Conference to launch POLIN: Studies in Polish Jewry: Vol 31

Includes kosher lunch and refreshments

At the beginning of the twentieth century, the Jewish communities of Poland and Hungary were the largest in the world and arguably the most culturally vibrant, yet they have rarely been studied comparatively. Despite the obvious similarities, historians have mainly preferred to highlight the differences and emphasize instead the central European character of Hungarian Jewry. Speakers at this conference will reflect on the usefulness of historical comparisons thinking about the different social and cultural trajectory of Hungarian and Polish Jews, the Holocaust, historical consciousness, and the role of Jews in the respective entertainment industries. Author Barry Cohen joins us at conclusion of the conference, with his reflections on conversations with Poles who discovered their Jewish origins late in life.

CONFERENCE PROGRAMME

9.30 am Registration

10 am Welcome

H.E. Arkady Rzegocki, Ambassador of the Republic of Poland

Vivian Wineman, President of the Institute for Polish-Jewish Studies

Ben Helfgott, Chairman of the Institute for Polish-Jewish Studies

10.15 am Session 1: General introduction to the topic and the volume

Howard Lupovitch, Wayne State University, USA, in discussion with Antony Polonsky, Professor Emeritus, Brandeis University, USA

10.45 am Coffee break

11.15 am Session 2: Similar but Different? The Potential of Historical Comparison

Chair: François Guesnet, University College London (UCL), UK

The logic of nationalization: Poland and Hungary before and after 1919 Victor Karady, Central European University, Budapest

Warsaw and Budapest - the scale of comparison Tim Cole, University of Bristol, UK

National narratives and “Jewish history” in Polish and Hungarian museums today Anna Manchin, Budapest

1.15 pm Lunch (provided)

2.45 pm Session 3: Jews in Polish and Hungarian entertainment before World War Two

Chair: Antony Polonsky, Brandeis University, USA

Scandal of the Budapest Orpheum Mary Gluck, Brown University, USA

Lopek Dancing: The Jewish Creators of Interwar Polish Cabaret Beth Holmgren, Duke University, USA

4 pm Tea break

4.30pm Session 4 : Book presentation

Barry Cohen, London: Opening the Drawer. The Hidden Identities of Polish Jews (2018), with Witold Krassowski

5.30pm Conference concludes

Please note that the programme may be subject to change

Organised by the Institute for Polish-Jewish Studies and the Institute of Jewish Studies, UCL. Co-organised and supported by the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in London and the Polish Cultural Institute, London with additional support from the UCL European Institute.

POLIN Vol. 31 is published by the Littman Library of Jewish Civilization/Liverpool University Press.

The volume will be available to purchase at the conference at a 25% discount.