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Revision as of 22:35, 26 June 2004 by Kpalion (talk | contribs) (Zamenhof was more a scientist than a businessman)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)From the Middle Ages until the Holocaust, Jews were a significant part of the Polish population. The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, known for its religious tolerance as a "Jewish paradise", attracted numerous Jews who fled persecution from other European countries. By the Second World War Poland had the largest Jewish population in the world (about 3 million), most of whom were then killed by the Nazis. Poland was therefore a major spiritual and cultural center for the Ashkenazi Jewry for many centuries, and many of Europe's famous Jews were born in Poland.
Many Polish Jews contributed to Jewish culture and religious teaching. There were also many who assimilated with Poles and made great contributions to Polish cultural, economic and political life; including Jews who were ardent Polish patriots.
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Religious leaders (rabbis, tzadikkim)
- Israel ben Eliezer, the Baal Shem Tov (ca 1700-1760)
- Jacob Frank (1726-1791)
- Elimelech of Leżajsk (1717-1786)
- Dovber of Mezeritch (d. 1772)
Soldiers, fighters
- Mordechaj Anielewicz (1919-1943)
- Berek Joselewicz (1764-1809)
- Krystyna Skarbek (1915-1952)
Scientists
- Szymon Aszkenazy, archaeologist
- Benoit Mandelbrot
- Emil Leon Post
- Ludwik Zamenhof, doctor and inventor of esperanto
Writers, poets
Writing in Polish
- Jan Brzechwa (1900-1966)
- Janusz Korczak (1878-1942), children's writer and educator
- Stanisław Jerzy Lec
- Jan Lechoń (1899-1956)
- Bruno Schulz (1892-1942)
- Antoni Słonimski (1895-1976)
- Natan Tenenbaum (b. 1940)
- Julian Tuwim (1894–1953)
Writing in Yiddish
- Solomon Anski
- Jacob Dinezon (1852-1919)
- Isaac Loeb Peretz
- Isaac Bashevis Singer (1904-1991)
Other artists
- Roman Polański (b. 1933), film director
- Władysław Szpilman (1911-2000), composer
- Esther Rachel Kaminska, actress
Politicians
In Poland
- Marek Borowski (b. 1946)
- Bronisław Geremek (b. 1932)
- Szmul Zygielbojm (1895-1943)
In Israel
- Menachem Begin (1913-1992)
- David Ben-Gurion (1886-1973)
- Shimon Peres (b. 1923)
Journalists
- Adam Michnik (b. 1946), Gazeta Wyborcza
- Jerzy Urban (b. 1933), Nie
- Dawid Warszawski (Konstanty Gebert)
Business people
- Maurycy Fajans, entrepreneur
- Samuel Orgelbrand, publisher of the Universal Encyclopaedia,
- Izrael Poznański (1833-1900), textile tycoon
- Wanda Rapaczyńska (b. 1947), publisher
- Lew Rywin (b. 1945), film producer
- Hipolit Wawelberg, founder of Warsaw Technical College