Contemporary Poland and the Jews
UW Ingraham Hall 1155 Observatory Drive, Madison, Wisconsin
press release: 206 Ingraham Hall.
Speaker: Geneviève Zubrzycki, Professor, Sociology, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
In spite of the Jewish community’s small size in contemporary Poland, Jews occupy a large space in social imagination and political discourse in that country. Perhaps more than ever before, the Polish public sphere is shaped by both anti- and philo-Semitic discourse, public initiatives and private actions. How can we make sense of the ongoing 'Jewish revival,' and the resurgence of state-sponsored anti-Semitic historical policies such as the recent 'Holocaust law'? Zubrzycki will examine these diverse processes and show how they are related to debates about the redefinition of Polish national identity.