O konwergencji kultur polskiej i żydowskiej. Przysucha jako studium przypadku

Abstract

The religious heritage and millenary common history unite the Jews and Poles. Throughout the centuries, Jewish religion and culture have emanated from Poland all over the world. Plenty of phenomena of the contemporary culture have at least partially Jewish and Christian roots. In the 18th century, Chasidism – a very important religious current in Judaism – appeared in Poland and has lasted till today. It developed under the influence of tradition, mysticism and Slavonic folk culture. The religious and cultural life of the Jews flourished in Poland especially in the interwar period (1918‒1939). Three million one hundred and thirteen thousands of Jews lived in Poland before the World War Second. The assimilated Polish Jews belonged to cultural and intellectual elites of Poland. It was the biggest Jewish community in the world. There were even cities with a Jewish majority such as presented herein Przysucha, where Jewish community played a significant role in economic, business, cultural and educational spheres. The past mutual merging of Jewish and Christian cultures contributes again nowadays to the rapprochement between Christians and Jews and gives a chance to write another awesome chart in the history of our country.