Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski told his Israeli counterpart Shimon Peres that he would act to ensure that the Jewish community can preserve its customs and traditions in Poland.
The World Jewish Congress led tributes to Righteous Gentile, WWII-era German industrialist Berthold Beitz who died in his native country Tuesday aged 99, as President Ronald S. Lauder paid tribute to him as “a beacon of hope in a sea of despair”.
In order to appeal a recent vote in the Polish parliament to ban shechita, the kosher butchering, the Brussels-European Jewish Association (EJA) and Rabbinical Centre of Europe (RCE) have hired the services of a lawyer and former politician, Roman Giertych, in order to petition the matter before the Polish Constitutional Tribunal.
Poland is trying to settle the apparent conflict among the animal protection law, the Jewish communities law and the principle of freedom of religion guaranteed by the Polish constitution, said Polish Minister of Administration, Michal Jan Boni, who is also in charge of religious affairs.
Outgoing British Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks led the Jewish community in greeting news of the birth of a royal baby Monday, as he offered “blessings, good health, and joy” to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
The Jews of Europe will not stand idle while one of our communities is prevented from practising the free expression of their religion,” said Thursday Serge Cwajgenbaum, secretary general of the European Jewish Congress.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has given his consent to the establishment of a special committee in order to find a solution to the problem of kosher slaughtering in his country after the Polish parliament last week rejected a government-sponsored bill to legalize the Jewish ritual known as shechita.
