(Oświęcim, Poland)—In response to the abhorrent comments of Polish MP Grzegorz Braun urging Jews to “get out of Poland,” we reiterate a simple, unbreakable truth: Poland belongs to all its people.

Today, a mezuzah hangs on the front door of the house once occupied by Rudolf Höss, the commandant of Auschwitz. In that place of historic evil, now the Auschwitz Center on Hate, Extremism and Radicalization (ARCHER) at House 88, a symbol of Jewish life and dignity marks the doorway. While just a few inches tall, the House 88 mezuzah is a resounding reminder that hate does not get the last word.

Prior to German occupation between 1939 to 1945, more than three million Jews called Poland home. After the Holocaust, that community today numbers only a few thousand – a devastating 99.9% loss. Yet even this tiny remnant is “too much” for those who trade in Jew hate like Braun. That is unacceptable.

CEP CEO Ambassador Mark D. Wallace stated:

“Mr Braun: The Jewish presence in Poland and Europe is not only legitimate, it is enduring. The mezuzah we affixed to the Commandant’s house at Auschwitz stands for resilience, renewal, and the refusal to disappear. Someday we will affix a mezuzah on the door post of your house in similar defiance and as a testament to humanity—to remind the world that all people are welcome in the great nation of Poland. ‘For Our Freedom and Yours.’”

To learn more about CEP’s ARCHER at House 88 project, click here.