POLAND: KRAKOW: POPE JOHN PAUL II VISIT
(8 Jun 1997) English/Nat Pope John Paul II arrived Saturday in Krakow - traditionally dubbed "the city of 200 churches". But Krakow was once the home to a thriving Jewish community, that was wiped out in World War II. Today, although there are only several hundred Jews left, the old Jewish quarter of Kizimierz is being renovated and revitalized. At the tiny Remu'h Synagogue in Krakow, one of the city's few remaining Jews prepares to say his prayers. The Synagogue is one of two still functioning in the City and it's not always easy to find the ten Jewish men needed to hold a prayer service. Henryk Halkowski, one of Krakow's very few surviving Jews, is a tour guide for the Jewish groups who come from abroad eager to discover more about the vibrant community that once lived in Kazimierz. SOUNDBITE: (English) " It is very difficult to say how many Jews are in Krakow, maybe only God knows how many Jews are in Krakow. So there is about 170 members of Jewish religious community and something like more than 200 people known as Jews." SUPER CAPTION: Henryk Halkowski, Guide of Jewish Quarter Before World War II, there were about 65-thousand Jews in Krakow. During the war, most of them were deported to Auschwitz and other concentration camps. After the war, most of the survivors emigrated. On the neighborhood's central Szeroka - Large street - there are signs of urban revival and an upsurge in interest in the city's Jewish past. Jewish restaurants along the street serve specialities as Gefilte Fish and jellied Carp. At one end of the square is the Stara (Old) Synagogue which has now been transformed into a Museum. SOUNDBITE: ( English) " A lot of examples of cultural life before the second world war in Jewish groups. Here, there was a Jewish theatre , a lot of Jewish places of interest like cafes, like Bet Medrash ( Torah school), a lot of poets, a lot of singers like Mordechai Ghibotti." SUPER CAPTION: Krzysztof Mrowka, Expert on Jewish History The area got a further boost when the American film director. Steven Spielberg, used it as the setting for his Oscar winning movie, "Schindler's List". Behind the Remu'h Synagogue lies the quarter's Old Cemetery. Here hundreds of Jews were buried over the centuries. SOUNDBITE: (English) " Before the war, there were about 70 tombstones and most of them were destroyed by the Nazis, or by the local people, it is difficult to say. There were archeological diggings between 1958 and 1961 and they found about 700 tombstones. They were hidden. fragments were put into the wall" SUPER CAPTION: Henryk Halkowski, Guide of Jewish Quarter On this wall, there are many traditional Jewish symbols. These hands show the priestly blessing. The Deer is dedicated to a man named Zvi which means deer in Hebrew. The surge of interest in the city's Jewish past has attracted many tourists from across Poland and around the world, but , according to Halkowski, it has not led to an increase in Krakow's tiny Jewish Community. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: / ap_archive Facebook: / aparchives Instagram: / apnews You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...
