by George J Elbaum
Stefan Żeromski Liceum in Zyrardow, a town 60 km. from Warsaw, was established in 1920 and is the oldest school in the city. The population of Zyrardow is approximately 42,000 today, but before WWII it was 28,000 of which almost 12% was Jewish. In October 1940 a ghetto was created by the Nazis to contain its Jewish population, and 1,000 Jews from neighboring towns were also forced into it. About 5,000 people were living in the Zyrardow ghetto in February 1941 when all were moved to the Warsaw Ghetto – none survive today.
The Stefan Zeromski High School took part in School of Dialogue training in 2010 at the initiative of one of its Polish teachers, Bożena Gąsiorowska, who organized my talk at the school today and who is also a Leader of Dialogue in Żyrardów. The school’s Principal, Beata Stawicka, plus many teachers and 120 students took part in today’s event, which was arranged by the Forum for Dialogue’s Communication Coordinator Marta Usiekniewicz.