Konflikt między Towarzystwem Społeczno-Kulturalnym Żydów a Związkiem Religijnym Wyznania Mojżeszowego dotyczący żydowskich cmentarzy wyznaniowych (1964-1966). Wybór dokumentów
Conflict between Social and Cultural Association of Jews in Poland and the Religious Union of the Mosaic Faith Regarding Jewish Cemeteries (1964-1966). Selection of Documents

Summary/Abstract: This selection of documents presents the correspondence between the Social and Cultural Association of Jews in Poland (TSKŻ), the Religious Union of the Mosaic Faith (ZRWM) and the party and state authorities from the years 1964-1966. It shows the position of the Office for Religious Affairs regarding the conflict between the Kraków congregation of ZRWM and the local branch of TKSŻ regarding the rules to apply at the Jewish cemetery at Miodowa Street. TSKŻ wanted its members who joined the Polish United Workers' Party (PZPR) to be buried without religious rituals. However, the ZRWM congregation refused to allow the families of deceased TSKŻ / PZPR members to bury their loved ones unless the ceremony was of a religious nature.Neither the Central Committee of the Polish United Workers' Party nor the Ministry of the Interior decided to try and resolve this conflict and referred the matter to the Office for Religious Affairs instead. The Office made its decision based on strictly legal, not ideological, considerations. Thus, a paradoxical situation arose - in a socialist country, the right of a religious association to refuse to bury members of the Communist Party in a secular manner in a religious cemetery was recognized. This position of the Office for Religious Affairs shows the separate treatment of the Jewish minority: the mid-1960s were also a period of tightening of the Polish United Workers' Party's policy towards the Catholic Church.

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