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Poland To Buffalo Through WWII: Untold Stories Come Alive

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the start of WWII. It all began with the invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. Living among us in Western New York are civilian and military survivors of the war who endured Nazi and Soviet labor and concentration camps as well as battles on many fronts. These eyewitnesses to the dramatic historical events of the 20th century have lived quietly in WNY for 60+ years without telling their story to the wider community.

The Polish Legacy Project was formed by a group of people whose aim is to capture the stories of these survivors while they are still among us. Our first major event will be a conference held October 3-4 in Buffalo. The title of the conference is: “Poland To Buffalo Through WWII: Untold Stories Come Alive.”

Baracks Brochure - Poland To Buffalo Through WWII: Untold Stories Come Alive

The conference will allow Polish survivors of WWII who have settled in the United States to share their stories of struggle and survival with the wider community. This unique gathering will be the first large-scale opportunity for the community at large to become acquainted with these untold stories of wartime survival and immigration to America in the English language.

On October 3, a panel of survivors will speak about their experiences, a keynote speaker from Montreal will give a presentation on “The Childrens’ Odyssey” to America, a background will be given on Poland in WWII and opportunities for one-on-one interviews with survivors will be available.

On October 4, the day will begin with a Remembrance Mass, followed by a Reunion of Families who settled in America after the war and a film entitled “Exiles” about a daughter’s quest to learn her mother’s wartime story. Opportunities to share photos, buy books and get assistance with research will be available.

A full program and registration form can be found here [pdf]. In order to obtain a discount on the registration fees, please register by September 15. Admission for WWII survivors is free.

The conference is being organized in collaboration with the Polish American Congress, WNY Division, The City of Buffalo through the office of City Council President David Franczyk and the Permanent Chair of Polish Culture at Canisius College. WNED-TV is the Media Sponsor for the event.

PNCC, Poland - Polish - Polonia,

Lajkoniki Polish Dancers from Holy Family at the International Village in McKeesport, PA

From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: 50th International Village gears up in McKeesport. The event was held last week, from August 18th through the 20th.

Darryl Segina, McKeesport councilman and native and longtime chairman of the city’s much-anticipated International Village, says the event keeps on trucking for a reason: “Because we try to maintain the integrity of the ethnic foods, fun and entertainment. That’s our big secret.”

Not a secret very closely held because, even though it hits mid-week — from 3 to 11 p.m. next Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, the village always draws throngs, as people shuck their workaday selves to eat and dance, celebrating all things ethnic.

This year, a free children’s festival kicks it all off from noon to 6 p.m. Monday in the Renziehausen Park band shell with food, crafts, face-painting, a bouncing activity zone, water balloon toss and more.

This is the 50th year for the event. Mr. Segina has been involved for 27 of those, in charge for 15, and despite the decades, his enthusiasm is clear as he talks about the village to be set up on Renzie’s Stephen Barry Field.

“We’ll have 18 food booths out there. … You’re going to get a different ethnic food at each of them,” he says, noting that the festival celebrates the Old World roots that can be obscured by the years. “The mixing of the nationalities — that’s all lost sometimes,” he notes. “Grandparents pass away and [people] don’t eat that kind of food anymore. Well, we’ll have it out here.”

The expected ethnic participation runs from A to V: African American to Vietnamese, stopping at German, Greek, Lebanese, Polish, Serbian, Slovak, Slovenian — even Hawaiian and English. There will be Hoppin’ John, halushki, pierogies, falafel sandwiches, spinach pie, lamb sandwiches, stuffed cabbage, shrimp or chicken fried rice, tabouleh salad.

There will be enough desserts to make your Yaya cry, from sweet potato pie to baklava to kolachi (fruit or nut-stuff rolls) to apple dumplings to chess pie.

There will be arts and crafts and music galore. Scheduled bands include such favorites as Henry and the Versa J’s, the Lil John Polka Band, I Paesani and Otets Paiisi. See the Duquesne Junior Tamburitzans, Polka Quads and the Lajkoniki Polish Dancers [from Holy Family Polish National Catholic Church]…

Current Events, PNCC, , , , ,

Fraternals face varying crises

From the Tribune-Review: Fraternal society puts $12 million lien on policies reflecting a issue confronting many of the country’s fraternal organizations. Pennsylvania has placed particularly stringent requirements on fraternal organizations and in particular on their operational liquidity. It should be noted that most, if not all are completely secure in terms of their death benefit funding.

The PNCC’s fraternal, the Polish National Union (Spójnia), which also includes the Russian Orthodox Catholic Mutual Aid Society (ROCMAS) is quite secure. The PNU was founded because Polish-American organizations acceded to Roman Catholic demands to exclude PNCC members.

Beaver-based Greek Catholic Union —” the state’s largest fraternal-benefit society —” has placed $12 million in liens on members’ policies in an unusual bid to shore up a capital base wracked by financial markets.

The balance-sheet maneuver equals an average $300 off the cash-surrender value, or 2 percent, of each member’s life insurance or annuity contract. The society explained the liens in letters sent to its roughly 40,000 members within the last month.

“As long as they don’t cash the policy, they don’t see any reduction in the value” of the insurance policy or annuity contract, GCU national President George Juba said Tuesday. Only those who cash in while the lien is still in effect are affected.

How soon the lien may be lifted, “only time will tell,” said Juba, “but as soon as possible.” He added “it depends on “economic and investment market conditions.”

The society’s surplus has dwindled from $23.2 million in March 2008 to $5.1 million this past March, according to the most recent data from the local organization.

GCU’s stock and bond investments have declined in value. The organization posted net income of $349,000 in the quarter ended March 31, according to the most recent data. It had a net loss of $858,000 the year earlier.

The Greek Catholic Union issues insurance and annuities products in 17 states. It was organized in 1892 by immigrants from the Carpathian Mountain region of the former Austro-Hungarian empire.

Fraternal benefit societies are nonprofit organizations that provide life insurance, annuities and health insurance to members. They are linked by a common ethnic or religious background, such as the Polish Women’s Alliance of America or the Mennonite Mutual Aid Association. More than 70 such groups in the United States and Canada sponsor a range of social- and community-service events.

Juba said “less than 3 percent” of members, or about 1,000 people, had contacted the society about the liens.

“They seem to be understanding of the current condition,” he said…

Poland - Polish - Polonia, , , ,

Polish Festival in Toledo, Ohio

From the Toledo Free Press: Fairs and festivals calendar

Lagrange Street Polish Festival: Toledo’s Polish Village will celebrate its heritage with polka music and dance contest, food, rides and games, and arts and craft vendors. 5p.m. to 11:00p.m. July 10, Noon-11p.m. July 11, and noon-7p.m. July 12, Polish Village, Lagrange Street, between Central Avenue and Mettler Street. $1-$3. (419) 255-8406.

Perspective, Poland - Polish - Polonia, Political, ,

Pennsylvania politics

An interesting analysis of Pennsylvania’s political geography from the Daily Kos PA-Sen and Gov: Western PA

Actually the full title should be the rest of PA outside Metropolitan Philadelphia. But mostly I’m writing about Western PA. Which is generally important in PA politics and maybe even more so in the Governor’s race in 2010.

…

There some small steel cities in the valleys and a few small towns and then there are a lot of rural areas. The valleys flood. Johnstown, in Cambria county would be the most famous example. It didn’t just flood in 1889, it also flooded several other times including 1936. This is the reason for the tax at Pennsylvania state stores. Western PA is still very much an ethnic Catholic area. My mother remembers that after Vatican II, the churches went from Latin to Polish, Croat, Slovak, Romanian and Czech. No one under 50 could understand the mass. The French and Indian war is the major source of historical tourism. Steel and Coal mining used to be big, but not anymore.

Central PA-East of Bedford County to the Susquahanna and Lancaster County has a large concentration both conservatives and Anabaptists (Brethren and Mennonite folk.) Moravians, on the other hand are in the Northeast around Scranton and Wilkes-Barre. The more common names in Lancaster and Dauphin county include Schlosser, Royer, Stoltzfus (or Stoltzfoos), Myer and Hartmann.

Demographically Pennsylvania is full of Seniors with the second oldest population in the country, and Union members. Pennsylvanians join the National Guard and Reserve in higher than average numbers…

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