Polish Courtesy

Polish Supreme Court Building

The Polish Constitutional Tribunal changed the date of its central observance marking a key national holiday to accommodate its Shabbat-observant keynote speaker, an American-born Israeli professor.

In an unprecedented move, the Polish high court's ceremony for Polish Constitution Day honoring Poland’s May 3, 1791 Constitution was switched from Saturday May 3, to Thursday May 1, also a national holiday, in deference to Prof. Moshe Rosman, of Bar-Ilan University's Israel and Golda Koschitzky Department of Jewish History and Contemporary Jewry.

Rosman, an expert in Polish Jewry and an advisor for the new Museum of the History of Polish Jews, told The Times of Israel that, on receiving the Polish supreme court's initial invitation to speak, he hesitated after noting that the celebrations fell on Saturday. He said halachic authorities agreed he could participate, however, if, among other constraints, he began his speech by speaking about Shabbat.

“I wrote to them [the Polish Supreme Court] and gave them an out — ‘I’m very honored, but you should know I'm a Shabbat observer with restrictions, which I understand if you can't accommodate…’”

But the court wrote back that it would accommodate his religious needs, and eventually changed the date of the holiday's central ceremony, held annually at the court, from the Saturday to the Thursday. Also marking the occasion are speeches by public figures, parades, exhibitions, and concerts.

Poland is probably the most pro-Israel country in Europe

Ahead of his flight to Poland, Rosman told The Times of Israel he was honored by the consideration given to him, but not 100% surprised, saying that although there is still anti-Semitism in Poland today, there is no official anti-Semitism.

“Poland is probably the most pro-Israel country in Europe. The government’s trend is to support things Jewish,” said Rosman.

The professor said, however, that the question is: what is the “real Poland?”

“Is the real Poland Communist? Chauvinist? Anti-Semitic? The country dominated by Russia throughout the 19th century?”

The answer lies in the Constitution Day holiday, said Rosman.

“Real Poland is before the partitions,” said Rosman, when there was an elected king and a multi-nationalist, proto-democractic parliament which created a more independent, progressive, and just society. Constitution Day celebrates this “real Poland,” said Rosman, and “for 200 years the Poles looked to this period as the real Poland.”

Read more: in The Times of Israel