The Neighbors Respond: The Controversy over the Jedwabne Massacre in Poland

by Antony Polonsky (Editor), Joanna B. Michlic (Editor)

"Neighbors"--Jan Gross's stunning account of the brutal mass murder of the Jews of Jedwabne by their Polish neighbors--was met with international critical acclaim and was a finalist for the National Book Award in the United States. It has also been, from the moment of its publication, the occasion of intense controversy and painful reckoning. This book captures some of the most important voices in the ensuing debate, including those of residents of Jedwabne itself as well as those of journalists, intellectuals, politicians, Catholic clergy, and historians both within and well beyond Poland's borders.
Antony Polonsky and Joanna Michlic introduce the debate, focusing particularly on how "Neighbors" rubbed against difficult old and new issues of Polish social memory and national identity. The editors then present a variety of Polish voices grappling with the role of the massacre and of Polish-Jewish relations in Polish history. They include samples of the various strategies used by Polish intellectuals and political elites as they have attempted to deal with their country's dark past, to overcome the legacy of the Holocaust, and to respond to Gross's book.

"The Neighbors Respond" makes the debate over "Neighbors" available to an English-speaking audience--and is an excellent tool for bringing the discussion into the classroom. It constitutes an engrossing contribution to modern Jewish history, to our understanding of Polish modern history and identity, and to our bank of Holocaust memory.

Genres: Holocaust, History

504 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Micebyliz]

A very long and exhausting book divided into sections of analysis and discussion covering not only this event but the events surrounding it. Some of it reads as if removed from today's headlines and articles from Poland and other countries, including unfortunately, the United States where our banner reads for all those yearning to breathe free and yet they can't.
It is good however, that discussion is going on even if it is heated and seems not to be fruitful. It's better than the alternative. For those who witnessed any part of the horror, they are observers who will not be with us very long, their memories faded and their words forgotten. Even as they recall those horrors there is a tinge of hate in some cases. It is devastatingly hard to believe, and yet..

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anybody who's read Gross' >>Neighbors<< should read this, as well. It examines both the events that Gross publicizes, as well as the controversy that followed. Critiques of the book and Gross' methods are included, as is his response. In short, >>The Neighbors Respond<< gives much needed context to Gross' original work.