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They 'rise up from the ashes'

A group of students from Poland, who were raised with other religions only to learn they were Jewish, are here visiting the United States learning about Jewish culture. The visited the Holocaust Museum Monday.

By SHERRI DAY
Published February 5, 2007

ST. PETERSBURG — Jacek Rusiecki’s grandmother almost took a secret to her grave: she was Jewish.

A Holocaust survivor in Poland, Bronislawa Adamczyk revealed her identity on her death bed. The news stunned the family, which had been raised Catholic. She kept the secret to protect herself, first from the Nazis and later from Communists.

Overnight, Rusiecki, then 12, became a Jew. His father took him to a local rabbi to begin learning about their heritage and religion. It was the start of his journey into Jewish history, heritage and faith.

“I found out that there was something different, and I started learning about it,” said Rusiecki, a fifth-year medical student in Poland who is also trying to follow Jewish religious teachings. “It suited me more so I chose it.”

Rusiecki, now 23, continued his studies Monday at the Florida Holocaust Museum. He is one of five students from Poland who came to the bay area last week at the invitation of Tampa businessman and philanthropist Marty Schaffel. He wants to expose the European Jews to an environment where their heritage and culture thrives.

Schaffel hopes to aid in reigniting a vibrant Jewish culture in Eastern Europe.

“The kids in Poland have come to realize that they’re ethnically Jewish, but they haven’t had a chance to learn that much about their background because the community is so small,” said Schaffel, who picked up the $30,000 tab for the students’ trip.

“I would like to create a connection between them and this country where we can provide support and help them build their community,” he said.

As part of their indoctrination into Jewish life in Poland, the youths attend Jewish day camps and youth groups.

Many of the group’s bay area excursions focused on religion.

In Tampa, they toured the Hillel Day School, attended Shabbat service at Congregation Schaarai Zedek and went to a Bat Mitzvah at Congregation Rodeph Sholom.

They also enjoyed a bit of Americana at a Tampa Bay Lightning game, visited Ybor City and had a Super Bowl viewing party.

At the Holocaust Museum on Monday, docent Carolyn Bass told the students about concentration camps, worldwide apathy to the Jews’ plight and the Nazi’s plan to systematically kill 11-million people. The students talked to Bass about the Warsaw ghettos.

At the end of the tour, Leon Mazur, 18, left a note for posterity.

“Polend 2007...I been hear and i gona remember,”  Mazur wrote in the museum’s guest book.

Polish Holocaust survivor Jerry Rawicki shared stories of hiding in the cellars of the Warsaw ghetto and narrowly avoiding the fate of much of his family, who were killed by the Nazis.

At times, Rawicki spoke through tears.

So moved by his presentation, the Polish students surrounded Rawicki. They peppered him with questions in their native tongue and enveloped him with hugs.

Rawicki’s heart leaped.

“Seeing Jewish people from Poland is just like seeing them rise up from the ashes,” said Rawicki, 79, who lives in Seminole. “Just the fact that they are listening and are so engaged makes me believe that the future may be brighter.”

For Rusiecki, the meeting was invaluable.

“It’s very precious,” he said. “Maybe because I didn’t have the opportunity to talk with my grandmother about her past because I was so small when she died. Finally, talking to these people is something. It’s very moving.”

Sherri Day can be reached at (813) 226-3405 or sday@sptimes.com.

[Last modified February 5, 2007, 20:29:55]