Western Illinois University
I am finally finished at Western Illinois University.
With this post I will post articles
I wrote at Western and what I have learned about my life.
Nudism Studies!
For Human Sexuality CN433 I wrote this report:
Nudism; it is not what you think.
When something is right out in the open and a lot of it you
get desensitized by it. Meaning you just do not see it as others would. You get
used to something it doesn't affect you anymore. The average human body times
10; truly is not an attractive thing especially in a sexual way. Most people
will not be sexually attracted/aroused in a group setting. Our sexuality is not
what we look like its how we feel and think.
So no it is not why we cover our
bodies.
Think of it this way, there are tribes of people who are
naked all the time in their natural culture and they don't think of sex
constantly, the more commonplace nudity is, the less it will be associated with
sex.
People cover up because we are still products of the prudish
Colonial societies.
We cover our bodies because we are modest people and it is
what society has deemed right. We as humans can be desensitized to almost
anything; war, death, loudness, cold, and even public nudity.
Visit a nude beach or nudist resort and you'll see how
quickly it becomes normal and natural. You'll quickly learn that being nude
doesn't, by it self make things any more sexual than would a walk in the park,
fully clothed.
Discovery of truth is more fulfilling than clinging to a thousand assumptions.
The truth is we are born to be nude.
I realized that after visiting the Blue Lake Resort in Erie Illinois.
I found the freedom within myself and a spiritual renewal I
have never felt before.
So when we as Americans view nudism as taboo. We are wrong.
It is a natural feeling of being and it should be expressed and experienced by
all.
Studies from Human Development class:
Breast Development:
Stage 1
Age 0-8
The preadolescent breast consists of a small, elevated nipple with no
significant underlying breast tissue.
Stage 2
Age 8-14 (usually 11-12)
Breast bud stage; elevation of the breast and nipple as a separate small
mound; the areola (the area around the nipple) begins to enlarge, and milk
ducts inside the breast begin to grow.
Stage 3
Age 9-15 (usually 12-13)
Enlargement and elevation of the breast and areola (less separation), the
areola begins to darken in color, and the milk glands begin to grow.
Stage 4
Age 10-16 (usually13-14)
Projection of the areola and nipple to form a secondary mound.
Stage 5
Age 12-19 (usually 15)
Mature adult breast, projection of the
nipple.
Here is the report I wrote in Religion and the Bible ENG356 class:
Homosexuality Today
Timothy L. Kerofsky
Western Illinois
University
ENG356
Doctor Hamner
12 December 2010
Homosexuality
Today
Timothy
L. Kerofsky
Homosexuality is an intergraded part of
today’s society. In many cultures it is part of their upbringing. In ancient Greece it was
not immoral to love another man. Here in our culture we have hatemonger’s that
bash homosexuals. This is not right, no matter what your church teaches. The
Catholic Church teaches that homosexuality is immoral. I will argue that it is
not immoral, because the bible teaches us to love one another, forgive those
that have done us wrong, and to not judge those that are different than us.
The teaching of the Catholic Church
is based upon what the book of Leviticus in the King James Bible says. Leviticus 18:22 states: “You
shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination.” For
most people they believe that an abomination means immoral, therefore a sin. The
word abomination does not mean this at all. It means, uncustomary. It was
uncustomary at the time to lay with another man as with a woman, because women
needed children. The infant death rate in biblical times was high and women had
lots of children, so that some could grow up into adulthood. Therefore it was
uncustomary to lay with a man. It was, also, uncustomary for a woman to lay
with another woman. Yet this seems to be more accepted in our society than the
latter. Many people will say that, “God created man and woman and told them to populate
the earth.” Yes in biblical times this would be true. But in modern times we
have an overpopulated earth. So why not allow homosexuals to be themselves? I
am willing to accept them as human beings and not bash them as others do.
The question is: is being a
homosexual a choice or is it a condition
caused
from feminine genes of the mother? In either case it is not right to judge them,
especially before understanding them. Whether it is a choice or not should be
irrelevant. According to Cohen we should
not stop the scientific research on whether or not it is a choice, but there
are more important questions to consider. “We can’t and shouldn’t stop the
research into the causes of sexual behavior. What we can do is advance the
argument that homosexuality is neither immoral nor undesirable. The more
difficult arguments are about birth defects, illness, and basic human rights.”
(Cohen 2008) Science suggests that
sexual orientation is not a choice.
In my opinion homosexuality is not a choice;
therefore we cannot as humans condemn them for it. In the film, For the Bible Tells Me So, it talks
about homosexuality and how it is not a choice. One thing the film mentions is
the fact that when a brother has several older brothers he, the youngest, is
most likely to be gay. This is backed up by scientific study and research. This research consists of three things: genes,
hormones, and birth order. The American
Psychological Association states: “Since the feminine genes are more
prevalent as the mother continues to have more children, they are more likely
to have an adverse affect on the sexual orientation of the fetus.” The mother’s
hormones feminize the fetus making the child more likely to be gay.
If the person is gay, should we then
try to change them? Doctor James Dobson runs an organization known as “Focus on the Family”. He is well
respected in many families and Christian communities. As a child growing up I was
influenced by some of the Focus on the
Family magazine articles. They taught morals on how to raise a family. Even
on issues of homosexuality and child bearing I agreed. Doctor James Dobson
states: “If a child tells you he or she is gay, you should try to change them.”
According to the American Psychological
Association this is the last thing you should do. What you should do is
accept them as they are, support them, and love them. Even the bible tells us
to love our fellow man. Romans 13:10 in the New
American Bible states: “Love
worketh no ill to his neighbor: love therefore is the fulfillment of the law.”
All loving relationships are honored
by God. We should therefore
love
all men and not judge them for what they are. The bible teaches us not to judge
others. Mathew 7:1 & 2 in the King
James Bible states: “Judge not, lest ye be judged. For
with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete,
it shall be measured to you again.” If we judge those that are different then
us it is a condemnation among ourselves. If we as human beings treat others as
they are not as human as us it will lead to hatred. We cannot live with hatred,
it will consume us. This consumption will lead to violence, prejudice, and deep
feelings of remorse. When these feelings grow stronger they become bottled up
inside. Then one day the feelings reemerge. This can cause one to lash out,
become depressed, or even worse. Therefore when we keep these feelings inside,
we condemn ourselves. Romans 2:1 in the New
American Bible states: “Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of
you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself,
because you, the judge, practice the very same things.”
This self condemnation is caused from
being unforgiving. The bible teaches us to forgive, but is God always a
forgiving God? No he is not always a forgiving God. He is a vengeful and
violent God at times. Look at what he did to Sodom
and Gomorrah.
He destroyed the cities. Why? The misconception is he destroyed them because he
hates homosexuals. The truth is he destroyed them because of a lack of
hospitality and because of sexual immorality. Genesis 18:23 in the New American Bible states: "The
outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so
grievous.” The men of Sodom and Gomorrah were certainly being inhospitable,
but to say that is the only reason the city was destroyed misses the point. Jude
1:7 in the King James Bible states: “Even
as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like
manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh,
are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.” God did
not destroy the cities because of homosexuality. He destroyed them because of
sexual immorality (namely fornication) and inhospitality. This has nothing to
do with God hating homosexuals at all.
God loves all men, but he hates the
actions of what some men do. God will forgive them if they repent. In the case
of Sodom and Gomorrah there was no repentance. As far as
one being a homosexual, they are just as human as others. God loves them just
as much. God will treat them no different than those who are not homosexual. So
why should we as people judge them just for being homosexual. Social doctrine
promotes human dignity and common good. “The God-given dignity of human and the
obligation to promote the common good of all the worlds people require the
Catholic Church to speak on all social issues – including homosexuality.” (Maniscalco 2004)
The
Catholic Church contradicts itself. It tells us to love one another, to forgive
those that have done you wrong, and not to judge. Yet at the same time it says
homosexuality is immoral. I feel that I have proven that it is not immoral and
that we should all learn to live together in harmony.
References:
Cohen, A. (2008). Whether it is a Choice or Not is Irrelevant, Boston College:
Boston Press
Dobson, J. (2010). Focus on the Family, Colorado Springs:
Welcome Center
Karslake, D. (Director). (2007). For
The Bible Tells Me So [Documentary]. USA: First Run Features.
King James Bible (1962)
Maniscalco. (2004). Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the
Church, Catholic Church: American Press
New
American Bible (1983)
Here is my mid term report for my Film and Lit ENG395 class:
Herland
versus Walden Two
A
controversial comparison of child rearing
By: Timothy L. Kerofsky
The story of Herland and Walden II both deal
differently about raising children. They both believe about raising children
with values and ethics. However, in Walden II the child is raised from birth in
a close net society. This is to say that the society is the family. Does not
one need to be raised by their family? That is to say the child raised by their
own mother like in Herland where the child is nurtured as they face a beautiful
environment with all their needs supplied. Or is raising a child by the society
itself the better solution like in Walden II where society is the family. I
make the controversial argument that Herland is the better solution. First I
will compare these two societies and then I will make my argument and stand by
my conviction that the society of Herland is best for the child.
What is the better: the child raised by the mother or one raised
by society itself? There are advantages and disadvantages to both. A child
raised by the mother will feel the nurturing love a mother can give it. The
child will feel love, nourishment, and the discipline from the mother. Herland states; “A child raised by the mother
will feel Peace, Beauty, Order, Safety, Love, Wisdom, and Plenty. By Plenty I
mean that the babies grow up in an a environment that meet their needs, just as
the young fawns might grow up in dewy forest glades and brook fed meadows and
they enjoyed it as fawns would.” (Pg 43, Par 12) A child raised like this will
be part of the family and will therefore carry on the family name. Now compare this with the child raised in a
community – society itself.
The benefits of raising a child by a community is
for one the child would be part of the society itself – the society would be
the family. By raising the child by a group in pods, for the first year
diseases and illness can be controlled.
Walden Two states, “I hope Mr. Frazier has warned you, she said with a
smile. Those were rather impolite and give you a glimpse of our babies. We try
to protect them from infection during the first year. It is especially
important they are cared in a group.” (Pg 86, Par 4). The advantages of this
are that the child raised by the group will be part of society therefore more
social when they grow up; society will be the family. This builds trust in one
another. Society will be safer and more peaceful than other societies. Society
determines the way the child is raised. The mother and the father of the child
will both have input along with the society and the male and the female child
are both treated the same as they are raised in this peaceful society. But is
this society perfect? One must ask this question as this society is compared to
the society of Herland. Then one can answer this question truthfully.
In the story of Herland the mother
is in complete control and the father really has no input. One can argue that this makes a bad society,
but one can also say that the child comes from the mother so she should have
control. Herland states, “When a man has nothing to give a woman, is dependent
wholly on his personal attraction, his courtship is under limitations” (Pg 38,
Par 23). The women in Herland feel that sex is for procreation and the men do
not really matter. There is no accepted standard of what is manly and what is
womanly.
Herland
further states, “What left us even more at sea in our approach was the lack of
any sex tradition. There was no accepted standard of what was “manly” and what
was “womanly”” (Pg 40, Par 2). The point is sex does not matter, because it is
for procreation. Sex for this use can be an advantage, because there is no need
for love and ones heart cannot be broken. A disadvantage of this is in Walden
II. Though the children are raised in a close-net society when they become
teenagers it can be a disadvantage to them. They will start to break away and
express themselves through sex while in a committed relationship. In Herland
this is not the case. This point is brought up because, even though, it can be
a disadvantage the men in Walden II have say in a relationship. The father is a
big part of the child rearing, unlike in Herland. In Walden II when the women
is ready for childbearing and committed to a men in a wholesome relationship,
no matter what the age, she will have the child and form a family. Compared to
a ‘normal’ society here is what is stated in Walden II: “All your schemes to
keep the child out of trouble – your wholesome substitutes for sex.’ Frazier
continued, ‘What is unwholesome about sex? Why must there be a substitute?
What’s wrong with Love, or Marriage, or Parenthood? You don’t solve anything by delaying – you
make things worse…” (Pg 122, Par 2). It is further stated that at a younger age
it is easier for them to have babies, the women usually stop having babies at age
22 or 23, and she will take her place in society, being happily married. In
spite of this society sounding perfect I will convince you that a more
traditional way of raising the child is a better solution. In Herland where the
mother is more with the child, caring for him or her, molding it into a human
being who is free in a peaceful beautiful world ruled by women.
One final point about the child
raised in the group compared to the child raised by the mother. The question is
how does one keep the child warm and nourished? The child raised by the mother
will be breast fed and feel the warmth of the mother at the same time. This is
a big advantage in the raising of the child. The child will have the love and
protection of the mother. However in Walden II as the child is raised in the
pods during the first year o f life it is kept warm by a temperature control.
Walden II states how this is an advantage, “This is a much more efficient way
of keeping the baby warm than the usual practice of wrapping it in several
layers of cloth’, Said Mrs. Nash, opening a safety glass window. ‘The newborn
baby needs moist air at about 88 to 90 degrees. At six months 80 is about
right.” (Walden II Pg 87, Par 8). It further states, “How do you know that?’
asked Castle rather belligerently. ‘The baby tells us’, said Mrs. Nash
pleasantly. ‘You know the story about the bath water don’t you, Mr. Castle?’
Frazier interrupted. ‘The temperature is all right if the baby does not turn
red or blue.” (Pg 87, Par 9 & Pg 88, Par 1)
Now one has a comparison about the
two societies. Here is my argument of why the society raised by the mother, the
Herland, is the better society. It is the better society because: A baby needs
the love and nourishment supplied by the mother on the first year of birth. The
best way to get this nourishment is through breast feeding. To back this up,
here is what is stated in Caring for
Kids.cps: “For the first 6 months of life, breastfed babies will get what
they need from their mother’s milk. Breast milk has the right amount and
quality of nutrients to suit your baby's first food needs. It is easiest on her
digestive system, so there's less chance of constipation or
diarrhea Breast milk also contains antibodies and other immune factors
that help your baby prevent and fight off illness better” (Par 2). A baby
cannot get this in a society like Walden II; being raised in pods. Furthermore, during the first year the baby is already mocking
the behavior of the mother and father. The baby is learning speech through the
sounds of the mother and father. Reading to your baby is the best way to
accomplish this task. The baby being raised in Herland will be read to by the mother
and have a better chance of learning speech. A baby cannot learn proper speech
in a pod. How can they when they are in a quiet room their first year of life?
Therefore Herland is the better society, even though the father is not really
there. The baby is also observing what is going on around them – therefore
picking up the habits in the world around them. This is better in the society
of Herland were the baby is out into the world, instead of being cooped up in a
pod. One final point to make: a baby being raised by the mother will carry on
the family name. This is important, because a child with the family name can
carry on the tradition brought forth from the family.
In conclusion – neither society is
perfect for raising a child. They both have some good and bad faults about
them. However the fact of the matter is Herland is the better place to raise a
child, especially during the first year of life.
References:
Gilman,
Charlotte Perkins (1860-1935), Herland
Skinner,
B.F. (1948), Walden Two
Canadian Pediatric
Society Web Source, Caring for
Kids.CPS.CA, Reviewed by the CPS Nutrition Committee and the Public
Education Subcommittee (December 2006)
Here is my final report from that class:
Time Machine
vs. 2001 Space Odyssey
Fate: mans search for himself.
By: Timothy L. Kerofsky
The Time Machine and 2001: Space Odyssey both deal with mans journey to find his self.
In The Time Machine a man tries to
restore his life through time, instead of accepting his fate. When his fiancée
is murdered he tries to travel back in time to change his destiny. He does not
succeed, so he travels forward through time and finds himself in a future world
in which he has lost himself. In a 2001 a Space Odyssey a man accepts his fate
in space while he overcomes his own obstacles. He then sees himself as he grows
old and eventually is reborn as the “Star Child” of time. A man needs to accept
his fate and flow with it; otherwise he will be lost in time.
What
is fate? Fate is what guides us into our own self being; if we accept it and
flow with it we will discover our own self worth. My idea of fate is a destiny
that guides us to our own self discovery. It cannot be changed, but in some
ways it can be redirected. A person’s fate can only be seen in retrospect, but
if we have a good understanding of our own fate we can determine what the past,
present, and future hold.
As I
look back in the past I realize my fate has already been determined since birth.
Part of my fate was predetermined just from my family upbringing, culture, and
religion. Fate can also determine my present situation. As each second passes,
fate is controlling my actions. For example as I study in college I will one
day earn my degree. This could bring me fortune in the future, but only fate
could tell. This fortune I earn could also be my downfall. Riches could change
my personality and life for the worse; instead of better. I ask myself what my
fate is met to lead me. This I try to find out through my own self discovery. I
look back into my past and try to determine what my future fate will hold.
Men
have for generations tried to find their own self discovery, through religion,
spiritual journeys, and quest of all sorts. Some men are forced to accept their
fate while others search for it their entire lives. Through my Catholic
upbringing I have accepted the Lord and know that he will guide me through
fate.
The
Lord has guided me through my fate in life. When I was a child growing up I had
some learning difficulties. I overcame these difficulties through the martial arts.
It was my fate to join a karate dojo in 1979, because I learned how to better
focus and I overcame my learning difficulties. It was my fate to excel in the
martial arts. In 1994 I made first degree black belt; thus it was my fate to
become an instructor. In 2000 I became an instructor and helped others to
better their character. The martial arts helped me better my coordination,
focus, and to work well with others. This led me to join the military. In 1985
I joined the US Navy. The Navy was a struggle, but eventually my fate led me to
join the Naval Security Force in 1998. This went will until I got injured
moving a cabinet up a ladder well in 2004. I got knocked down and pinned
against a bulkhead which caused muscle damage in my shoulders and neck,
stenosis to the spine, and an equilibrium imbalance. I felt it was my fate to
open my own dojo when I retired and continue to pass my martial arts knowledge
to others. Through these injuries it makes this dream difficult. Now I ask
myself what my fate is going to lead me to now. Was I met to continue this
destiny in the martial arts or will this lead somewhere else? In the film 2001: Space Odyssey a man sees his future will I see mine? This is what I
hope - to find my fate again.
The
film 2001: Space Odyssey is about an
astronaut named Dave Bowman who is on a mission to Jupiter. The mission goes
wrong, however, as the main computer; a machine name Hal takes control of the
ship. Astronaut Dave Bowman finds a way to shut down the machine. After he
shuts it down he sees his future through a monolith of time. Then he becomes
the star child overlooking the world. Dave Bowman finds his fate through
technology.
Technology
is an integrated part in knowing fate; through technology one can see their
future and learn their fate. This happens to astronaut Dave Bowman as he sees
his future in the monolith. Once he sees his fate he accepts it and embraces
it. He sees his destiny to become the star child. His fate was determined and
he accepts it.
Astronaut
Dave Bowman really had no choice but to accept his fate or die. When the
machine named “Hal” takes control of the ship Dave Bowman is the only astronaut
that is not is cyber sleep. He destroys HAL 9000 as it is singing Happy Birthday;
the song fades slower and slower as it shuts down. Astronaut Dave Bowman, once
he accepts his fate over death, overcomes obstacles of space, the monolith of
time, and being reborn as the star child. I have overcome obstacles in my life
through the Navy, through the martial arts, struggles with the family, and
rehabilitation with my shoulder and neck injuries. Life is a struggle, but once
we make it through it we become stronger in the spiritual since. If we embrace
our fate we can let it guide us into a better being. Once a circumstance falls
upon us we can either accept it and embrace it or not accept it and be
destroyed by it. Because fate is an inevitable and adverse outcome, events will
happen as they do. In the end fate will determine how things are to come to be.
This is the case in the film entitled: The
Time Machine.
In
the film The Time Machine Professor Alexander
Hartdegen has a choice, but instead of embracing his fate he loses himself on a
lost land somewhere in time. Professor Alexander Hartdegen’s fiancée, Emma,
gets murdered in Central Park on the night he
ask her to marry him. He then becomes obsessed to change this fate. Emma’s fate
was already determined. Her fate was death and it could not be changed. After
Professor Hartdegen completes his time machine he goes back in time to change
her fate. This time she gets ran over by a horse carriage. In the film he
quotes to his college David Filby: “I could go back a thousand times and watch
her die in a thousand ways.” One can not change fate once it happens.
Can
one look to the future and change their fate? They can if the fate was not
determined already. In The Time Machine,
since Alexander could not change his fiancées Emma fate, he goes forward in
time for answers. He goes forward to the year 2030 and finds an animation at
the library in which he ask: “Why can not one go back in time and change ones
fate?” The animation replies: “Because the fate already happened, one can not
go back in time and change it.” Alexander then asks, “But what if we could?”
The animation replies, “It is not possible.”
Fate is already determined and it can not be changed. Once
one finds their fate and accepts it, they can flow with it and live out their
life according to their fate. I myself have been trying to find my fate and my
own self discovery. I have been overcoming obstacles along the way just like
Dave Bowman in 2001: Space Odyssey. He overcomes obstacles dealing with Hal 9000.
He has to find a way to prevent the machine from destroying him. There is a
saying that goes, “One must accept their fate, or be destroyed by it.” I am
accepting the fact that I cannot do what I once could, but where is my fate
going to lead me?
This
is my perplexing question. I am constantly searching for the answer. I look
into my past to try to determine my future fate, but knowing my past does not
necessarily mean that I will know my future. Fate is important to know, so a
man can determine his destiny. How one finds their fate is what becomes
complicated. Some of us find our fate
through religion, some of us through our life’s struggles, and some search
their entire lives to find it. We all hope to find our fate, so we can be
guided into our own destiny. Finding
ones own destiny is important, because it leads to ones self discovery.
This
vision of fate is the most compelling. There are many visions of fate: visions
of religion, science, and technology in which many believe guide their fate.
The vision of finding our destiny that leads into our self discovery is the
most compelling. It is the most compelling, because without a destiny we are lost
forever. Just like Professor Hartdegen was lost forever searching for his
destiny as he tried to change his fiancées fate.
A
person’s fate can only be seen clearly in retrospect, but if we have a good
understanding of our past events we can have an understanding of what the
present and future hold. Therefore we will be guided by our destiny and find
ourselves through this discovery. This is my definition of fate and I agree
with it wholeheartedly.
As
one can see we need to embrace fate like Astronaut Dave Bowman did in 2001. If we do not embrace it we will be
destroyed by it like Professor Alexander Hartdegen was in The Time Machine. He was lost forever. When we look back into our
lives it is a guide that will determine our present and future fate. This is the
key to finding our destiny and self discovery. We can learn about our fate from
these two films.
These
two films share and diverge upon, fate, science, and technology. While 2001 Space Odyssey and The Time Machine share a fascination
with technology the former ends up celebrating a rebirth in technology as Dave
Bowman embraces his fate while the latter critiquing technology as Alex Hartdegen
searches for his fate.
To
conclude I have found my own destiny through the study of these films. I
realize that I cannot change what was, but can be guided from my past events. I
can learn from my past and use it to guide my future. I know my fate can only
be seen in retrospect; it can be guided by my actions. My destiny is guided by
what I have done and my present fate is determined by it. My future can not be
certain, but I believe it to be determined already by fate. This leads me to
believe that in my future I will have a career in something that has to do with
the martial arts; possibly a martial arts historian, Asian philosophy
instructor, or maybe an artist or art instructor. This is what I will focus on and
be guided by my destiny to achieve.
References
Kubrick,
S. (Director, Producer, and Writer). (2000). 2001: Space Odyssey [DVD]. United States:
MGM Studios (Original release date 1968)
Wells,
S. (Director), Parks/McDonald (Producers), Wells, H. (Writer). (2002). The Time Machine [DVD]. United States:
Dream Works Home Entertainment. (Original release date 1991)
This is a report I wrote in ENG280 (102) entitled "Sunflower":
The
Sunflower Final
Karl
should be forgiven.
By:
Timothy L. Kerofsky
12
May 2010
ENG 102
Ms. Kwasek
Simon Wiesenthal is a Jew who wrote a book
entitled The Sunflower about a SS man
name Karl who confesses his sins to him. Simon remains silent when Karl asks
him for forgiveness. Even though Simon is a Jew, bound by Jewish law, he is an
individual and could have been able to forgive Karl for his actions; it was his
dying wish. It is not Simon, however, in whom the question about forgiveness in
The Sunflower is addressed. It is I
as an individual. I would forgive Karl, under my own Catholic values, because
he seemed truly repentant. He felt for the Jews. Karl had a “warm undertone in
his voice as he spoke of the Jews” (Wiesenthal 40). Karl had remorse; he
realized what the SS were doing was wrong. He and his unit were ordered to burn
over two hundred Jewish families alive: men, women, and children. When a family
jumped he was ordered to shoot, in which he did. Later while in a trench he was
ordered to shoot and the thought of the burning family came to his mind. He
paused in his tracks. This is when he got injured by an exploding shell. Karl
stated: “In the moment I saw the burning family, the father with the child and
behind them the mother – and they came to meet me. No I could not shoot at them
a second time. The thought flashed through my mind…And then a shell exploded by
my side. I lost consciousness” (Wiesenthal 51). When Karl hesitated he realized
that it was wrong what they, the SS, were doing. Albert Speer, another Nazi SS
man, apologized for his crimes. He showed remorse and repentance. Albert Speer
stated: “Afflicted by unspeakable suffering, horrified by torments of hundreds
of human beings, I acknowledged responsibility for these crimes at the
Nuremberg Trial” (245). Those who have shown repentance and ask for forgiveness
should be forgiven.
It would be hard
for me as a person to forgive Karl for what he has done. I do believe that the
Lord in Heaven will forgive him. Jesus does forgive and he tells us to forgive.
Though it is hard for a person to forgive, I in the end would forgive him. The
bible quotes forgiveness and why we should forgive. Luke 6-37 stated: “Judge
not and ye shall not be judged; condemn not and ye shall not be condemned;
forgive and ye shall be forgiven” (The
Bible).
Yet
if I was a Jew at a death camp during the Holocaust witnessing murder on a
daily bases my belief about forgiveness would be shaken. I could not imagine
the horror that the survivors endured. The living conditions alone had to be
unbearable. The film Auschwitz Death Camp
talks about the horrified conditions: “Three or four people were crammed to a
bunk in a room filled with hundreds. We were given stale bread and water. Many
of us died of disease” (Auschwitz).
Many of them remained silent.
One
thing remains certain is that not all Nazis were bad. Some had morals and knew
that killing was wrong. This instills my belief that forgiveness is the
absolute way to healing. One such man was Oskar Schindler and he saved over
1000 Jews from persecution, by allowing them to work outside the death camp for
him. After the war ends he stated to those Jews he saved: “Do not thank me;
thank God. I am nothing. I am a member of the Nazi party and a munitions
manufacturer who made money off of slave labor. I am nothing” (Schindlers List). He knew what the Nazis
did was wrong and he turned from it by saving others even though he was a
member of the Nazi party himself. Even though he saved over a thousand Jews, he
did not want to be thanked. He felt he could have done more. His actions showed
them that he acted with a conscious.
Just
because one was a Nazi does not mean they did not realize what they did was
wrong. Some were repentant. If one is repentant they should be forgiven. This
is my strong Catholic belief. Father Thomas Rivera, a Catholic priest, stated
to me in a phone interview: “It is our duty as a Catholic to forgive those who
ask to be forgiven.”
Though very few Nazis actually
admitted they were wrong and apologized for the treatment of the Jews, their
actions proved that they realized what they were doing was wrong. Those Jews
that were not murdered in gas chambers, tortured severely, and experimented on
were left to clean up the barracks when the liberation came. Elie Wiesel wrote
in his book Night that the German
guards were weary of the barracks and did not want the liberators to see that
the Jews lived like pigs. He quoted: “For the liberating army…so they’ll
realize that there were men living here and not pigs” (80). The Nazis knew it was wrong to treat others
badly. Though not all of them did what was morally right, a person can forgive
without reconciliation.
In the Sunflower John T. Pawlikowski quotes:
“In my judgment Wiesenthal was correct in
withholding such reconciliation, for it would have provided the man with what
theologian Paul Tillich referred to as ‘Cheap Grace’. That Wiesenthal might
have said something to provide the dying man with a sense of personal
forgiveness is certainly up for discussion” (222).
In my opinion
Simon had a choice and could have forgiven Karl if he wanted to. It was a dying
mans wish and he could have at least said something. I cannot judge him for his
actions; I was not there. It would haunt me like it must haunt him. I
understand why he lies to Karl’s mother. He most likely felt he could not ruin
the good image of her son. Simon lies to her and tells her a made up story
about working on the Eastern Railway and a hospital train that pulls up. The Sunflower
stated: “One of them handed me a note with your address on it and asked me
to convey greetings from one of his comrades if ever I had the opportunity to
do so” (87). In remaining silent about the truth, it tells us about his
character and his stand on forgiveness. Remaining silent to Karl and his
mother, is in itself, an act of forgiveness. If I was Simon, standing in his
shoes, I might have done the same – which is to remain silent. However I am not
him and I have my own beliefs about forgiveness. Simon Wiesenthal asked the
perplexing question in his book The
Sunflower if “I” would have forgiven Karl. He asked, “What would I have
done?” (98)
My
answer to the question is I would forgive, but based on my Catholic beliefs. Bolek,
Simon’s Catholic friend, pronounced solemnly: “Then he (Karl) deserves the
mercy of forgiveness” (82). In my Catholic faith we forgive those who show
repentance and remorse. Even Simon Wiesenthal stated, “He (Karl) showed true
repentance” (54). Karl shows pity and
feels bad for the crimes he has committed. “Look, he said, those Jews died
quickly and they did not suffer as I do – though they were not as guilty as I
am” (52). He admits his guilt and confesses his sins, which to me as a Catholic
proves he should be forgiven. Another reason why I would forgive Karl is that
he confesses his sins to Simon: “I cannot die without coming clean. This must
be my confession” (53) As a Catholic I believe in confession. A man who
confesses his sins before death is purging his soul. “A dying man who confesses
his sins deserves forgiveness, so his soul will be free to pass into the
judgment of purgatory freely and without sin” (Rivera).
In
my conclusion I feel we as humans must forgive, so that we can move on with our
lives. If we hold on to hate we become like those in who caused us to feel that
hatred. If we live in hatred, we will never have peace in our lives. My wife’s reverend stated it best to me in an
interview: “Hatred will consume us and cause us to act without conscious toward
others; this consumption will control us and in the end we will die without
peace in our hearts” (Alvarado).
Works
Cited
Reverend Sonia Alvarado. Personal Interview.
02 May 2010
Bethel
Wesley United Methodist
Church. Moline Illinois.
“Auschwitz
Death Camp.” Oprah. DVD. Harpo, Inc.
2006.
The Bible. King James Edition 1611.
Luke 6-37. Pg.31. Print.
Babour Publishing, Inc. 2002.
Pawlikowski, John. The
Symposium.
Father Thomas Rivera. Phone
Interview. 02 April 2010
St. Luke Catholic Church. Naval
Station. San Diego California.
“Schindlers List.” Dir. Steven
Spielberg. DVD. Universal Pictures. 1993.
Speer, Albert. The Symposium.
Wiesel, Elie. Night. New York. Bantam Books.
1960.
Wiesenthal, Simon. The Sunflower.
New York.
Schocken Books. 1969.
Here is a report I wrote about my Grandfather Francis W. Inch, Sr.
My draft and final reports!
Story of Francis W. Inch Senior
By:
Timothy L. Kerofsky
On a cold bliss September day in the
small country town of Rock Island Illinois a young woman name Emma Browne, who just arrived
a few months earlier from her homeland of England, is struggling running her
small restaurant named “Brownies”. She should not have been working since she
is past due in her pregnancy. She had no choice since she had no husband to
support her. He died in a ground attack in World War I. She wants her children to grow up with
opportunities that she did not have. Suddenly her water broke and her friend
rushes her to the Rock
County Hospital.
At 3:13 AM on that date of September 6th, 1917 a baby boy is born.
That baby grows up to be one of the funniest, most inspiring men that ever
lived. The name of Francis Warren Inch Senior will live in all the people he
has touched hearts forever. He truly was a great man. Here is the story of his
life.
He attends Longfellow
Elementary School in Rock Island Illinois.
Goes on to Rocky High School while there he gets a
fascination with wood working and makes toys for the poor neighbor kids around
the community. He graduates in 1936. He starts work at the Sash and Door Works
Company shortly after graduation. There he made sashes for $.30 cents an hour. He
marries Evelyn on September 2nd, 1937. Evelyn Inch states: “We spent
our happiest times together down by the piers watching the ferries, sharing a
bag a peanuts, and drinking a bottle of Pepsi Cola. (2010)” He bought a blue
1939 Chevy Business Coop for them to get around easier after their first child
Francis Warren Inch the Second is born. They go on to have three more children:
Sharon Joann (my mother), Terry, and Nancy. He then builds a bench for the
children to sit on in the back of the business coop.
In 1940 my grandfather gets a good
job working at the carpenter shop at the Rock Island Arsenal. He makes ‘target
mount spindles’ until the United
States goes to war in 1942. He gets drafted
in the United States Navy. While in the Navy he holds the rank of a Carpenters
Mate 3rd Class. He worked in the Naval Station Great Lakes Carpenter
Shop making toys for war torn children. In 1943 he joins the Great Lakes Navy
Football Team and plays as the first string Running Back. In 1944 his Navy
duties ended and he returns home to Rock
Island Illinois. He
immediately gets his job back at the Rock Island Arsenal and is promoted to Mail
and Records Clerk.
In 1945 my Grandfather joined the
Rock Island Arsenal Baseball Team as a Catcher. He found a love of baseball. He
plays baseball for them for 35 years. In 1950 my Grandfather is promoted again
to Stock Supply Supervisor. His primary duties were to order millions of
dollars worth of parts for holizer guns, maintain the stock records, and to
count the monies. He did this job until his retirement on June 29th,
1972.
Upon his retirement my Grandfather
and Grandmother took up ball room dancing. They danced their way to Arizona where they lived
for three years. Then they moved to Mission
Texas. Every summer they would
come back to their home in Rock Island Illinois to live and every winter go back to their home
in Mission Texas.
This is the history of my
Grandfathers life, but this I not the main story about him. The main story
about him was his service to the Masons. He decided to join the Masons in 1961
when he was invited by a friend of his to play a card game called euchre at the
lodge. In 1968 my Grandfather reached the highest rank of Masons entitled:
“Worshipful Master”.
My
Grandfather the Worshipful Master Mason
(A
History of his Life)
By:
Timothy L. Kerofsky
On a cold bliss September day in the
small country town of Rock Island Illinois a young woman name Emma Browne, who just arrived
a few months earlier from her homeland of England, is struggling running her
small restaurant named “Brownies”. She should not have been working since she
is past due in her pregnancy. She had no choice since she had no husband to
support her. He died in a ground attack in World War I. She wants her children to grow up with
opportunities that she did not have. Suddenly her water broke and her friend
rushes her to the Rock
County Hospital.
At 3:13 AM on that date of September 6th, 1917 a baby boy is born.
That baby grows up to be one of the funniest, most inspiring men that ever
lived. The name of Francis Warren Inch Senior will live in all the people he
has touched hearts forever. He truly was a great man. Here is the story of his
life.
He attends Longfellow
Elementary School in Rock Island Illinois.
He then goes on to Rocky High School while there he gets a fascination with
wood working and makes toys for the poor neighbor kids around the community. In
1936 my Grandfather graduates. He starts work at the Sash and Door Works
Company shortly after graduation. There he made sashes for $.30 cents an hour.
He marries my Grandmother Evelyn (McCauley) on September 2nd, 1937
at the First Methodist
Church in Rock Island Illinois.
Evelyn Inch states: “We spent our happiest times together down by the piers
watching the ferries, sharing a bag a peanuts, and drinking a bottle of Pepsi
Cola. (2010)” He bought a blue 1939 Chevy Business Coop for them to get around
easier after their first child Francis Warren Inch the Second is born. They go
on to have three more children: Sharon Joann (my mother), Terry, and Nancy. He
then builds a bench for the children to sit on in the back of the business
coop.
In 1940 my Grandfather gets a good
job working at the carpenter shop at the Rock Island Arsenal. He makes ‘target
mount spindles’ until the United
States goes to war in 1942. He gets drafted
in the United States Navy. While in the Navy he holds the rank of a Carpenters
Mate 3rd Class. He worked in the Naval Station Great Lakes Carpenter
Shop making toys for war torn children. In 1943 he joins the Great Lakes Navy
Football Team and plays as the first string Running Back. After getting tackled
and banged up a lot he decides that football is not his sport, so he gets a
fascination with baseball. In 1944 his Navy duties ended and he returns home to
Rock Island Illinois. He immediately gets his job back
at the Rock Island Arsenal and is promoted to Mail and Records Clerk.
In 1945 my Grandfather joined the
Rock Island Arsenal Baseball Team as a Catcher. He found a love of baseball. He
plays baseball for them for 35 years. In 1950 my Grandfather is promoted again
to Stock Supply Supervisor. His primary duties were to order millions of
dollars worth of parts for holizer guns, maintain the stock records, and to
count the monies.
Upon his
retirement my Grandfather and Grandmother took up ball room dancing. They
danced their way to Arizona
where they lived for three years. Then they moved to Mission Texas.
Every summer they would come back to their home in Rock
Island Illinois to live and every
winter go back to their home in Mission
Texas.
This is the history of my
Grandfathers life, but this I not the main story about him. The main story
about him was his service to the Masons. He decided to join the Masons in 1961
when he was invited by a friend of his to play a card game called euchre at the
lodge. According to John McLeod “Many card historians have determined that Euchre
was a direct inheritance of the Spanish game called Triumph. It is also related
with another card game of the German origin called Juckerspiel. An early
version of Euchre was also played a lot in France during the mid 1700's it was
known as Ruff.” (2009). It was not until the Napoleonic Era that Euchre was
introduced to America.
It is a popular game in the United States Navy. This became one of the five
things my Grandfather loved. They were: Dedication to his family, serving as a
Mason, playing Euchre, playing baseball, and telling jokes.
Everyone that knew my Grandfather
would laugh at his jokes. He was very outgoing, always smiled, and had a good
way with people. This is what made him such a great person. He had such an
inspiration on me that I try to follow in his footsteps. When my dad would tell
me that I could not do something, my Grandfather would uplift me. My
Grandfather taught me to bat a baseball, to build a project in woodshop, and
lots of jokes to tell my friends. He still inspires my life now when I always
try to be outgoing and friendly to others. I joined the Navy to honor him and
all he did for me. My Grandfather was honored to attend my Graduation from Navy
Boot camp. While I was in my Grandmother and him came to visit me on the
Battleship New Jersey BB-62 before I left for my first deployment overseas. I
asked him to be the best man at my wedding and he honorary accepted. My
Grandfather was the man of honor at my Navy Retirement Ceremony. To further
follow in his footsteps I am planning on joining the Masons.
Masons have a long history and my
Grandfather was proud to be part of that history. The history of the
Masons in North America can be traced as far back as the first
President of the Liberated United States: George Washington. According
to
Robert Howard of the New Age Magazine “The history of the masons in the
United States began with George Washington, 1st. President of the United
States and a Confirmed
Mason. He was initiated on November 4, 1752,
at Fredericksburg Lodge No. 4, Fredericksburg,
Virginia. Brother Washington
became Worshipful Master on December 20, 1788, and was inaugurated President of
the United States on April 30, 1789, thus becoming the first, and so far the
only, Brother to be simultaneously President and Master of his Lodge. Washington took his oath of office as President, April
30, 1789, on the bible belonging to St. Johns Lodge No. 1 of New York City.”(44)
There are thirty two degrees of the
Scottish Rite of Masonry. My Grandfather had to work hard to go up through the
Mason Ranks. He would study diligently every night, but at the same time he
would make time for his family as they listened to “The Lone Ranger” on the
radio or watch “Red Button” on television. In 1968 my Grandfather reached the
highest rank of Masons entitled: “Worshipful Master”.
References:
Inch, Evelyn.
Personal Interview. 28 January 2010
Howard,
Robert. “Presidents and the Freemasons.” New
Times Magazine 30-46 Print. Greenwich House (1953)
McLeod, John.
“Euchre.” Pagat Com Online. McLeod, John. 4 July 2009. Web. Thursday 18
February 2010
Jones, Jason.
The Home Team, Sports Memories of the
Quad Cities. Print. Moline Dispatch Publishing Company, LLC. (2005)
Flyer. Trio
Lodge No. 57. Ancient Free and Accepted
Masons. Print
Rock Island Illinois (2010)
Flyer. Trio
Lodge No. 57. Officers of 1968. Print.
Rock
Island Illinois
(1968)
Here is the report from my SOC360 (Gender and Society) class:
SOC360
Gender and Society
Dr. Schaefer
The Lady that Saved Poland during WWII:
Irena
Sendler
By: Timothy L. Kerofsky
27 April 2010
Final Paper
In 1942 there was a courageous lady
who risked her life and limbs to save children in German occupied Poland. She
used her nurturing skills to protect the children. She would falsify documents
and change the children’s name and put them in a Catholic home. Her motivation
for this was her strict Catholic upbringing. She was an unlikely courageous
woman at the time. She went outside her gender norm to persuade others. She had
strong feelings that to persecute children, just because they were raised in
Jewish families, is wrong. She felt she had to protect them because they were
Polish like her. The woman was Irena Sendler and she was the Saviour of Poland.
Irena Sendler was born on 15 February
1910, under the name of Irena Krzyzanowska, in Warsaw Poland. She had
a strict Catholic upbringing and high morals of what is right and what is
wrong. Her family would pray the Rosary constantly and help others in need. She
attended Warsaw University and worked as a Catholic
Social Worker before the war broke out. During the war she worked as a nurse
nurturing war torn children. She did not feel it was enough to nurture them,
she felt she had to save them from persecution. "I was taught that if you
see a person drowning you must jump into the water to save them, whether you
can swim or not." · Irena Sendler (War Dairy, 1949, p.6) When the Nazis
began rounding up Jewish children from the ghettos of Warsaw in 1940 Irena Sendler plunged in. She
ingeniously found a way to save them. Using her connections as a social worker
she rounded up others to help her get the children out of harms way. It must
have been her feminine gender role and her love for children that motivated her
to do this. Her gender role was perceived by her parents in whom she felt she
always had to nurture and protect children. Gender roles are
imposed from without, through a variety of social influences. Formed during the
socialization phases of childhood and adolescence, gender role issues influence
people throughout their lives; conflict can arise when some one does not feel
at ease with his or her gender role.(Health Facts, 2010) Conflict arose when
she saw the suffering of children in the ghettos. She felt she could not just
stand there and do nothing. Ever since
she was a child she was raised in a gender role that was caring and nurturing.
“The first and one of the strongest
influences on a person's perceived gender role is his or her parents. Parents
are our first teachers--not only of such basic skills as talking and walking,
but also of attitudes and behavior. Some parents still hold traditional
definitions of maleness and femaleness and what kinds of activities are
appropriate for each.”(Health Facts, 2010)
Her parents gave her such a strong
upbringing that she was
forged of morals of rightness. Her
parents not only taught her that, but what it met to be feminine, nurturing,
respectful, protective, compassionate, and caring to others. She stepped out
from this gender role and became courageous as well. It was unusual for a woman
to be courageous; it was mostly known to men. This did not affect her gender
role character.
Her gender role upbringing she had;
forged her character to be bond to always help, nurture, and protect others.
Her ideals from her character became so overwhelming to help others that in
1942 she became part of the organization known as the Zegota. She was put in
charge of the children’s department. In accordance with holocaust history the
Zegota was a secret organization to aid the Jews. Holocaust History states: “Zegota,
also known as the ‘Konrad Żegota Committee’, was a codename for the Council to
Aid Jews (Rada Pomocy Żydom)
an underground organization in German-occupied Poland from 1942 to 1945.” (Zegota,
2010) It operated under the guise of the Polish Government in exile through the
Government Delegation in Warsaw.
Its main purpose was to aid the country’s Jews and find places of safety for
them in occupied Poland.
Poland was the only country
in occupied Europe where, throughout the war,
there existed such a dedicated secret organization. It was fortunate that such
an organization existed, because it saved thousands of Jews and their children
from persecution and death.
Irena
Sendler forged documents and put Jewish children in Catholic homes throughout Poland
to save them from persecution from the Nazi SS. Her feminist gender role and
her spirituality motivated her to do this. She knew the dangers it was cause,
yet she still put herself at risk to save the children from persecution.
Renzetti and Curran (2003) state: “…women are more submissive, passive,
obedient, and nurturing than men and these traits are related to a high level
of religiosity.” (p. 331)
Her high
religious values and morals led to the saving of over 2500 children. To protect
the children she would hide their real names in a jar and what families they
are currently living with. After the war the secret committee could come back
and find the children to reunite them with their real families if they were
still living. Life in a Jar (2010) states: “She buried jars containing their real and
assumed names in the garden, so that they could one day learn the names of
their biological families after the war.” (Par. 3)
One of the children she
saved was a 16 year old named Miriam “Joe” Jawkowzcski. This was the son of my
great grandfather Miriam who was killed by the Nazis at a concentration camp
during the war. Later Joe found his name in a Jar and found he was the cousin
of my grandfather, Stanley
“Red” Koryttkowski. This was my dad’s father. Miriam immigrated to the United States
in the spring of 1945. At that time my grandfather and him reconnected and
started a pipe fitter business in Davenport
Iowa. Irena saved my family, who
was a poor struggling family. Without Miriam my grandfather would have not
started the business and not been able to support his family like he did. So,
in a sense, she was the savior of my family. Miriam died of an unknown health
problem in 1949, and my grandfather Koryttkowski, in which the family name was
changed to Kerofsky by the immigration service sometime during the war as my
Polish relatives immigrated here all throughout Opole
and Warsaw Poland, stayed working as an
independent pipe fitter. Without Irena my grandfather might have not found his
cause in life. My grandfather would have not connected to his brother and have
been lost forever.
During the heat of the
war my dad was born. He goes on to become a successful tool and die maker at
International Harvester. The point here is the course of one person affected
many others’ lives. Sadly, however, many of the children were not reconnected
with their families, because they were killed at Treblinka and other death
camps.
As the war progressed there were more
and more women and children killed by the Nazi SS men. Children were being
brutalized and tortured right on the streets. The SS would break down the doors
of a suspected Jew and haul him or her off to a death camp, while the child was
away at school. The child would come home and wonder what happened to his or
her parents. This would just leave children in the ghettos. The SS would come
through and round them up and haul them away to die an agonizing death. Mieszkowska
(2009) states: “By 1942, the Germans had herded about 500,000
Polish Jews including children into an area of about one square kilometer to
await transportation to extermination camps. Starvation and disease, especially
typhoid, were endemic” (p. 21) Jewish
children and elderly women were the first to die in the gas chambers, while the
loving husbands and fathers of them were ordered to clean up the bodies. Irena could not rebel directly against the
Nazis, because she would not want to put others in jeopardy. She feared for the
safety of the children she felt obligated to protect. Another reason for her indirect
rebellion was her religious upbringing. “All causes, social and natural,
combine to make it unlikely that women should be collectively rebellious to the
power of men.” (Hare, 1993)
In 1943 the Gestapo
caught on to Sendler and arrested her. They tortured her severely and sentenced
her to death. Irena got lucky. The
Zegota council somehow managed to bribe the Gestapo and she was released. She
lived under a false name until after the war. In 1945 Irena got a job working
at the Social Welfare Department of Warsaw. While there she contributed to the
establishment of orphanages for children who lost their families in the war.
She also managed
the Department of Medical Education at the Ministry of Health, where she put
forward an initiative to open high schools for girls who wanted to become
nurses.
Irena Sendler received many awards
for her lifetime of work. Her awards include the Righteous among the Nations
Medal presented by the Israeli Yad Vashem Institute in 1983 and the Order of
the White Eagle Award in 2003. In 2006 the American Life in a Jar Foundation, with
the support of the Polish Ministry, honored Irena by naming an award after her:
“the Irena Sendler Award for Healing the World.” (Life in a Jar, 2010)
In 2008 she died of natural causes
at the age of 98 at a hospital in Warsaw Poland.
Her story was lost after the war, but became popular in 1999 when four female Kansas students
discovered her story while doing a year long research project for high school.
Thankfully I found some of my family history in the story as well. This one
person saved Poland
and the World!
In conclusion: In 1942 a woman named
Irena Sendler stepped outside her traditional gender roles and saved over 2500
Jewish children from persecution and death. She was raised in a traditional
feminine role of being nurturing, caring, compassionate, and respectful to
others. She instead became unusually courageous in the heart of danger and
indirectly rebelled against the Nazis as she rescued Jewish children. She was
truly a remarkable woman; one who Poland will never forget.
Works Cited:
1. Hare J.B. (1993), Subjection of Women, Retrieved April 9th 2010 from
2. Harrison J. (Director), Most J., Rice, J.,
Shields, B. (Producers), Mieszkowska A. (Writer), The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler [DVD], Hallmark Hall of Fame
(Original Release Date 2009)
3. Health Facts (2010), Gender Roles in the Work Place
Retrieved April 10th, 2010
4. Holocaust History Data (2010), Holocaust Forgotten Zegota
Retrieved
April 8th, 2010
5. Mieszkowska A. (2009), The Mother of the Holocaust Children,
New York Press
6. Renzetti, C. & Curran, D. (2003), Woman, Men, and Society (5th
ed.),
Gender and Spirituality, Pearson Education, Inc.
7. Sendler I.
(1949), War Diary, New York: World Press
8. Sendler, I. (2010), Life in a Jar Retrieved April 8th,
2010
Finally I have my report from SOC300 (Humanities) class:
Poles in America
Tymon Lee Kerofsky
Western Illinois
University
SOC300
Minorities
Mrs. Tammy Werner
December 9th,
2010
Poles in America:
Timothy
L. Kerofsky
During World War
II many Poles escaped persecution by immigrating to the United States. Some came seeking economic opportunities,
freedom from persecution, and better lives for their families. When they
arrived in their new country they had to endure many hardships. Many of the
Poles immigrated to Chicago,
where they worked in factories. Some opened their own businesses. The Poles
created their own little town in Chicago
called, “Polonia.” Throughout their
struggles they always stuck together. This made the Poles successful in Chicago
(Erdman 1998).
Amidst their
hardships, Polish immigrants built strong ethic communities that both preserved
elements of tradition and forged new values in America. These values led them to
great success in factory work. This was during the industrial revolution where
many of them were forced to do hard labor work. Though many were forced to do
this hard labor work, they embraced it and became successful from it. Others
went on and opened their own businesses as pipe fitters and plumbers, which
brought them more success (Binkiewicz 2003).
Part of the reason
for this success was the push to leave their home land
of Poland, which led to the pull to
their new home in the United
States of America. These factors were due to
the industrial revolution from 1870 to the end of World War Two in 1945. The
Poles were being persecuted in their own country due to their religious
beliefs; which led to a conflict between the Catholics and Jews. They lacked
jobs due to the poor economic conditions, and things even got worse during the
war when they were being tortured and killed for their religious beliefs. The United States
offered jobs in the production of coal factories, offered religious freedom,
and had better education. This led to the Poles emigrating from Opole to Chicago
(Korbonski 1966).
The
initial immigrants were illegal immigrants that came off ships from Eastern
Europe to New York in the United States. From there they
migrated throughout the Midwest predominately: Milwaukee
Wisconsin, and LaSalle and Chicago Illinois.
This was due to the climate in the Midwest being similar to the climate in Poland.
These immigrants tended to settle in the urban areas, because of the family
social values and it is where work was offered. It was mostly families that
immigrated. Many of the younger children died of diseases due the harsh
conditions during the travel from Poland
to the United States.
In spite of this they had large families and overcame these conditions through
hard work and sacrifice. They had no intent to return home, because America
was a better life. Though some immigrated legally, the immigration service
changed their names from the long Polish names to shorter Americanized names.
For example my family’s last name was changed from Koryttkowski to Kerofsky.
Many families were not happy with this, but accepted it for a new life in America
(Chorzempa 1993).
There
were three waves of Polish immigration. The first wave was from 1800 up until
World War One. This wave was known as the za chlebem (for bread) immigrants. They immigrated here for mostly economic
conditions: lack of money in Poland
due to the struggling economy drove them to seek money and better opportunities
elsewhere. During this time the economic conditions were extremely poor in Poland.
There were many bread lines. People stood in line just to get a loaf of bread
and dry cheese just to feed a family for a month. These Poles came to America
looking for job opportunities and a better life for their families. They were
poor, uneducated, and unskilled laborers in their own country. But in America
they became successful. They migrated from the Carpathian and Tatra
Mountains in the cities of Krakow and Rzeszow Poland to New
York City. Since Poland
was part of Prussia, Russia, and Austria at the time this wave of
immigration is hard to account for (Klaehn 2010).
The second wave of Polish immigration was
from World War Two until after the War in 1945. This wave included mostly
political prisoners, those that were persecuted due to their religious beliefs,
and those seeking better economic opportunities. The war completely devastated Poland.
The country became dissolute and in turmoil. Six million out of its thirty five
million inhabitants were killed, leaving the county in disarray. Many Polish
peoples’ birth records and family documents were burned or destroyed, leaving
people wondering where they actually came from. Some found their roots in America. In
which they formed the town of Polonia
(Grocholska 1999).
The third wave of Polish immigration was in
the 1980s. This was due to the martial law act of 1981 which offered a visa
lottery. Those that won the visa lottery became skilled professionals in the United States.
Some acquired jobs as economics and math professors. Since they were successful
they encouraged others to immigrate
(Klaehn 2010).
During the peak of Polish
immigration, from 1945 to 1993, there were a total of 1,213,180 Polish
immigrants in the United
States. Fifty nine percent were admitted
under the numerical cap established from the 1924 Johnson Reed Immigration Act.
This means that 715,776 during the peak of immigration were legal. There were 497,404 illegal Polish immigrants
in the United States
during this time; in which many got work visas to work in industrial factories.
Many of the other illegal immigrants worked hard and became United States citizens for the sake
of their children. Many of which were born throughout the Midwest
region. Poles have a strong ethic value to keep family together. The fear of
deportation motivated the illegal immigrants to become citizens to keep the
family together (Erdman 1998).
Another reason for keeping the family
together is their strong religious values. Many of the Poles are Catholic,
while others are Jewish. It is estimated that about 90% of Poles are Roman
Catholic. Catholics make the most
significant religious group. Catholism is a subject studied at school, even
though this is not obligatory. The most religious parts of Poland are the highlander Podkarpacie region and
the Silesia
region (Chorzempa 1993).
From these regions
Catholism spread rapidly. This was most likely caused from the influences of
the Polish Pope. This led to high family values, especially during meals. These
values included prayer during the meal, socializing among the family, and the
study of the bible. This led to a close-net family. Therefore it was hard for
family to be separated as the immigrated in the United States. They, always,
strived to stay together.
The most esteemed person for many Poles was the Polish
Pope, John Paul II. He was born in 1920 and died in 2005. He was very popular
based upon his many pilgrimages and his open attitude towards people. Among the
youth he often surpassed the fame of current singers and actors. John Paul II
was also known as a supporter of the ecumenical movement and he played an
important role in the fall of communism in Poland (Binkiewicz 2003).
After the fall of
communism Christianity spread more with a variety of holy places. There are
many places in Poland
that are considered holy by Christians, particularly Catholics. The most
renowned is the imposing monastery of Jasna Gora in Czestochowa, where the monastery church
contains the miraculous icon of the Black Madonna. Many people make pilgrimages
here, particularly for August 15th. This is the Day of the Assumption
of St Mary. This is an important event for Polish Catholics. Among other
pilgrimage centers in Poland
are Lichen, Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, and Lagiewniki in Krakow,
Swieta Lipka, Niepokalanow, Wambierzyce, and Gora Swietej Anny (Chorzempa
1993). Poles celebrate many holy days, such as Easter, Christmas, All Saints
Day (November 1st) and Corpus Christi
which is the Day of the Eucharist. There are many folk traditions and customs
connected with these days. The Poles brought many cultural practices with them
to the United States.
One of my favorites is the twelve course Polish Christmas Eve meal; where we
dance to classic village polka and Christmas music. Afterwards we open one gift
from each member of the family and place our open gifts back under the tree to
honor the birth of our Lord Jesus.
The belief in Jesus helped the
Poles overcome persecution and in their work ethics. The initial immigrants
were not well educated and had very little skills. The skills they did have,
was in industrial labor. The men had to find work in coal factories, while the
women in sewing. The harsh work conditions in these factories could have caused
many of the Poles a broken spirit. Instead it caused them to work harder and
overcome their tribulations. With these tribulations the Poles started to
strive and become better educated. Over time the Polish men got better skilled
jobs in pipefitting, plumbing, and boiler making. The women became caregivers
and teachers (Pacyga 1991).
As the Poles
became even better educated in the math and sciences they acquired even more
skills like in economics. These Poles became scientists like Marie
Sklodowska-Curie who achieved international recognition in Paris for her scientific discoveries. She won
the Nobel Prize in 1903 for physics and in 1911 for chemistry. Others became teachers like Leo Rosten (1908 - 1997) a math teacher and an academic. Many other
Poles kept their traditions in polka music and bettered their skills in dancing
and in playing the accordion. The most educated Poles were during the third
wave of immigration in the 1980’s. However in the 1960’s and 1970’s Polish
Polka music became popular on TV with shows like those hosted by Lawrence Welk
(1903 – 1992). Many Poles got paid to perform. One notable name was Adolph
Poczatek (1911 – 1984) the founder of the Polka Aces. Some Poles became singers
and actors. Miliza Elizabeth Korjus (1909 – 1980) starred in many Hollywood
films like The Great Waltz (1938). Today
there are many Polish Americans in music and dance. One such person is Ann Danielewski also known as Poe, who is one of several
female singer-songwriters to first hit the modern rock charts in the mid-1990s (Yonski
2009).
Though many Poles
are successful and famous today, they had to overcome a lot of prejudice and
discrimination. This discrimination had to do with the conflict with the Polish
Catholics onto their Christian founded new land. The Protestant Christians did
not like the views of the Catholics in whom they believed prayed in idols.
There were a lot of misconceptions. This led to the Poles migrating into areas
they were accepted. This turned out to be the Midwest
region. Polonia was formed as its own Polish town inside Chicago, so the Poles could follow their
Catholic faith without discrimination. Of course a lot of other immigrants had
these same problems in their Catholic faith. Like the Irish and Italians. The
Poles got along with these ethnic groups as well. Today Catholicism is one of
the major religions in the United
States, along with several Protestant religions.
The Poles and other ethnic groups do not have to worry about religious
discrimination anymore (Binkiewicz 2003).
Another form of
prejudice and discrimination was and still is in ethnic jokes. Polish jokes are
one of the most popular ethnic jokes. Though they may seem funny, they are not
funny to the Poles. I as a Polish person endured many of these jokes when I was
growing up. I heard these jokes when I was in elementary school, junior high,
and in high school. This caused me pain inside and I had trouble focusing. Today
they have laws against ethnic jokes in school and work areas, but they are
still being said.
In conclusion – There were three waves of Polish
immigration, the bread wave, the war era, and the visa lottery. The Poles
initial jobs were in coal factories and in sewing, but later became successful
in teaching and science. Many returned to their roots in polka music and became
successful doing it on TV. Their most predominant religion is Catholicism and
they endured many prejudices and discriminations particularly in ethnic jokes. Poles
have endured many hardships, but overcame them to become successful in America.
References:
Binkiewicz, D. (2003). Polish
American history, California
State University,
Long Beach
Chorzempa, R. (1993). Polish
roots, Maryland:
Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc.
Erdmans, M. (1998). Opposite
Poles: Immigrants and ethnics in Polish Chicago, Pennsylvania University: Penn State Press.
Grocholska, J. (1999).
Polish Immigration to the U.S.,
Polonia Today
Klaehn, J. (2010). Waves
of Massive Polish Immigration, Article #41
History of Polonia in the United States
Korboniski, S. (1966). Warsaw in Exile, New York:
Frederick A. Praeger, Inc.
Pacyga, D. (1991). Polish
Immigrants in Industrial Chicago, Chicago
Press
Renkiewicz, F. (1973). The
Poles in America 1608-1972, New York:
Oceana Publications, Inc.
Yonski, D. (2009). Famous
Polish Americans, Chicago: Chicago
Press
