Where did Jews come from to Poland? How could it be that Poles let the Germans build concentration camps in their neighborhoods? Why has the Israeli army shelled districts where Palestinian civilians live? The answers to those and other questions can be found in the book, Difficult Questions in Polish-Jewish Dialogue.

The book, Difficult Questions in Polish-Jewish Dialogue (www.difficultquestions.org), is a joint effort of the Forum for Dialogue Among Nations and the American Jewish Committee. It is the first publication available in Poland that tries to bridge the gulf between Polish and Jewish perceptions of the world. The history taught to American or Israeli students differs from that offered in Polish schools. Difficult Questions aims at showing both perspectives.






Work on the book started with a survey carried out among a thousand students from Poland, the USA, Israel, Canada, and Australia. Young Poles and Jews listed questions that seemed the most sensitive to them. They concerned the past, present and future. The book's editors chose 50 of the most representative issues. The answers were provided by experts in Polish-Jewish relations.


Among the authors are Władysław Bartoszewski, Israel Gutman, Leszek Kołakowski, Shlomo Avineri and Antony Polonsky.


Difficult Questions is required reading for all people who recognize the importance of Polish-Jewish relations.