2 No. 76 JUSTICE am writing these lines a few days after January 27, 2026 – 81 years since the liberation of the Auschwitz Concentration Camp. My mother, Ita Linzen (née Weissman), of blessed memory, was among the survivors of this camp. Auschwitz represents not only a historical event and a memorial to the millions who perished there, and a command never to forget and never to forgive, but also a perpetual reminder that the danger of persecution, harm, and threat of annihilation of the Jewish People has not passed. On November 19-21, 2025, the IJL held an International Conference in Warsaw. After several years without an in-person gathering due to COVID-19 and the Iron Swords War, we held a Conference that was a great success in terms of the number of participants, the number and quality of speakers, and the impact of the Conference. The Conference was held at the POLIN Museum — the Museum of the History of Polish Jews, located in the heart of the area where the Warsaw Ghetto once stood. There is no more symbolic place to have held our Conference during a period of unprecedented growth in antisemitism and hostility toward Israel. For me, there was a personal and emotional aspect to holding the Conference at this location — my mother was a survivor of the Warsaw Ghetto, and many of my family members perished in the Ghetto or in the death camps to which they were sent from the Ghetto. My opening speech at the Conference appears in this issue of JUSTICE. I would like to thank the distinguished lecturers who joined us from around the world and generously volunteered their time and expertise to the Conference, as well as the IJL staff members who devoted many months to organizing the event and shaping its content. At the conclusion of the Conference, we held meetings in Warsaw with senior Polish government officials, and we can already see a meaningful shift in the government’s approach to combating antisemitism. Usually, our Conferences proceed without controversy. This time, however, an incident did occur. The U.S. Ambassador to Poland, Mr. Tom Rose, spoke at our Gala Dinner and endorsed the Polish narrative regarding Poland’s situation and the actions of the Polish people during World War II: that Poland was occupied by Nazi Germany and lost its sovereignty; that the Polish people as a whole, and many individual citizens, were victims of the Nazi regime; that many Polish soldiers fought alongside the Allies against the Nazis; and that numerous Poles helped save Jews, often at the risk of their own lives under the threat of execution if discovered. There is no doubt that the intention of the Honorable Ambassador in his speech was to emphasize the Polish narrative, with a view to improving relations between Poland and the Jewish People, the United States, and Israel. According to the Ambassador, there is no proper weight given to the Polish narrative, and this is true. In this context, and again on a personal note, I wish to recall that my father, Mordechai Linzen, of blessed memory, after escaping from a labor camp, hid in the forests of central Poland. Friends—Christian Poles— helped him repeatedly with food, shelter, and other necessities. There is no doubt that he survived thanks to their courage and kindness. President’s Message I Meir Linzen Photo: Idan Gross
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