II was an exception, as roughly 200,000 Polish refugees came to America.)

"A lot of who comes here depends on who America lets come here," Erdman noted. The Origins Act basically said that the number of immigrants allowed from a given ethnic or national group would be a percentage of how many already lived in America. Since most Americans at the time were of Anglo or Saxon stock, that meant most new immigrants were, too. "Seventy percent of the [immigration] slots went to Germans, Irish and Brits," Erdmans said.

But America "did not want Poles, Jews, Greeks or other Slavs." The Origins Act was finally abolished in 1965 as part of the Civil Rights Act.

"The 1965 Act was sometimes called the `Brothers and Sisters Act," Erdmans said, because one of its goals was to reunite families by letting immigrants bring in family members from overseas. Yet this also hurt would-be Polish immigrants. "They were hurt by the 1924 act, and hurt again by the 1965 act," because the reduced number of Polish immigrants to America naturally reduced the number of Poles in Poland with American relatives.

Finally, "the Immigration Act of 1990 created more visas for Poles — and raised the ceiling for all. It created a category called `Diversity Immigrants' to bring in people hurt by the 1965 act."

But many of those visas were temporary, and Poles would illegally overstay their visa so they could work. "In 1992, Poles were the second-largest group of illegal immigrants in the country," Erdmans said. (Mexicans were number one, and Irish number three.) The welfare reform bill of 1996 also included harsher penalties for immigrants who overstayed their visas, and the clampdown after 9/11 was harsher still.

Also in the 1980s, there were over 40,000 Polish immigrants who were political refugees. These were mostly educated professionals, "highly politicized, " as Erdmans said, and likely to become leaders in their immigrant communities. In 1989, when Poland ceased to be a Communist country, it sent no more political refugees to America.

"Many of them did not become U.S. citizens," Erdmans said. After 1989, many former political refugees left America and returned to Poland. Many of them had served time in Polish prisons during the martial-law years, and when they left for America, they hoped all the while that things would change in their native country so they could go home.

The lack of political refugees is not the only reason immigration decreased after Polish Communism collapsed; having the central economy replaced with a free market meant increased job opportunities in Poland, especially for the young, the educated and the English-speaking. However, "retirees, state workers and workers in subsidized industries did not fare so well," Erdmans said. In the mid-1990s, Polish unemployment rates reached as high as 25 percent (the same rate America saw in the Great Depression).

Things were generally better in America, but "better" does not mean "perfect." Erdmans said a Polish phrase which inspired wry chuckles from some middle-aged or elderly Poles in the audience before she translated it to English: "Immigration leads to a drop in status."

Since the formation of the European Union, America has become a less desirable destination for Polish immigrants. This is due to several factors, including the weakening of the dollar and the ease with which immigrants in European countries can visit their families back home.

Also, as one man in the audience noted, `There are no Polish jokes in Ireland."

[valpomike]

Does anyone know where New Britain is in the U.S.A.? I don't.

Mike

[Bonobo]

Apr 13, 2009 18:19:21 GMT 1 valpomike said:

Does anyone know where New Britain is in the U.S.A.? I don't.

Mike

Somewhere near Old Britain?

[Bonobo]

WNY Polish American Events - May (Maj) 2009

www.polegl.org/

Friday, 5/1

* POLISH CONSTITUTION DAY WREATH-LAYING CEREMONY - 12:00Noon - Hall of Justice, Rochester - Gene Golomb (585-323-2106)

* "PAUL TOMKOWICZ: STREET RAILWAY SWITCHMAN" (Polish Documentary Film) - 12:00Noon - Isabel Bader Theatre, 93 Charles Street West, Toronto, Ont. - (416-203-2155)

* "NECROBUSINESS" (Polish Documentary Fim) - 7:15PM - Innis Town Hall, 2 Sussex Avenue, Toronto, Ont. - (416-203-2155)

* SPRING POLKA DANCE - "ZABAWA" (Featuring John Gora & "Gorale", and Jeff Mleczko & "Dynabrass") - 8:00PM - Polish Hall, 2316 Fairview Street, Burlington, Ont. - $C20.00

Saturday, 5/2

* POLISH KASHUB DAY CELEBRATIONS - Wilno Heritage Park, Wilno, Ont. - (613-756-6937)

* "PAUL TOMKOWICZ: STREET RAILWAY SWITCHMAN" (Polish Documentary Film) - 2:00PM - ROM Theatre, 100 Queen's Park, Toronto, Ont. - (416-203-2155)

* POLISH VETERANS OF WORLD WAR II POST 33 ANNIVERSARY MASS & CELEBRATION - 4:00PM - St. Stanislaus Church, Fillmore Avenue & Peckham Street, Buffalo - $10.00 - Cmdr. Janusz Nieduzak (824-3888)

* "THE ALLIANCE" POLKA BAND INAUGURAL DANCE AND CD RELEASE PARTY (Featuring a Free Buffet) - 8:00PM - Lily of the Valley Hall, 2379 Union Road, Cheektowaga - $8.00 - Matt Lewandowski (684-3837)

Sunday, 5/3

* POLISH CONSTITUTION DAY COMMEMORATION - 11:00AM - St. Stanislaus Kostka Church, Hudson Avenue & Norton Street, Rochester - Gene Golomb (585-323-2106)

* CHICKEN DINNER - 12:00Noon - Queen of Angels Parish Hall, Warsaw Street & Electric Avenue, Lackawanna - $9.00

* REV. ANTHONY LUTOSTANSKI JUBILEE CELEBRATION (Featuring the Villa Maria Chorale) - St. John Kanty Church, Broadway & Swinburne Street, Buffalo

* POLISH FALCONS NEST 52 CARD PARTY - 1:00PM - St. Paul Exempts, Rochester - Barbara (585-467-5643)

* AM-POL EAGLE CITIZENS OF THE YEAR AWARD LUNCHEON - 1:30PM - Kloc's Grove, 1245 Seneca Creek Road, Wst Seneca - $29.50 - (835-9454)

* "NECROBUSINESS" (Polish Documentary Fim) - 1:30PM - Cumberland 2, 195 Cumberland Street, Toronto, Ont. - (416-203-2155)

* LANCASTER OPERA HOUSE BENEFIT CHINESE AUCTION - 2:00PM - Lancaster Youth Bureau, 200 Oxford Street, Lancaster - $10.00 - (683-1776)

* POLKA SUNDAY (Featuring "City Side") - 4:00PM - Potts Banquet Hall, 694 South Ogden Street, Buffalo - $3.00 - (826-6575)

Wednesday, 5/6

* CHOPIN SINGING SOCIETY LADIES AUXILIARY MAOTHERS' DAY PARTY - 6:00PM - Kiebzak's Beginnings, 38 Crocker Street, Sloan - $20.00 - Linda Nagorski (864-6931)

* POLKA VARIETY SOCIAL CLUB MEETING (Featuring Tony Krew) - 7:00PM - Lily of the Valley Hall, 2379 Union Road, Chetowaga - Len Zak (896-1476)

Sunday, 5/10

* CANADIAN POLISH SOCIETY OPEN HOUSE - 11:00AM - Polish Hall, 43 Facer Street, St. Catharines, Ont.

* ANNUAL MOTHERS DAY MASS - 3:00PM - St. Stanislaus Cemetery, Resurrection Mausoleum, 700 Pine Ridge Road, Cheektowaga

Monday, 5/11

* POLISH HERITAGE SOCIETY OF ROCHESTER ANNUAL MEETING - 6:30PM - St. John Fisher College, 3690 East Avenue, Rochester - Maria Weldy (585-266-6690)

Tuesday, 5/12

* POLISH AMERICAN CITIZENS CLUB LADIES AUXILIARY MOTHERS' DAY DINNER - 6:00PM - PAC Clubrooms, 35 Weaver Street, Rochester - (585-266-7215)

Thursday, 5/14

* VILLA MARIA COLLEGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES DINNER & AUCTION (Featuring the Mark Mazur Quartet) - 6:00PM - Samuel's Grand Manor, 8750 Main Street, Clarence - $100.00 - (961-1825)

* POLISH AMERICAN CONGRESS (WNY DIVISION) BOARD MEETING - 7:00PM - Msgr. Pitass Center, St. Stanislaus Parish, Fillmore Avenue & Peckham Street, Buffalo - Richard Solecki (684-6076)

Friday, 5/15

* PROFESSIONAL & BUSINESSMEN' S ASSOCIATION SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION DEADLINE - Paul Molik (668-1429)

* POLISH HERITAGE SOCIETY OF ROCHESTER ANNUAL MEETING & DINNER - 6:30PM - Elaine Wilson Formal Lounge, St. John Fisher College, Rochester - $15 (Polish Dinner) - Maria Weldy

* UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO POLISH STUDENT ASSOCIATION FORMAL - 7:00PM - SPK Hall, 206 Beverley Street, Toronto Ont. - $C30.00

Friday, 5/15 and Saturday, 5/16

* "ALIBI" (Polish Comedy Film by Lukasz Wylezalek) - 8:00PM (Fri. & Sat.); 6:00PM (Sat.) - Studio Theatre, Toronto Centre for the Arts, 5040 Yonge Street, Toronto, Ont. - (416-872-1111)

Saturday, 5/16

* SYRACUSE POLISH HOME GOLF OUTING AND STEAK BAKE - 12:00Noon - Foxfire Golf Club, Syracuse - $70.00 - Gary Bradley (315-676-4708)

* POLISH AMERICAN CITIZENS CLUB 50'S - 60'S PARTY & KARAOKE NIGHT (Featuring "Quality Sounds") - 6:00PM - PAC Clubrooms, 35 Weaver Street, Rochester - (585-266-7215)

Sunday, 5/17

* FLEA MARKET - 8:30AM - Lamm Post, 962 Wehrle Drive, Williamsville - $8.00 - Bob Krawczyk (837-3582)

* PROFESSIONAL & BUSINESSMEN' S ASSOCIATION MEMORIAL MASS - 11:30AM - Corpus Christi Church, 199 Clark Street, Buffalo - $15/Couple - Marcin Ostrowski (823-1502)

* POPE JOHN PAUL II SERVICE OF REMEMBRANCE AND LIVING ROSARY - 4:00PM - St. Stanislaus Church, Fillmore Avenue & Peckham Street, Buffalo

* "MASS IN THE TIME OF WAR" (Concert Featuring the Villa Maria Chorale) - Our Lady of Czestochowa Church, 64 Center Avenue, North Tonawanda - (693-3822)

* THE "KNEWZ" CD RELEASE PARTY - Potts Banquet Hall, 694 South Ogden Street, Buffalo

Wednesday, 5/20

* CHICKEN DINNER - 3:00PM - Lamm Post, 962 Wehrle Drive, Williamsville - $8.00 - Bob Krawczyk (837-3582)

* THEME TRAY AUCTION - 5:00PM - Holy Mother of the Rosary Cathedral, 6298 Broadway, Lancaster - $5.00 - (685-5766)

Thursday, 5/21

* PROFESSIONAL & BUSINESS WOMEN OF POLONIA SCHOLARSHIP DINNER - Michael's Banquet Facility, 4885 Southwestern Blvd., Hamburg

Monday, 5/25

* ANNUAL MEMORIAL DAY MASS - 10:00AM - St. Stanislaus Cemetery, Resurrection Mausoleum, 700 Pine Ridge Road, Cheektowaga

Tuesday, 5/26

* BUFFALO POLKA BOOSTERS MEETING - 7:00PM - Depew Polish Falcons, 445 Columbia Avenue, Depew - Chris (892-7977)

Friday, 5/29 Through Sunday, 5/31

* POLISH ARMY VETERANS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA 30TH NATIONAL CONVENTION - Holiday Inn, Grand Island - Cmdr. Stanislaw Przystal (773-9141)

* FRIENDLY CITY POLKAFEST (Featuring the John Gora Band, Polka Family Band, Eddie Blazonczyk's "Versatones" and Many Others ) - St. Mary's Byzantine Catholic Church, 411 Power Street, Johnstown, PA - (800-237-8590)

Friday, 5/29 and Saturday, 5/30

* 7TH ANNUAL POLISH HERITAGE FESTIVAL (Featuring the John Gora Band, Jerry Darlak & the "Touch", "Mon Valley Push", Anya, Kujawiacy Polish Song and Dance Ensemble, Sugar & Jazz Orchestra and "Ludowa Nuta" Polish Choir) - 4:00PM (Fri.); 12:00Noon (Sat.) - Hamburg Fairgrounds, 5820 South Park Avenue, Hamburg - $5.00 - (998-2501)

Saturday, 5/30

* RUMMAGE SALE - 9:00AM - Holy Mother of the Rosary Cathedral, 6298 Broadway, Lancaster - Tina Crane (681-7450)

* ST. ADALBERT BASILICA PARISH AND SCHOOL REUNION MASS AND DINNER - 4:00PM (Mass Featuring the Chopin Singing Society) - St. Adalbert Basilica, 212 Stanislaus Street, Buffalo; 5:30PM (Dinner Featuring the Concertina All Stars and the Harmony Polish Folk Ensemble) - Harvey Morin Post, 965 Center Road, West Seneca - $25.00 - Maria (892-1369)

* POLISH ARMY VETERANS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA 30TH NATIONAL CONVENTION BANQUET - Holiday Inn, Grand Island - Cmdr. Stanislaw Przystal (773-9141)

Sunday, 5/31

* "POLONIA: WNY'S POLISH AMERICAN LEGACY" - 2:00PM - WNED-TV Channel 17, Buffalo

* JERRY DARLAK & THE "TOUCH" IN CONCERT - 4:00PM - Sportsmen's Tavern, 326 Amherst Street, Buffalo - (874-7734)

[locopolaco]

May 1, 2009 22:07:26 GMT 1 Bonobo said:

WNY Polish American Events - May (Maj) 2009

www.polegl.org/

Friday, 5/1

* POLISH CONSTITUTION DAY WREATH-LAYING CEREMONY - 12:00Noon - Hall of Justice, Rochester - Gene Golomb (585-323-2106)

* "PAUL TOMKOWICZ: STREET RAILWAY SWITCHMAN" (Polish Documentary Film) - 12:00Noon - Isabel Bader Theatre, 93 Charles Street West, Toronto, Ont. - (416-203-2155)

* "NECROBUSINESS" (Polish Documentary Fim) - 7:15PM - Innis Town Hall, 2 Sussex Avenue, Toronto, Ont. - (416-203-2155)

* SPRING POLKA DANCE - "ZABAWA" (Featuring John Gora & "Gorale", and Jeff Mleczko & "Dynabrass") - 8:00PM - Polish Hall, 2316 Fairview Street, Burlington, Ont. - $C20.00

Saturday, 5/2

* POLISH KASHUB DAY CELEBRATIONS - Wilno Heritage Park, Wilno, Ont. - (613-756-6937)

* "PAUL TOMKOWICZ: STREET RAILWAY SWITCHMAN" (Polish Documentary Film) - 2:00PM - ROM Theatre, 100 Queen's Park, Toronto, Ont. - (416-203-2155)

* POLISH VETERANS OF WORLD WAR II POST 33 ANNIVERSARY MASS & CELEBRATION - 4:00PM - St. Stanislaus Church, Fillmore Avenue & Peckham Street, Buffalo - $10.00 - Cmdr. Janusz Nieduzak (824-3888)

* "THE ALLIANCE" POLKA BAND INAUGURAL DANCE AND CD RELEASE PARTY (Featuring a Free Buffet) - 8:00PM - Lily of the Valley Hall, 2379 Union Road, Cheektowaga - $8.00 - Matt Lewandowski (684-3837)

Sunday, 5/3

* POLISH CONSTITUTION DAY COMMEMORATION - 11:00AM - St. Stanislaus Kostka Church, Hudson Avenue & Norton Street, Rochester - Gene Golomb (585-323-2106)

* CHICKEN DINNER - 12:00Noon - Queen of Angels Parish Hall, Warsaw Street & Electric Avenue, Lackawanna - $9.00

* REV. ANTHONY LUTOSTANSKI JUBILEE CELEBRATION (Featuring the Villa Maria Chorale) - St. John Kanty Church, Broadway & Swinburne Street, Buffalo

* POLISH FALCONS NEST 52 CARD PARTY - 1:00PM - St. Paul Exempts, Rochester - Barbara (585-467-5643)

* AM-POL EAGLE CITIZENS OF THE YEAR AWARD LUNCHEON - 1:30PM - Kloc's Grove, 1245 Seneca Creek Road, Wst Seneca - $29.50 - (835-9454)

* "NECROBUSINESS" (Polish Documentary Fim) - 1:30PM - Cumberland 2, 195 Cumberland Street, Toronto, Ont. - (416-203-2155)

* LANCASTER OPERA HOUSE BENEFIT CHINESE AUCTION - 2:00PM - Lancaster Youth Bureau, 200 Oxford Street, Lancaster - $10.00 - (683-1776)

* POLKA SUNDAY (Featuring "City Side") - 4:00PM - Potts Banquet Hall, 694 South Ogden Street, Buffalo - $3.00 - (826-6575)

Wednesday, 5/6

* CHOPIN SINGING SOCIETY LADIES AUXILIARY MAOTHERS' DAY PARTY - 6:00PM - Kiebzak's Beginnings, 38 Crocker Street, Sloan - $20.00 - Linda Nagorski (864-6931)

* POLKA VARIETY SOCIAL CLUB MEETING (Featuring Tony Krew) - 7:00PM - Lily of the Valley Hall, 2379 Union Road, Chetowaga - Len Zak (896-1476)

Sunday, 5/10

* CANADIAN POLISH SOCIETY OPEN HOUSE - 11:00AM - Polish Hall, 43 Facer Street, St. Catharines, Ont.

* ANNUAL MOTHERS DAY MASS - 3:00PM - St. Stanislaus Cemetery, Resurrection Mausoleum, 700 Pine Ridge Road, Cheektowaga

Monday, 5/11

* POLISH HERITAGE SOCIETY OF ROCHESTER ANNUAL MEETING - 6:30PM - St. John Fisher College, 3690 East Avenue, Rochester - Maria Weldy (585-266-6690)

Tuesday, 5/12

* POLISH AMERICAN CITIZENS CLUB LADIES AUXILIARY MOTHERS' DAY DINNER - 6:00PM - PAC Clubrooms, 35 Weaver Street, Rochester - (585-266-7215)

Thursday, 5/14

* VILLA MARIA COLLEGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES DINNER & AUCTION (Featuring the Mark Mazur Quartet) - 6:00PM - Samuel's Grand Manor, 8750 Main Street, Clarence - $100.00 - (961-1825)

* POLISH AMERICAN CONGRESS (WNY DIVISION) BOARD MEETING - 7:00PM - Msgr. Pitass Center, St. Stanislaus Parish, Fillmore Avenue & Peckham Street, Buffalo - Richard Solecki (684-6076)

Friday, 5/15

* PROFESSIONAL & BUSINESSMEN' S ASSOCIATION SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION DEADLINE - Paul Molik (668-1429)

* POLISH HERITAGE SOCIETY OF ROCHESTER ANNUAL MEETING & DINNER - 6:30PM - Elaine Wilson Formal Lounge, St. John Fisher College, Rochester - $15 (Polish Dinner) - Maria Weldy

* UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO POLISH STUDENT ASSOCIATION FORMAL - 7:00PM - SPK Hall, 206 Beverley Street, Toronto Ont. - $C30.00

Friday, 5/15 and Saturday, 5/16

* "ALIBI" (Polish Comedy Film by Lukasz Wylezalek) - 8:00PM (Fri. & Sat.); 6:00PM (Sat.) - Studio Theatre, Toronto Centre for the Arts, 5040 Yonge Street, Toronto, Ont. - (416-872-1111)

Saturday, 5/16

* SYRACUSE POLISH HOME GOLF OUTING AND STEAK BAKE - 12:00Noon - Foxfire Golf Club, Syracuse - $70.00 - Gary Bradley (315-676-4708)

* POLISH AMERICAN CITIZENS CLUB 50'S - 60'S PARTY & KARAOKE NIGHT (Featuring "Quality Sounds") - 6:00PM - PAC Clubrooms, 35 Weaver Street, Rochester - (585-266-7215)

Sunday, 5/17

* FLEA MARKET - 8:30AM - Lamm Post, 962 Wehrle Drive, Williamsville - $8.00 - Bob Krawczyk (837-3582)

* PROFESSIONAL & BUSINESSMEN' S ASSOCIATION MEMORIAL MASS - 11:30AM - Corpus Christi Church, 199 Clark Street, Buffalo - $15/Couple - Marcin Ostrowski (823-1502)

* POPE JOHN PAUL II SERVICE OF REMEMBRANCE AND LIVING ROSARY - 4:00PM - St. Stanislaus Church, Fillmore Avenue & Peckham Street, Buffalo

* "MASS IN THE TIME OF WAR" (Concert Featuring the Villa Maria Chorale) - Our Lady of Czestochowa Church, 64 Center Avenue, North Tonawanda - (693-3822)

* THE "KNEWZ" CD RELEASE PARTY - Potts Banquet Hall, 694 South Ogden Street, Buffalo

Wednesday, 5/20

* CHICKEN DINNER - 3:00PM - Lamm Post, 962 Wehrle Drive, Williamsville - $8.00 - Bob Krawczyk (837-3582)

* THEME TRAY AUCTION - 5:00PM - Holy Mother of the Rosary Cathedral, 6298 Broadway, Lancaster - $5.00 - (685-5766)

Thursday, 5/21

* PROFESSIONAL & BUSINESS WOMEN OF POLONIA SCHOLARSHIP DINNER - Michael's Banquet Facility, 4885 Southwestern Blvd., Hamburg

Monday, 5/25

* ANNUAL MEMORIAL DAY MASS - 10:00AM - St. Stanislaus Cemetery, Resurrection Mausoleum, 700 Pine Ridge Road, Cheektowaga

Tuesday, 5/26

* BUFFALO POLKA BOOSTERS MEETING - 7:00PM - Depew Polish Falcons, 445 Columbia Avenue, Depew - Chris (892-7977)

Friday, 5/29 Through Sunday, 5/31

* POLISH ARMY VETERANS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA 30TH NATIONAL CONVENTION - Holiday Inn, Grand Island - Cmdr. Stanislaw Przystal (773-9141)

* FRIENDLY CITY POLKAFEST (Featuring the John Gora Band, Polka Family Band, Eddie Blazonczyk's "Versatones" and Many Others ) - St. Mary's Byzantine Catholic Church, 411 Power Street, Johnstown, PA - (800-237-8590)

Friday, 5/29 and Saturday, 5/30

* 7TH ANNUAL POLISH HERITAGE FESTIVAL (Featuring the John Gora Band, Jerry Darlak & the "Touch", "Mon Valley Push", Anya, Kujawiacy Polish Song and Dance Ensemble, Sugar & Jazz Orchestra and "Ludowa Nuta" Polish Choir) - 4:00PM (Fri.); 12:00Noon (Sat.) - Hamburg Fairgrounds, 5820 South Park Avenue, Hamburg - $5.00 - (998-2501)

Saturday, 5/30

* RUMMAGE SALE - 9:00AM - Holy Mother of the Rosary Cathedral, 6298 Broadway, Lancaster - Tina Crane (681-7450)

* ST. ADALBERT BASILICA PARISH AND SCHOOL REUNION MASS AND DINNER - 4:00PM (Mass Featuring the Chopin Singing Society) - St. Adalbert Basilica, 212 Stanislaus Street, Buffalo; 5:30PM (Dinner Featuring the Concertina All Stars and the Harmony Polish Folk Ensemble) - Harvey Morin Post, 965 Center Road, West Seneca - $25.00 - Maria (892-1369)

* POLISH ARMY VETERANS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA 30TH NATIONAL CONVENTION BANQUET - Holiday Inn, Grand Island - Cmdr. Stanislaw Przystal (773-9141)

Sunday, 5/31

* "POLONIA: WNY'S POLISH AMERICAN LEGACY" - 2:00PM - WNED-TV Channel 17, Buffalo

* JERRY DARLAK & THE "TOUCH" IN CONCERT - 4:00PM - Sportsmen's Tavern, 326 Amherst Street, Buffalo - (874-7734)

what the heck? where is Kielbasa day celebrations? i don't really see vodka or kraut parades either.

[valpomike]

Where are the things going on in Chicago, or even the rest of the Midwest?

I know Chicago has many things for these day's.


Mike

[locopolaco]

May 2, 2009 2:12:00 GMT 1 valpomike said:

Where are the things going on in Chicago, or even the rest of the Midwest?

I know Chicago has many things for these day's.


Mike

www.copernicusfdn.org/

[jeanne]

Apr 13, 2009 18:19:21 GMT 1 valpomike said:

Does anyone know where New Britain is in the U.S.A.? I don't.

Mike

Mike,

New Britain is in Connecticut.