A Message from President Lech Kaczynski

Warsaw, 9 September 2007

Ewa Junczyk-Ziomecka
Under-Secretary of State
Office of the President of the Republic of Poland

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Nearly 70 years ago, in 1938, a decree of the President of the Republic of Poland, as a result of absurd fears, misunderstandings and misleading correlations, declared illegal the Polish section of B'nai B'rith. It should therefore be considered as a symbolic gesture that I am now here in front of you, as representative of the President of the Republic, in order to welcome you and your organization that opens for the second time its activities in Poland.

The opening of a B'nai B'rith Lodge in the Republic of Poland, after so many years of absence, is also particularly important in another respect. This is because this organization, created 164 years ago in a small New York café by a dozen Jewish immigrants from Germany, has become today one of the most important international organizations fighting racism, antisemitism and xenophobia. Poland is grateful for the action of the Anti-Defamation League established by B'nai B'rith which, together with American Jewish Congress, supported our efforts to obtain a change of the name of the Auschwitz camp and objected most strongly to the use of the expression "Polish concentration camps."

I am glad that, as was the case before the war, members of B'nai B'rith are eminent Polish citizens—scientists, writers, persons involved in social activities. At a time when the relations between Poland and Israel are among the best in Europe we should strive at a constant and mutual development of Polish-Jewish relations. This requires a continuous effort and readiness for compromise. This is not easy, but I believe that it is precisely your commitment that will have a significant influence on the mutual understanding of Poles and of Jews.

In this connection I should like to recall the Statutes of your Association which refer to "the spirit of tolerance and harmony" and to perpetuating "the souvenir of the Holocaust in the society." I hope that, as a part of the implementation of this item of your statutes, you will help us to fight against untrue and harmful views that emerge in the world, for example the opinion about the responsibility of Poland for the creation of concentration camps. I also hope that, in spite of the fact that your statutes make no provision "to perpetuate the memories about the life and achievements of Polish Jews," this eventful history stretching over more than 800 years will be perpetuated by you in the awareness of the society in Poland and in the world.

Please let me conclude by quoting the words of His Holiness the Pope Benedict XVI who said in December 2006 when receiving representatives of B'nai B'rith: "Our tormented world needs the testimony of people of good will, inspired by the conviction that all of us, created in the image of God, possess inalienable dignity and value. Jews and Christians are called upon to cooperate in healing the world by promoting spiritual and moral values based on our faith. We shall become increasingly convincing by setting an example of our fruitful cooperation."

Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you.