"Poland is not yet lost!" is a satirical, futuristic vision of Polish reality, in which Jews have taken over, changing the structure of the state and the existing social order.
Israel, after losing American support, found itself in a weakened state that allowed Iran and Saudi Arabia to claim the country for itself, forcing the Jews out. While many went to America, Canada, Australia, etc – Poland, with the support of the former movie star and now president, Maciej Stuhr, welcomed 3 million Jewish refugees back to Poland. This Jewish influence inspired many to choose to convert themselves to Judaism, including the president himself. Now, Poland, a country of over 6 million Jews, is on the brink of becoming the new Jewish state. The performance takes place on the evening of the final referendum in which the audience must vote as to whether they accept or reject this radical transformation.
The show's hosts - Dorota Abbe, a Polish Jew living in Poland, and Michael Rubenfeld, a Polish Jew born in Canada now living in Poland - take the audience through an event designed to encourage a vote for “yes”. They paint a picture of a beautifully, inclusive world where gay marriage, gender equality, pro-choice and progressive politics is the reward for accepting Poland as the new Zion. The audience is taught Yiddish songs, introduced to a priest and nun who converted to Judaism as well as a queer couple who could finally be married after their conversions.
Underneath this cheerful facade, however, lies a bitter truth: it is the non-Jews who are to become second-class citizens in Poland - the privileged ones being citizens of Jewish origin. or those who choose to convert. Those who wish to remain non-Jewish, however, will become a minority within the structures of a homogeneous Jewish society. They will lose many of their rights, however will be given the opportunity to leave the Polish Jewish Republic voluntarily.
The play is a provocation that encourages a deeper reflection on the consequences of systemic nationalistic violence.
It includes the anti-Semitic rhetoric that unfortunately still lingers in Polish society, and ultimately embodies the greatest nightmare of supposed True Poles: That the Jews will return to take everything from them.
It is written and directed by Michael Rubenfeld and Dorota Abbe. It can be performed in both Polish and English.