Check the circumcision

When someone sees a man wearing a beard and payots (those curly sideburns) they immediately assume him to be an Orthodox Jew. And, when he leads prayers in Hebrew, people assume he is a Rabbi.

Jacek Niszczota, Fake Rabbi

Jacek Niszczota who for years served as a community rabbi in the Polish town of Poznań was in fact a Polish Catholic and previously  a cook from Ciechanow, a town in north-central Poland.

The impostor presented himself to the community as Yaakav Ben Nistell from Haifa, Israel. His deceit was exposed recently when people in his hometown saw him on television taking part in ecumenical observances with Catholic and Muslim religious leaders. They then informed local journalists about the hoax. But, now he has disappeared into thin air.

The ‘rabbi’ had conducted Jewish related activities for youth in the local community for several years, and took part in ecumenical prayer services with Polish bishops. He also allegedly carried out interfaith meetings with priests and imams.


The Poznań community has posted a warning on its website saying Niszczota "deceived not only the community members but also other people with whom he co-operated on behalf of the Poznan Jewish Community."

As a volunteer, Niszczota who learned Hebrew and Jewish prayers by listening to Israeli radio, was not obliged to prove his identity, and his activities raised no suspicion.

He won the trust of the Jewish community with the good things he was doing: he baked challahs (bread) for Israel Independence Day ceremonies, he helped with maintenance of Jewish cemeteries and he had the right cultural knowledge. He also led prayers and gave lectures on Jewish tradition, that were all correct, and did not protest when people from outside the community occasionally addressed him "rabbi.


Poland's Chief Rabbi Michael Schudrich said he met the man a few times and always found him to be "very sweet and smiley."

While it's not good that Niszczota misrepresented himself, the incident is indicative of a growing interest in Poland and in its once-large Jewish community, which was nearly destroyed by Nazi Germany in the Holocaust during WWII.

Who 30 years ago in Poland would have pretended to be a rabbi, to say nothing of 70 years ago?

Internet next for religious media tycoon

Poland's religious media tycoon, Father Tadeusz Rydzyk, head of Radio Maryja and Television Trwam, wants to broaden his empire on the Internet.

"If only we had a few Internet websites! We need to fight for young listeners, and the youth is the Internet. Let us all learn [how to use] the Internet," Father Rydzyk appealed to his followers during a holy mass he gave on the seventeenth anniversary of the founding of the controversial Radio Maryja station on Saturday.

Father Rydzyk's media empire has its beginnings in the early 1990s. The listeners of his ultra-conservative Radio Maryja are mainly elderly people, who after 1989 felt marginalised. The radio quickly became a player on the political stage, much to the annoyance of the Vatican, which has repeatedly warned Rydzyk not to get involved in party politics.

In 2003 Rydzyk introduced a new element to the empire – Television Trwam, available via satellite in many countries.

Developing an internet service is just part of the planned expansion of the Rydzyk empire. Only recently the priest revealed that he intends to invest in a mobile communications network.

Popemobile

The popemobile used by Pope John Paul II during his historic first visit back to his native country has been purchased by a Polish museum.

The popemobile that the Pontiff used on his visit in 1979 will be added to the collection of the museum in Starachowice. The purchase price for the vehicle was 100,000 Polish sloty, or about $46,000.

Remembering St. Stan from time to time

I remember my babcia Birkowska telling me as a young boy a story about St. Stan's. As a girl she lived one street over on Chambers Ave. In 1909 there was a tornado that blew the 200 foot spires off the steeple mounts. One that fell to the street killed a passer by. After the storm the City of Cleveland passed an ordinance prohibiting tall spires.

The current version of the church was built in 1891 replacing the old church that was built a decade before, but quickly became too small for the rapidly growing Polish population. The Chapel in the basement of the church is nearly as large as the 900 seat sanctuary above. In the old days Masses were simultaneous in both. With 7 to 9 priests assigned to the parish it was not difficult. At one time there were 50 nuns living in the convent.

St. Stanislaus Patron of Poland and Martyred Bishop is for whom this church is named. (not to be confessed with St. Stanislaus Kostka)

King Boleslaw was furious with the Bishop who had a dispute regarding church lands and how the king treated some nobles who put their families ahead of service to the crown. Royal guards followed the Bishop, some of whom were sent to kill the Saint. These Christian Poles dared not obey, so Boleslaw slew him. Boleslaw was excommunicated and run out of the country.

History tells us that the people of Poland turned against Boleslaw and wanted to shred him to bits. To remember his terrible deed they created a dish of shredded cabbage known today as Coleslaw. The B was changed to a C because the actual name of Boleslaw became vulgar to utter. [cite needed] So, now every time you eat coleslaw you will remember what that SOB Boleslaw did to our dear Saint. Even if this is not factual - at least you will remember St. Stan when you eat coleslaw. I think he'd appreciate that.