Winter 1999-00

WARSAW, POLAND

Dedication of the New Campus of The Lauder-Morasha School in Warsaw, Poland - October 12, 1999
The Talmud, in Shabbat 119, teaches that "the world is sustained by the breath of school children." On October 12, 1999, the Prime Minister of Poland, Jerzy Buzek, began his remarks at the dedication of the new campus of The Lauder-Morasha School in Warsaw, Poland with these beautiful words. More than 700 people, including the Mayor of Warsaw, Pawel Piskorski, participated in the dedication ceremony, which took place in a big tent set-up outside of the newly renovated building. Buzek praised The Lauder-Morasha School as "magnificent proof" of Poland's Jewish revival after the Holocaust.

The Lauder-Morasha School opened in 1994 with 18 students. Its growth to its current enrollment of 168 encouraged The Ronald S. Lauder Foundation to seek larger quarters to house the primary and middle school. The site acquired by the Foundation for the new campus has special significance for the Warsaw Jewish Community; the original designer of the building in the 1920s was a famous Jewish architect, Henryk Stifelman, and the structure served as a Jewish seniors' facility until W.W.II. According to Ronald S. Lauder, the dedication of the campus "marks the beginning of a new era" in Poland.

"We want to thank you for creating our school and for giving us such a wonderful new building to learn in," a group of sixth graders told Lauder in Polish, English and Hebrew.

After listening to the students sing in Hebrew, the crowd watched Ronald S. Lauder and Rabbi Chaskel Besser, Chairman of the Foundation for Poland, affix a mezuzah to the front door post of the School.

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The Lauder-Morasha School offers a standard educational curriculum as well as classes in Hebrew, Jewish history and culture. In addition, the School hosts a regular series of seminars and Shabbat programs for students' parents and grandparents. One woman whose sons attend Lauder-Morasha called Helise Lieberman, the Director of the School, a few weeks before the opening, asking how to put a mezuzah on the family's apartment. According to Lieberman, "It's the influence of the School. Lauder-Morasha has a pivotal role in defining the future of the Jewish Community here. The parents are committing their children to something extraordinary."

The President of Poland Presents Medal of Merit to Ronald S. Lauder
On October 12, 1999, several hours before the dedication of the new campus of The Lauder-Morasha School, President Aleksander Kwasniewski presented Ronald S. Lauder with the Polish Republic's Medal of Merit at a ceremony in the presidential palace in the presence of 150 distinguished guests.

The medal served to recognize Lauder's extraordinary contributions to the strengthening of Polish-Jewish relations.

Upon accepting the medal, Lauder said, "As we stand on the dawn of a new millennium, I very much hope that the rapprochement between the Polish and Jewish people will continue."
Lauder concluded his remarks to the President noting, "You have sent a message to the entire world that we are on the right path."

First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton Visits Lauder-Morasha School
On October 5, 1999, just one week prior to the dedication of a new campus, Ronald S. Lauder was pleased to welcome Hillary Rodham Clinton to The Lauder-Morasha School in Warsaw, Poland. Together, Lauder and Clinton toured the School and visited two classes. Students at Lauder-Morasha sang Heveinu Shalom Aleichem to welcome the First Lady.

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