The Permanent Chair of Polish Culture at Canisius College

10/02/2022

We hope you can join us TODAY!

09/29/2022

Hope you join The Permanent Chair of Polish Culture at our events in October! This coming Sunday there will be a beautiful musical presentation in Williamsville. Hope to see you there!!!

08/04/2022

Come join us August 15th for a Polish Perspective on the Russo-Ukraine War and Refugee Crisis as well as a rededication of the Polish Arms Forces exhibit.

04/04/2022

In 1959, a committee of leading citizens of Western New York, in cooperation with Canisius College, established the Permanent Chair of Polish Culture at Canisius College to preserve and further Polish culture and heritage in Western New York. The Board of Directors of the Polish Chair continues to raise funds to sustain the Polish Chair, to advise the President of the College on how best to spend the income from the endowment, and to advise and assist the College in sponsoring programs and projects that will preserve and further Polish culture and heritage.
APPLICATION FOR FUNDS
Section One: Overview
Please provide an overview of your proposal, including:
- Brief description of the proposal
- Individuals or communities served
- Amount of funding requested
- Overview of how funds will be spent (Polish Chair does not fund operational expenses).
- Timeline

Section Two: Organization information
Please provide your organization mission statement.
Tell us about the history of your organization.
Tell us about your current programs and activities.
How does your organization’s mission relate to the Polish Chair.

Section Three: Proposal details
Please provide details regarding the design and strategy of your proposal.
Please provide an overview of your proposed timeline.
Please provide your proposed budget.

Section Four: Evaluation information
Please describe the desired measurable outcomes and their anticipated timeline.

Section Five: Supplementary information
Please include any supplementary documents which you feel will be essential to the review committee.

Section Six: Contact information
Name.
Email address.
Website.
Phone number.
Address.

01/24/2022

Mary Lou Wyrobek, our Chairwoman, spoke about some of the projects which the Chair has recently funded, during the Polish American Radio Program this past weekend.
You can hear the show now and anytime, at: https://soundcloud.com/webrradio/sets/the-polish-american-program

05/16/2021

The Polish American Program

Hear about our concert coming up next Sunday, celebrate the birth of John Paul II, the Polish victory at Monte Cassino, and more, with beautiful Polish music, anytime you like, at the link.

A wide variety of music from Poland, introduced in English, by Andy "Andrzej" Gołębiowski. The show is live on Saturdays at 11 a.m. and Sundays at 4 p.m. (NY time) on WebrRadio.com by app (WEBR Radio)

05/09/2021

The Polish American Program

A gift of Polish music for Mom's Day. 🙂
Listen anytime at the link.
Also hear an announcement about an upcoming concert that the Polish Chair is sponsoring.

A wide variety of music from Poland, introduced in English, by Andy "Andrzej" Gołębiowski. The show is live on Saturdays at 11 a.m. and Sundays at 4 p.m. (NY time) on WebrRadio.com by app (WEBR Radio)

01/04/2021

RSVP to the Screening of Broken Dreams + Comments/Q&A with the Director: Tomasz Magierski

In honor of UN Holocaust Remembrance Day...
The Holocaust Resource Center of Buffalo
and the Permanent Chair of Polish Culture at Canisius College present
Broken Dreams and
a ZOOM Q & A with director, Tomasz Magierski
Sunday, January 31, 2021 at 3:00 p.m.
The film Broken Dreams is based on the diary of Renia Spiegel, lauded as Poland’s Anne Frank, and is narrated by her surviving sister, Arianna, who as a child was considered Poland’s Shirley Temple. Described as “a deeply moving first-hand account”, the film premiered at the United Nations in May 2019 on Yom HaShoah. The film will be available through Vimeo. Register at: bit.ly/brokendreamsscreening. For information or questions email: elizabeth@ hrcbuffalo.org with Broken Dreams in the subject line.
The presentation is free and open to the public.
Tomasz Magierski has directed a number of documentary films, most notably The Magic Brothers, a feature-length documentary on life under Communism, opening at the prestigious First Look Film Festival and screening at the MOMA in New York; and more recently, the award- winning documentary, Blinky and Me, about animator Yoram Gross. Broken Dreams is based on a recently re-discovered and published diary of Renia Spiegel, saved by Renia’s boyfriend, which had laid unread until 2012. Frank Scheck of the Hollywood Reporter, praised Aleksandra Bernatek, who presents excerpts of Renia’s diary in the film, noting that “she delivers emotive readings that fully convey Renia’s girlishness, passion and inner strength”.

Screening of Broken Dreams + Comments/Q&A with the Director: Tomasz Magierski Broken Dreams tells the story of Renia and Ariana Spiegel, Jewish sisters who experienced the Holocaust as Polish children Sunday, January 31 3:00 pm ET – 5:00 pm ET Sponsored by the Permanent Chair of Polish Culture at ...

04/09/2020

Polish Family Easter Traditions - YouTube

Here is a timely series of videos that the Permanent Chair has been honored to provide seed funding for.

01/14/2020

In commemoration of UN Holocaust Remembrance Day, honoring the 75th Anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, The Holocaust Resource Center of Buffalo and the Permanent Chair of Polish Culture at Canisius College, is presenting a book talk by former Washington Post war correspondent, Jack Fairweather, on his 2019 book, The Volunteer: One Man, an Underground Army, and the Secret Mission to Destroy Auschwitz, about resistance fighter, Witold Pilecki, who infiltrated Auschwitz, smuggling out reports to the Allies on the death within its gates. The presentation in the Regis Rooms of the Richard Winter Student Center, 81 Hughes Avenue on the Canisius College Campus on January 22, 2020 at 6:30 p.m. will begin with a brief memorial featuring Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra’s Cellist Robert Hausmann playing Ravel’s Kaddish, which he offered as a memorial in the German Concentration Camp, Auschwitz, during the BPO’s tour of Poland. The Yad Vashem Exhibit, The Auschwitz Album, will also be on display. A light reception and book-signing sponsored by Talking Leaves Books will follow.

An additional commemoration program will be offered on January 27, 2020 at 6:00 p.m. at Rosary Hall on the Daemen College Campus, 4380 Main Street, Amherst 14226 featuring 2nd Generation speaker, Wendy Weisbrot on her late father, survivor Joe Diamond. Daemen will host The Auschwitz Album Exhibit that evening, and it will be on display at the Canisius College Library Exhibition Hallway during the month of February.

Admission to the events are free and open to the public. A book signing will follow the January 22nd event. Additional co-sponsors are The Jewish Federation, Polish Arts Club of Buffalo, the Center for Polish Studies at Daemen College, Polish American Congress - WNY Division, Polish Legacy Project and the Kosciuszko Foundation - WNY Chapter.

01/14/2020

In commemoration of UN Holocaust Remembrance Day, honoring the 75th Anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, The Holocaust Resource Center of Buffalo and the Permanent Chair of Polish Culture at Canisius College, is presenting a book talk by former Washington Post war correspondent, Jack Fairweather, on his 2019 book, The Volunteer: One Man, an Underground Army, and the Secret Mission to Destroy Auschwitz, about resistance fighter, Witold Pilecki, who infiltrated Auschwitz, smuggling out reports to the Allies on the death within its gates. The presentation in the Regis Rooms of the Richard Winter Student Center, 81 Hughes Avenue on the Canisius College Campus on January 22, 2020 at 6:30 p.m. will begin with a brief memorial featuring Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra’s Cellist Robert Hausmann playing Ravel’s Kaddish, which he offered as a memorial in the German Concentration Camp, Auschwitz, during the BPO’s tour of Poland. The Yad Vashem Exhibit, The Auschwitz Album, will also be on display. A light reception and book-signing sponsored by Talking Leaves Books will follow.

An additional commemoration program will be offered on January 27, 2020 at 6:00 p.m. at Rosary Hall on the Daemen College Campus, 4380 Main Street, Amherst 14226 featuring 2nd Generation speaker, Wendy Weisbrot on her late father, survivor Joe Diamond. Daemen will host The Auschwitz Album Exhibit that evening, and it will be on display at the Canisius College Library Exhibition Hallway during the month of February.

Admission to the events are free and open to the public. A book signing will follow the January 22nd event. Additional co-sponsors are The Jewish Federation, Polish Arts Club of Buffalo, the Center for Polish Studies at Daemen College, Polish American Congress - WNY Division, Polish Legacy Project and the Kosciuszko Foundation - WNY Chapter.

01/09/2020

Please share with friends, and family.

11/08/2019

Polish expert on geostrategy to speak at Canisius College

Sunday.

A Polish expert on geostrategy will speak Sunday evening at Canisius College on the role of his homeland plays in the United States' complicated movements

04/16/2019

The Art & Symbols of Polish Easter Eggs - Pisanki

Traditional Easter eggs are not so much decorated, as they are "written" with symbols. Check out this great explanation in a video partially funded by the Chair:

https://youtu.be/U1f0EpVBHJ8

Originally a power point presentation, revised into an informative video describing the various art forms & symbols of Polish Easter Eggs - Pisanki, and othe...

04/09/2019

Palm Weaving - YouTube

Palm-weaving tradition videos, in part funded by the Permanent Chair, at:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpDlzkvKz7PVbdVhI_MFvLNve0Rlr5GlW

03/05/2019

Fiber diet vs. tasty treat 🙂
Here’s “How to tell us about the tasty treat on Various Devices 101" 🙂

On an Android phone, press down on the letter "a" a bit longer than usual, slide your thumb over to the "ą" in the pop-up list of letters, and release.

On an iPhone/iPad, enable the Polish keyboard by going to setting > general > keyboard > keyboards > add new keyboard/Polish, and then use the globe key to quickly switch to the Polish keyboard when you need it. Using the Polish keyboard also gives you Polish spellcheck. Hold your finger on a letter to allow you to select the special character.

On a PC with Windows 10 > Settings > Time & Language > Region & Language > Languages -> Polski > Options > Keyboards > Add a keyboard > Polish Programmers (QWERTY).
To switch language - task bar - bottom right - change "EN" to "PL" then press "Alt to the right of space bar, plus the letter "a" (or any other letter for diacritic version). ź is under x.

On a PC with Windows 7, or Vista, see instructions here (with diagrams): http://www.polishnewsseattle.org/info/polskielitery.htm

On a Mac, select Language & Text, then Input Sources.
Select the checkbox for the Polish Pro keyboard.
Check the Show input menu in menu bar box.
The Input Menu will appear on the menu bar, allowing you to switch between keyboards.

02/21/2019

Come hear a wonderful program.

01/20/2019

Today, Sunday.

12/19/2018

The beautiful Polish tradition of breaking bread on Christmas Eve

The beautiful Polish tradition of breaking bread on Christmas Eve

In many Polish homes throughout the world, a most beloved family tradition is the breaking of the oplatek on Christmas Eve. The oplatek (oplatki is the plural form) is...

10/09/2018

Here is your chance to sample modern Polish cuisine, beyond the usual dishes

Here is your chance to sample modern Polish cuisine, beyond the usual dishes

In a town where Polish cooking available outside family homes sticks to pierogi, golabki, and a half-dozen other dishes, an upcoming cele...

10/08/2018

“Uprising” in Buffalo

Album of photos from the wonderful performance of the play Uprising, put on by the AdAstra Theater Troupe from Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

After the play, the actors listened to Polish WWII survivor Helena Gołębiowska’s eyewitness accounts of her experiences during the war.

Buffalo’s performance was supported by the Permanent Chair of Polish Culture at Canisius College, the Polish Arts Club of Buffalo, and the Polish Legacy Project-WWII.

31 new photos added to shared album

10/06/2018

Waiting for you to arrive.

10/03/2018

This Saturday, come see a very-well done play about the Warsaw Uprising by a touring group of young people who were inspired to produce it.

10/01/2018

Lullaby Killer (w/ Play & Cecilia) | BIFF 2018

LULLABY KILLER
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2:30 PM @ NORTH PARK
Ticketing for Lullaby Killer is available on BIFF's website: https://www.buffalofilm.org/lineup/events/lullaby-killer-w-play-cecilia/

The true story of the notorious Polish serial killer, Wladyslaw Mazurkiewicz, who terrorized Cracow in the 1950s.

09/10/2018

03/20/2018

Polish Flower Branch Palm Tutorial

Here is a freshly-released video funded by the Permanent Chair, part of Fr. Krysa's "From Altar to Table and Back" series of videos on Polish Easter traditions. Watch this, and the other videos on palm weaving, pisanki, Polish Easter foods, and rituals, on the "St. Casimir Buffalo" YouTube channel.

Polish Flower Branch Palm Tutorial

03/06/2018

01/28/2018

Jeannie Smith, daughter of Polish WWII rescuer, speaking to a full house.

01/24/2018

Loving Vincent: The world's first fully painted film

Loving Vincent: The world's first fully painted film

12/22/2017

UPDATE: The Special will be rebroadcast on Christmas Eve from 3-5 p.m. Same station, same online link.

Today, Noon-2 p.m. EST ! On 94.5FM, or online, a not to be missed special about Polish Christmas ! Re-airs Christmas Eve 3-5 p.m.

This beautifully-produced program about Polish Christmas, includes much background, kolędy, and stories. Listen online at https://radiobookmark.com/listener-interactive/webplayer/…
Those who heard it before can attest to the richness of the presentation.

Father Czesław Krysa, author of "A Polish Christmas Eve", the guide to Wigilia, and Sophie Hodorowicz Knab, author of the book, Polish Customs, Traditions & Folklore, will tell us about the music, events and celebrations in the Polish Community that surround the Holiday Season with a special emphasis on the most important of all Polish family traditions, Wigilia or Christmas Eve.

The program will also air on Christmas Eve from 3-5 p.m. EST. Can be heard in WNY and So. Ontario also on 94.5 FM. Funded by the Permanent Chair of Polish Culture at Canisius College.

12/18/2017

UPDATE: The Special will be rebroadcast on Christmas Eve from 3-5 p.m. Same station, same online link.

Tonight at 8 p.m. EST ! Online, a not to be missed special about Polish Christmas !

This is beautifully-produced program about Polish Christmas, includes much background, kolędy, and stories. Listen online at https://radiobookmark.com/listener-interactive/webplayer/#/fullscreen/station/Tgh4Vx2HBa7NvK3
Those who heard it before can attest to the richness of the presentation.

Father Czesław Krysa, author of "A Polish Christmas Eve", the guide to Wigilia, and Sophie Hodorowicz Knab, author of the book, Polish Customs, Traditions & Folklore, will tell us about the music, events and celebrations in the Polish Community that surround the Holiday Season with a special emphasis on the most important of all Polish family traditions, Wigilia or Christmas Eve.

The program will also air on Friday, Dec. 22, from Noon-2 p.m., EST and Christmas Eve from 3-5 p.m. EST. Can be heard in WNY and So. Ontario also on 94.5 FM. Funded by the Permanent Chair of Polish Culture at Canisius College.

12/11/2017

Getty Images TV: Skiijoring

Getty Images TV: Skiijoring

11/12/2017

STARS (GWIAZDY) dir. Jan Kidawa-Błoński (2017, 106′) Polish with English subtitles

STARS (GWIAZDY) dir. Jan Kidawa-Błoński (2017, 106′) Polish with English subtitles

STARS (GWIAZDY) dir. Jan Kidawa-Błoński (2017, 106′) Polish with English subtitles SCREENINGS AMC ROSEMONT 18 (9701 Bryn Mawr Ave., Rosemont, IL) SATURDAY, 3...

10/31/2017

Incredible: This Hero Volunteered to Go into Auschwitz. His Li...

Incredible: This Hero Volunteered to Go into Auschwitz. His Li...

10/19/2017

A capacity crowd attended the talk and book signing of “Wearing the Letter P: Polish Women Forced Laborers in N**i Germany” by Sophie Hodorowicz Knab last night. A number of descendants of Polish WWII survivors were in attendance.

The book is available at: http://www.polamjournal.com/Bookstore/Shop_for_Books/Knab--_Wearing_the_Letter_-P-/knab--_wearing_the_letter_-p-.html

The event was sponsored by the Permanent Chair, The Polish Legacy Project-WWII, and the Polish Arts Club of Buffalo.

10/17/2017

Knab-- Wearing the Letter "P"

Reminder about the talk, and book signing by our fellow daughter of Polish WWII surivivors, Sophie Hodorowicz Knab...Wednesday at Canisius College at 7 p.m. in the Student Center, 98 Hughes Ave. (off Main). If for any reason you cannot be there, you can purchase this groundbreaking book at the link below.

Dedicated to the preservation, promotion, and continuance of Polish American culture.