Tag: Family and Friends

Christian Witness,

A joyous and happy Easter to all my readers

Christ has risen! Alleluia!
He has truly risen! Alleluia!

As our pastor explained this morning: The angel in the tomb is impatient with the onlookers. The angel tells us, ‘Go out from here, He is not here. Go and witness to Him.’

So I say: Let us join in our joyful witness to the truth of the resurrection, the reason for our hope.

I wish you and yours every blessing on this Solemnity of the Resurrection.

pisanki

Perspective, ,

A tribute to a co-worker and a gentleman, Dr. Hy Dubowsky

From the Altamont Enterpise: Obituary: Hy Dubowsky and Hy Dubowsky’s legacy: Further the reach of humankind’s commonality

Hy Dubowsky wasn’t big on handouts but he was big on helping people —” all kinds of people.

His son Eric tells a story about how, when his father visited him in New York City, and they would pass panhandlers shaking their cups, Dr. Dubowsky would fill the cups not with coins, but with granola bars.

Dr. Dubowsky said, —They want food,— recalled his son, concluding, —He wanted to help them in a good way.—

Once, when Dr. Dubowsky won a supermarket contest that let him pick up as many groceries as he could in a minute, —He got a ham for the homeless,— said his son.

And, the Dubowsky family would spend the morning of Thanksgiving Day delivering dinners to the homebound.

In his work for the state’s labor department, Dr. Dubowsky developed programs to help society’s marginalized citizens —” recently released prisoners, the mentally ill, the down and out —” get jobs. He understood that jobs, not handouts, were a ticket to society.

He died on Sunday morning after a 14-month battle with a rare form of lymphoma. His wife —” Carol Kaelin —” and his three children —” Eric, Ryan, and Meg —” were with him at St. Peter’s Hospital when he died. He was 58. The days before, said Eric, had been like a live wake as people whose lives he had touched came to see him one last time.

—He always would help people and never expect anything in return,— said his son.

Dr. Dubowsky was kind-hearted, but he wasn’t a pushover. Eric tells a story from his childhood when his father was riding the subway in New York one morning. —Someone decided he may be an easy target, in a business suit on the way to work,— Eric recalled. The robber threatened him with a box cutter and told him to give up all his money.

—My father had some of the fastest reflexes known to humankind,— said Eric. —When they do the ruler test, when you hold your hand out and someone drops the ruler…he would catch the ruler at the number zero…My father quickly grabbed his wrist and held the robber under control until the next subway stop and took him off the train to find a police officer.—

Eric concluded, —I think most people would have said, ‘Take my money.’ But not my dad. He was a true New Yorker and showed that criminal his way to justice.—

Dr. Dubowsky worked not just with programs but with individuals. His son gave several heartfelt examples of how he helped people in need find and keep jobs. They came to stand on their own and give back to society.

The same applied to his children.

—He always wanted you to empower yourself,— said Eric.

He coached his kids in most any sport that interested them even if he didn’t play himself. As a member of the Guilderland Elks, he also oversaw youth activities, ranging from an annual Easter egg hunt to a competitive hoop shoot.

He became a varsity lacrosse referee because his son, Ryan, played.

—I wasn’t the best football player,— said Eric. But Eric wanted to play in college and, he said of his father, —He wouldn’t let me give up on myself.— His father drove with him to various colleges and kept his confidence up. Eric made the team at the University of Rochester.

—He always made you believe you could do whatever you wanted,— said Eric who now works as a bond trader in New York City.

Dr. Dubowsky saw education as critical to individual success and essential to the community. He held five academic degrees himself, but was not a pompous or self-important man. Rather, he was self-deprecating and selfless.

He was also enormously energetic. He first ran in 2005 for a seat on the Guilderland School Board, saying of himself and his wife, Carol Kaelin, —We have three children but, beyond that, we believe that education is the essence of a free and prosperous country.—

Undeterred by defeat, Dr. Dubowsky ran again in 2006 and won. He planned —” despite the cancer —” to run for a second term this spring. —This gives me great satisfaction,— he said in October. —It’s been a heck of a three years.—

This past summer, as television cameras rolled, crowds filled the school board meetings like never before. Mostly students, the onlookers protested the transfer of two high school teachers to the middle school. In July, when the nine board members gave their views on whether the board should review the administration’s transfer of the teachers, Dr. Dubowsky was one of only two who favored review.

He had been outspoken before on free-speech issues and calling for accountability from the district’s administration.

When he spoke to that packed room in July, he began by talking of his regard for the other board members but was clear and forceful in stating his own view. —We cannot be so conceited,— he said, —think ourselves so superior to those we represent, to believe that an issue of such importance to the community should not be subject to the scrutiny of those they elected.—

The pin-drop quiet room erupted into applause that lasted for more than a minute.

Dubowsky left that meeting, his son said this week, to go to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City for a stem-cell transplant.

—He always looked forward to the next treatment,— said his son, but was willing to push it to get to a meeting he cared about. —He made sure he really stood up for his beliefs and the beliefs of the people he represented,— said his son. —He stood up for the kids.—

In October, as the first strong tremors of the recession were being felt, board members discussed the budget for the following year. Most of them talked of being scared, urged caution, or advised no new initiatives.

Dr. Dubowsky described his view as —totally opposite of my colleagues.— He suggested such initiatives as teleconferences and using distance learning, offering such courses as Chinese, career planning, and grammar boot camp by partnering with other schools.

He said he’d like to expand the music program into the community —” offering entertainment in tough times —” and establish —an institute for academic excellence.—

Dr. Dubowsky said then of Americans, —We were some of the smartest people around— with intellectual capital that drove the economy. He concluded, —I would not want to back off…As the budget moves forward, are there opportunities we can seize?—

Seizing opportunities —” and making them available for others —” was a hallmark of Dr. Dubowsky’s life.

He attended his last board meeting in February. He couldn’t drive then and struggled even to walk. But his comments were as insightful and provocative as ever. Hearing a report on the structure of the administration, Dr. Dubowsky said, —I think the study is static. Our charge for the district is, where do we go, not where we are.— Just because similar districts are doing something, he said, doesn’t mean that Guilderland should, too.

He framed these comments with an anecdote from his youth so that the tone was amusing rather than abrasive. Still, he made his point.

Dr. Dubowsky kept living his life, with the same passion he had before his cancer diagnosis. He wasn’t defined by his disease.

—There was never a point until two days ago that he thought he wouldn’t get better,— said his son, Eric, on Monday. —He never complained.—

At the last school board meeting, the board’s vice president noted after a presentation on a new engineering program at the high school, Project Lead the Way, that Dr. Dubowsky had pushed for it. It was appropriate recognition because Dr. Dubowsky did, himself, lead the way, not just in pushing for innovative programs but in energetically questioning and offering new perspectives.

When he first ran for school board, Dr. Dubowsky talked about the importance of learning life’s lessons. He said that his daughter, Meg, who is now a senior at the high school, had just been part of a 30-Hour Famine fund-raiser at St. Madeleine Sophie Church. —They didn’t look at Meg as Jewish,— he said. —She was just accepted and taken into the church for the Famine. These are the kind of barriers we have to break down.—

He concluded, —Kids learn hatred at home…There’s a need to align yourself with something. If you give kids things in school to get involved with, they can belong to something like a sports team, where they see a boy whose a dynamite kicker or a girl who gets up and can really sing. You break it down so you see individuals, you see commonalities.—

Dr. Dubowsky’s legacy is one that will inspire us to see the commonality of the human condition and offer ourselves to further its reach. Another story his son tells is of how he and his father completed an arduous 11-day hike together, scaling New Mexico’s Mount Baldy.

At first, Eric struggled and was buoyed by his father’s support. But then, on the sixth day, when his father’s knees gave out, it was the son who carried the heavy pack so the father could continue the climb. They reached their goal together because they had learned the value of caring, and sharing the burden when the need was greatest.

Perspective, Poland - Polish - Polonia, , , , ,

Learning culture, from the family on up

From the Buffalo News: Dance troupe, trip to Poland connect teen to her roots

America, the land of the free and the home of the brave. But where did we come from? At one point in history, your ancestors likely emigrated to the U. S. from someplace else. Do you know from where —“and when —“ they came?

Nineteen-year-old Christina Slomczewski does.

Christina, a sophomore at Daemen College, takes great pride in her family’s history. She grew up in a home in Buffalo based on Polish traditions, and she often heard her grandmother speak the language.

—As a child, I always heard my grandmother talking to family and friends in Polish, and it always seemed like a bonding experience,— said Christina.

Christina’s great-great-grandparents emigrated to the United States. Even though her ties to Poland are not extremely close, the tradition has been passed down since those first relatives set foot on American soil. The family eats Polish foods such as ham, potatoes, pierogi a dough pocket filled with fruit, meat, cheese or potatoes and kielbasa, a Polish sausage. They also celebrate swenconka, or a blessing of Easter food the day before Easter.

So, naturally when Christina was offered the chance to travel to Poland, she jumped at the opportunity. Last summer Christina went to Poland for a month with the Kosciuszko Foundation. The foundation is an organization which helps children in Poland learn English from American teachers. Even without a teaching degree, Christina was able to spend her time in the city of Przypok, Poland, as a teacher’s assistant, teaching the English language to students ages 9 to 14.

—While I was there, the teacher and I did lessons with the kids until lunchtime. And in the afternoon we played games with them. It was a lot of fun and the children were really nice,— she says.

“Believe it or not, the U. S. and Poland are a lot more alike than most people think,— says Christina. —They have shopping malls like we have here —“ and they even have a lot of American based foods. [But] I realized how lucky we are to have so many things in the U. S.— Christina says: —Every day we take for granted the little things, like clean tap water and free public restrooms. In Poland you have to pay two dollars for a small bottle of water and 50 cents every time you needed to use the bathroom—

Christina is currently a member of Western New York’s largest Polish-American cultural and dance group, Harmony Polish Folk Ensemble. Harmony was founded by several families with Polish ties. They have upwards of 50 members, who range in age from four to 75.

Manya Pawlak-Metzler, president of Harmony, says she is always very impressed with Christina’s —ready-to-go— attitude. —Christina is reliable, dedicated, and eternally upbeat. Her ability to adapt to frequent change is unparalleled, and her skill in level of dance has recently resulted in her placement as a junior instructor for our organization,— said Pawlak-Metzler.

Harmony’s mission is to expose Western New York to Polish culture through traditional song, dance, and simple language lessons. But on a less dramatic scale, the group is also out to prove those who believe Polish dancing is all polka, very, very wrong.

—I think that the people who usually associate [our] dancing with polka all the time are surprised. They get to see the more traditional side of Polish dancing.— Christina said.

—I’m proud to show where my family came from every time I dance with Harmony. Just within the hour show we put on for people, they get to live as if they were one of those Polish villagers, and they take home with them a story which they can tell their families for generations to come.—

The article points to experiences much like my own (although, I was never a dancer…). Knowledge of ones roots, cultural connections, being in the family, and most especially the extended family. Those are the experiences that give us a core sense of warmth, connection, and of being grounded. As we mature those experiences blossom into a deeper knowledge, studied history, and all its intricacies. That knowledge doesn’t destroy our our starting point, it only deepens our understanding of it.

Beyond the family, the article points to the support of church and community, both of which are essential in establishing a sense of self.

Christian Witness, ,

Your prayers please

For our Christian brother and fellow blogger Chanuka Erdita on the passing of his wife. Please hold Chanuka, their son Cyan, and their entire family in your prayers.

From Beacons of Light – a testament of faith.

Eternal rest grant unto her O Lord and may the perpetual light shine upon her.
May her soul and the souls of all the faithful departed rest in peace. Amen.

Salam Maria, penuh rahmat, Tuhan sertamu,
Terpujilah engkau di antara wanita,
Dan terpujilah buah tubuhmu, Yesus
Santa Maria, bunda Allah,
Doakanlah kami yang berdosa ini
Sekarang dan waktu kami mati. Amin.

Christian Witness, PNCC,

Appeal for assistance

From Fr. Randy Calvo of Holy Name Parish:

Just after the New Year the house of Doug Bialecki and his family burned to the ground. Doug is the son of Janet Sadowski. He now lives in Georgia. Every summer his two daughters worship with us for two Sundays when they come north to spend time with their grandmother.

Doug awoke in the middle of the night to a red glow in the house. None of the smoke detectors went off so the assumption is that the fire climbed up the exterior walls of the house and then engulfed the entire building. Less than a half hour before all this happened, a neighbour was outside with her dog. There was no sign of anything wrong at that time. This blaze happened extremely quickly. Thank God Doug had been startled awake by the light from the fire. He only had time to get his wife, two daughters and pet out of the house. With only the pajamas on their backs, his cell phone and wallet, they had to watch as the entire structure burned to the ground. All of their possessions were lost. Even their cars, parked in the garage beneath the house, were lost. Eventually, insurance will kick-in to help them re-build, but as you can imagine, in the meanwhile things are not easy. Furniture, computers, clothes, food, everything we take for granted in our homes, all of this, was lost in a few short moments. My parish decided to accept a free will donation from her members on the behalf of the Bialecki family, the only problem being that we have had two very snowy Sundays since then, and therefore, two very poorly attended Sundays. The quicker the better it will be when it comes to our help. We can’t wait for another Sunday.

We are requesting that PNCC members, and all our brothers and sisters in Christ, who may be able to help, consider sending a check to the Bialecki family. If your situation in life allows, the address is: Doug Bialecki, 321 Homestead Circle, NW, Kennasaw, GA 30144-1335. Thank you for anything that you can do for them. And whether you are able to help financially or not, please keep the Bialecki family in your prayers.

Christian Witness, ,

Our Christmas wish

My family and I offer up a prayer this year for your intention. As we gather about the Vigil table, and partake in wigilia_potrawy_554the opłatek, we share with you wishes for peace, health, prosperity, and that our Lord may grant you every blessing and good thing.

We recall all who suffer, because of war, injustice, unemployment, under employment, and poverty. We remember all those who are far from family and friends, from home and those they love, migrant workers, the homeless, and the exploited.

May this Christmas day mark the beginning of our efforts to care for, support, and defend all in need.

We beg the Father for all these things, in the name of His Son and our Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.

“Is not this the fast that I choose:
to loose the bonds of wickedness,
to undo the thongs of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to break every yoke?
Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover him,
and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?
Then shall your light break forth like the dawn,
and your healing shall spring up speedily;
your righteousness shall go before you,
the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer;
you shall cry, and he will say, Here I am.
“If you take away from the midst of you the yoke,
the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,
if you pour yourself out for the hungry
and satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
then shall your light rise in the darkness
and your gloom be as the noonday.
And the LORD will guide you continually,
and satisfy your desire with good things,
and make your bones strong;
and you shall be like a watered garden,
like a spring of water,
whose waters fail not.” — Isaiah 58:6-11.

Everything Else, , ,

Dr. Felipe Korzenny joins the Captura Group

From Lee Vann the Founder and CEO of the Captura Group in regard to Dr. Felipe Korzenny, who I admire for his insight into culture, business’ response to culture and ethnicity, and with whom I have corresponded in the past:

When a 30 year veteran of Hispanic marketing joins forces with the leading provider of Hispanic online solutions, the result is added value for companies looking to reach Hispanics online.

I am excited to announce that Captura Group, the leading provider of Hispanic in-language and in-culture online solutions, has named Hispanic marketing expert Felipe Korzenny, Ph. D., Senior Strategy Consultant to the company. The collaboration between Dr. Korzenny and Captura Group will expand on Captura Group’s strategic Hispanic online solutions by providing marketers with actionable insights to inform Hispanic online strategies.

You can also check out their blog, Hispanic Online Marketing.

Christian Witness, Current Events, Perspective, PNCC, , , ,

Economic doom, economic safety

The collapse of major financial houses, the loss of retirement savings, and the ripple effects to come (increased unemployment, higher taxes, fewer “programs” to calm the surley, personal bankruptcy, unpaid bills, alcoholism, divorce, suicides, crime…) causes me to wonder; who played the market right?

I had cause to call my bank the other day. I forgot the password on an account and I needed a reset. The woman on the phone was extremely friendly. As she was doing the reset we had a little chit-chat. She noted that she had been busy. The topics came around to the current “crisis.” She quickly reassured me of the bank’s capitalization and soundness. I agreed with her.

Don’t get me wrong, I haven’t done an analysis of the bank’s financial statements, or an assessment of the credit risks they have taken, but I know this much – they are local.

These are the sorts of banks who still say no to people. They make folks jump through hoops to prove themselves before they hand out money. Tony and Anna couldn’t get the interest only mortgage, or any mortgage, if they didn’t have money down and a sufficient income to make the payments. Most of the little, hometown, homegrown banks and credit unions do it that way. They reduce unwarranted risk by sticking to models that work. They act in a principled and disciplined manner even if they could have eked out a 20% profit boost.

I also had pause to consider the fraternals, like the Polish National Union (Spójnia). These fraternals are so much more than insurance companies. Fraternals like the PNU provide insurance of course, but that provision is made based on sound business principals — principals that protect members in life and their families in times of grief. Beyond insurance, organizations like the PNUA have branched out into other lines like credit unions – again, focused on serving the members. Our PNUA serves its members in many ways, beyond the business model, that is, at a human level. They step in whenever necessary. For instance, the PNUA will grant charity to members when they are faced with a catastrophic event. They encourage education through college stipends, and underwrite youth focused programs through their charitable arm. Did AIG or Merrill do that? HSBC, Bear Stearns, BOA, or Chase…?

The local banks, the fraternals, the mom and pop companies that many felt were too small, too backward, too unsophisticated, are the ones who built upon solid principals (Matthew 7:24-29). They put the interest of their members (the insureds, the account holders) first. They will be the ones who are left standing.

Perhaps we need to recognize the fact that glamor, bright lights, and derivatives are just a faí§ade (2 Timothy 4:3). Perhaps we need to walk down to the corner, deposit slip in hand, PNU policy in hand, and reconnect with those who say yes when they mean yes and say no when they mean no (Matthew 5:37).

It really isn’t too late. Those who live by sound principals will be the ones who prosper.

Christian Witness, Perspective, PNCC, Poland - Polish - Polonia, ,

Posting spree, life, and gifts

Notice today’s posting spree? I can start by saying that I would have loved to spread this out as background information arrived, but this past weekend was just a bit too physically challenging for me. I felt absolutely lousy all weekend. I actually missed Holy Mass on Sunday – the first time in years. Needless to say, posting to the blog wasn’t high on the priority list. I feel much better now and have a burst of energy. I guess I just needed rest, light eating, and as always, God’s blessing. A measure of my renewed energy comes from the inspiration for many of these posts.

The source of many of today’s posts comes from a benefactor whom I truly admire – a storehouse of knowledge on the PNCC and a person I see as a true lover of the PNCC. I came home today to discover several items that he mailed, a publication from the Orthodox Christian Mission Center and a brochure from the University of Michigan’s Copernicus Endowment. I am looking through both while writing these words. More to come after I reflect on what’s there.

I am truly grateful for these gifts – not because they are things, but because of the time one man, with more knowledge and grace then I will ever have, spends in being the giver of gifts.

Bardzo dziękuje i Bóg zapłać Pan Władysław!