A delegation from the Rabbinical Centre of Europe (RCE) presented Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski with a matza, the unleavened bread that is eaten by Jews on the Passover festival, during a meeting on Friday at the Belweder Palace in Warsaw.
The president said he was honoured by the gift and ate some of the matza. He also explained that he remembered during the communist era when matza was not allowed to be legally sold in Poland and was named instead ‘dietetic bread’.
He said that out of principle for this injustice, his family refused to buy it.
The rabbinical delegation wished the president a Happy Easter and explained to him the meaning of the unleavened bread for Jews.
"According to Jewish tradition, Matza symbolizes humility as it does not rise, so it is a very appropriate gift to a president known as a good and dependable friend of the Jewish people, not for popular purposes, but from a humble moral standpoint," said Rabbi Shalom Stambler, head of Chabad Lubavitch in Poland.
The RCE representatives praised and thanked Komorowski for his recent comments on the issue of Jewish restitution. They felt that the president’s voice was vital on the issue.
"President Komorowski’s voice of support on the restitution issue has a strong moral standing and is a huge boost for the former Jews of Poland who seek compensation for their lost property," said Asher Gold, the Rabbinical Centre’s Director of public affairs.
The RCE delegation also included Rabbi Gershon M. Garelik, founder and presidency member of the Rabbinical Centre of Europe and Rabbi Michael Schudrich, Chief Rabbi of Poland.
The meeting was also attended by the Honorary Consul of Poland in Israel, Zeev Baran, who is a close friend of the Polish president.Baran and his family were rescued by President Komorowski during the Holocaust.
The RCE is an organization representing over 700 European religious leaders dedicated to meeting the needs of Jewish communities in Europe.