March 30, 2001

Szanowni Panstwo,

Ponizej przesylamy wzory listow protestacyjnych. Celem ich jest zatrzymanie wydania przez Princeton University Press szkalujacej Polske ksiazki Jana Tomasza Grossa NEIGHBORS ("Sasiedzi"), w ktorej autor dla celow politycznych falszywie podaje wydarzenia w Jedwabnem w 1941 roku. Prosimy podpisac jeden z tych listow, zmienic, wzglednie ulozyc wlasny list i jak najpredzej poslac faksem czy przez e-mail do Princeton University Press. Dziekujemy.

Dear friends,

Below are sample protest letters. Their purpose is to prevent the publication by the Princeton University Press of an antiPolish book by Jan Tomasz Gross, NEIGHBORS (Sasiedzi) in which the author, for political reasons, deceitfully misrepresents the now famous incident in Jedwabne in 1941. Please sign one of these letters, change to your liking or compose a different letter and immediately send by fax or e-mail to Princeton Univerity Press. Thank you.

LETTERS / LISTY:

Terry Vaughn, Editor-in-Chief

Princeton University Press

fax: 609-258-6305

e-mail: [email protected]

PROTEST PROTEST PROTEST

Szanowna Redakcjo:

Ze zdziwieniem dowiedzialem sie o Waszym zamiarze opublikowania paszkwilu
autorstwa profesora Grossa zatytuowanego "Sasiedzi" (Neighbors). Jest to material
siejacy nienawisc miedzy grupami etnicznymi zarowno w USA jak i na calym
swiecie. Ponadto, stawia on w falszywym swietle obraz Polaka i Polski na
przestrzeni ostatnich dziesiecioleci.

Dlatego PROTESTUJE stanowczo przeciwko wydaniu drukiem lub w internecie tej
klamliwej i tendencyjnej publikacji. Jako Polak przeciwstawiam sie
szerzeniu niezasluzonej negatywnej opinii o mojej Ojczyznie i Narodzie, z
ktorego sie wywodze.

podpis

- - - - - - - - - -

Terry Vaughn, Editor-in-Chief

Princeton University Press

fax: 609-258-6305

e-mail: [email protected]

PROTEST PROTEST PROTEST

Szanowna Redakcjo:

Publikacja, “Sasiedzi” (NEIGHBORS) odzwierciedla opinie autora nie znajdujaca
formalnego poparcia w zadnych materialach, a nawet zaprzeczajaca wielu istniejacym oficjalnym
zrodlom. Przytaczane w ksiazce szczegoly zbrodni zaprzeczaja sobie wzajemnie i czesto nie
wykazuja logicznego sensu.

Co najwazniejsze, ksiazka Jan Tomasza Grossa szkaluje moja Ojczyzne, Polske i
propaguje nienawisc pomiedzy etnicznymi grupami w USA i na calym swiecie.

podpis

-------------

Terry Vaughn, Editor-in-Chief

Princeton University Press

Fax: 609-258-6305

e-mail: [email protected]

Sir/Madam:

I wish to lodge my protest and disapproval of the Princeton University Press
publication of "Neighbors" based on a translated work by Jan Tomasz Gross titled "Sasiedzi".

This book details and then distorts the facts of the events in the village of
Jedwabne in Poland on July 10, 1941. The book is reprehensible and entirely
unacceptable as it undermines the deepest and sincerest emotions and
sensibilities of the Polish people. I demand that the publication of "Neighbors"
be halted immediately. This work has already caused Polish people in all
communities and nations around the world distress, international damage of
Poland’s integrity and grotesque offence.

Signed:

------------

Terry Vaughn, Editor-in-Chief

Princeton University Press

fax: 609-258-6305

e-mail: [email protected]

Sir/Madam,

Regarding the publication of “Neighbors” by Jan Tomasz Gross. This book
reflects the author's unscientific opinion while not only historic documents are
disregarded yet also violated is common sense and most details or circumstances
do not fit the tragic picture. I sincerely hope that such a distinguished
University as your Organization will not participate in spreading animosities
and racially-based division among national and religious groups in the United
States or worldwide.

Yours truly,

-- - - - - - - -

Heralds of Truth:

Mr Terry Vaughn, Editor-in-Chief

Princeton University Press

41 William Street, Princeton, NJ 08540

Re.: J.T. Gross: "Neighbors"

e-mail: [email protected]

March 30, 2001

Dear Sir:

The time of publication of J.T. Gross' book, "The Neighbors" ("Sąsiedzi")
in the English translation is fast approaching.
In spite of the allegedly "careful research" in preparing this book that the author claims to
have done, it is almost wholly based on documents from the postwar Stalinist era, when
historical fact was arbitrarily changed or distorted in order to comply with communist ideology
and its program of calumny and defamation. The scene of the described July 1941 events, the
small town of Jedwabne, was located in eastern Poland from where the Soviet occupiers with
significant help of local Jews, during the period of September 1939 to June 1941, deported to
Siberian concentration camps nearly two million Polish inhabitants. From Jedwabne itself, about
300 Poles were exiled, several of them in the very last days before the arrival of the German
Army. J. T. Gross in his book glosses over as insignificant the massive Jewish cooperation with
the Soviet NKVD - the Soviet secret police - much worse in cruelty than the German Gestapo. It
is consequently no wonder that during the next German occupation Poles were none too eager to
risk their and their families' lives in saving communist party Jews. In Poland, and only in
Poland, capital punishment was meted out to the entire family, which was executed for the
slightest evidence of aid given to Jews.

The principal source Gross uses for "Neighbors" is Szmul Wasersztajn alias Calka, who
collaborated with the Soviets, despised his Polish neighbors, and was personally responsible
for singling out for deportation Polish families. Gross' so-called "eyewitness", Szmul
Wasersztajn, was in hiding 2 miles away during the time of the massacre. Therefore
Wasersztajn's maliciously anti-Polish deposition is hardly credible and Gross' "affirmative"
opinion about it is not only shocking but lacks simple candor.

Through several pages of his book Gross describes the massacre of Jews by their "Polish
neighbors" in the following way. He believes that Poles on their own initiative were
responsible for the crime, that they tortured and killed the Jews, and that they then burned
the remaining ones in a barn. Gross also claims that during the crime very few Germans were
present that they stood by, took pictures, and even held back "Polish hooligans", therefore
saving some Jews.

The above statements are unambiguously contradicted by numerous contemporaneous witnesses.
Furthermore, it is a matter of record that at that time in Bialystok county (covering Jedwabne)
special German troops were in action (so called Einsatzgruppen - their regular assignment being
extermination of Jews). According to manifold sources of information nearly 300 Germans were
present at Jedwabne on the day of the tragedy.

Polish public authorities are presently in the process of reviewing and evaluating all
available evidence from archival sources and still-living witnesses. Basically, Dr. Gross'
scholarship and his impartiality of conducting it will be tested and probably found
wanting.

In view of the above, this dubiously documentary book cannot be considered as a serious work: it
is rather a tendentious, propagandistic, and libelous pamphlet. Its publication is not in
keeping with the scholarly standards of a publisher like Princeton University Press and
moreover, we are concerned its publication and promotion will seriously deteriorate
Polish-Jewish relations and provoke mutual animosity. Is this really the result this publisher
hopes to abet?

Sincerely,

Powrot