What do you do when the worst stereotypes seem to be true?
Grzegorz Michal Braun is a 56-year-old
Polish parliamentarian. On Tuesday, December 12, 2023, Braun used a fire extinguisher to snuff out
the candles on a Hanukkah menorah erected in the Polish Parliament, the Sejm
(pronounced "Same"). Warsaw Rabbi Shalom Stambler and Deputy
Speaker of Parliament Piotr Zgorzelski had lighted the candles. The rabbi was
accompanied by two of his children, ages 7 and 11. Chabad Rabbi Stambler has
been lighting Hanukkah candles in the Sejm for the past seventeen years.
A Jewish woman, Dr. Magdalena
Gudzinska-Adamczyk, physically confronted Braun and attempted to stop him. He
sprayed her in her face and she required medical attention. She displayed
courage in spite of being a petite woman, smaller than Braun (photo here). She later said, "I have stopped feeling
safe in this country." Dr. Gudzinska-Adamczyk also said, "This is my religious symbol, I
have the right to defend it, because we live in a free, democratic country. And
no one has the right to direct a powder extinguisher in my face because I am
defending my religious symbol."
Attempting to justify his crime
immediately afterward, Braun said, "Those who take part in acts of
satanic worship should be ashamed … There can be no place for the acts of this
racist, tribal, wild Talmudic cult on the premises of the Sejm … You are not
aware of the message of this act innocently called Hanukkah … I am restoring a
state of normality by putting an end to acts of satanic, racist triumphalism
because that is the message of these holidays." His statement was booed by
other parliamentarians.
Braun's antisemitic vandalism was
immediately and widely condemned, including by members of his own party.
"All decent people think exactly
the same thing, this is an unacceptable thing, this must never happen again.
This is a disgrace," said Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who assumed office
on December 13, 2023.
Poland's Chief Rabbi Michael Schudrich
told Reuters by telephone that Braun's actions
were not representative of Poland and that he was "embarrassed" by
them.
"I declare that I am ashamed and
apologize to the entire Jewish community in Poland," said Cardinal
Grzegorz Rys.
Mariusz Blaszczak is chairman of the Prawo i Sprawiedliwosc, or Law and Justice Party Parliamentary club. Law and Justice is a right-wing party; it recently lost its parliamentary majority. Blaszczak said that "Braun should be expelled from Confederation," that is, Braun's own party should expel him. "If he is not expelled, it will mean Krzysztof Bosak [the head of Braun's party] stands by him, and he [Bosak] should step down as deputy speaker of the Sejm … There is no justification for the attack because it was an attack on Poland … It is an attack conducted by a man who is either completely irresponsible or someone who acts to the detriment of our country."
