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...the subject, I tried to examine both sides.
One of the charms of Eastern Europe is the contrast between the new and the recently old. Tall Social Realist statues of men and women staring ahead with eagerness to rebuild their war-devastated nation are in marked contrast to stylish boutiques, cafes and bars frequented by spunky young people.
Stalin must be dizzy turning in his grave. The banners which once proclaimed "The Eternal Polish-Soviet Friendship" are replaced by those guaranteeing satisfaction from the latest mobile phones, bank rates and pizza parlours.
Is it amusing? Yes, but it is also worrying. If political systems can change so drastically, then one wonders what will follow this one. And when will that take place? In a place like Poland you're really confronted with the transience of reality.
Life goes on. The country hums with festivals, concerts and exhibitions, including the popular Jewish festivals in Krakow and Warsaw. Prozna, a street in central Warsaw, was once the home to many Jews. During the Jewish festival it is packed with people dancing and singing in front of Israeli musicians. Still unrenovated, it has a raw ambience with its peeling walls and dark well-like courtyards.
Many regard these festivals as the beginning of a Jewish cultural revival. Others regard them as token events--frivolous merry-making concealing the absence of what once was a deeply-rooted living culture.
Across the square from the festival, attached to the All Saints Church, is the infamous Antyk bookshop selling anti-Semitic books which would be prohibited in Australia. Enquiring about the inflammatory Protocols of Zion, I...
NOTE: All illustrations and photos
have been removed from this article.
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