ROCK ISLAND, ILLINOIS (May 11, 2019) — On Tuesday, May 14, at 6PM, The Moline Public Library (3210 41st Street, Moline, Illinois) will host a free discussion, open to the public, concerning two peoples deeply embedded in the same soil.
Over 80% of the American Jewish community is believed to have roots in lands that were once part of the Kingdom of Poland. During the Holocaust, over 3 million Polish Jews were slaughtered by the Nazis, and in some cases, by their Polish neighbors. Yet Polish citizens have the world's highest number of individuals who have been recognized by Yad Vashem of Jerusalem as Righteous among the Nations for saving Jews from extermination. This historic, complex, and unique relationship between the Jews and the Commonwealth of Poland still remains.
Michael H Traison is a partner in the Wall Street law firm of Cullen and Dykman LLP where he practices business law. He travels regularly between his homes in Warsaw, Tel Aviv, and Chicago. For 27 years, he has been engaged in over 125 programs in Poland focused on remembrance, understanding, and the promotion of Jewish life and values. Traison is a recognized authority on Shoah history and Polish Jewish relations. A former teacher of history, Traison was awarded a degree in law by Michigan State University. He is a member of the board of governors of the University of Haifa, the International Association of Jewish lawyers and Jurists, and the board of directors of Yidisher Visnshaftlekher Institut (YIVO). Traison writes and lectures widely on the subject of the relationship between the Polish and Jewish nations. He is a recipient of numerous awards including the Jerusalem Peace Award from Shaarey Zedek Medical Center and the Cavaliers’ Cross from the president of Poland.
This program is sponsored by The Jewish Federation of The Quad Cities. For more information on this program, please contact (309) 793-1300.
