It wasn’t a traditional family

“I have not been to the synagogue in my life. We didn’t celebrate holidays at all” – says the Survivor Marian Kalwary (born 1930) in the eighth episode of ‘ The Message’ series, entitled ‘It wasn’t a traditional family’. Jewish Warsaw of the twentieth century interwar period was characterized by great cultural, political and religious diversity, resulting in a rich, mosaic image. In this film, the following individuals talk about their families and pre-war life:

Barbara Marlow (born 1931) – a Survivor who as a scout participated in the Warsaw Uprising;
Larissa Cain nee Sztorchan (b. 1931) – a Survivor;
Wacław Izaak Kornblum (born 1926) – a Survivor, author of the book ‘Memories. My version’;
Katarzyna Meloch (born 1932) – a Survivor.

Created from material recorded during the implementation of the project of the Education Department of the WGM ‘The Home Army on the tragedy of Polish Jews’, which is part of the program of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage – ‘Independent’.

From the interviews recorded at that time, we chose parts concerning the uprising and functioning of the Warsaw Ghetto – from the moment of its creation to its tragic end, as well as statements about pre-war, Jewish-Polish Warsaw.

The message is the main thought contained in someone’s statement – each of us can find it in a different part of the presented memories.