Jerzy Jakub Polak

It is with heavy hearts that we inform you of the death of Jerzy Polak, a patriot of two nations, whose heroics led Jaslo through the darkest days of Martial Law, as recognized by Poland in awarding him the Knights Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta and the Cross of Freedom and Solidarity. Jerzy passed away May 15th at his home in Riverside, Connecticut.

Jerzy’s life of activism took shape in his home town of Jaslo, where after technical training he took up work in the local Glassworks, and later the “Gamrat-Erg” Research and Development center where he co-founded the independent and self-governing trade union “Solidarity” in an effort to unite his compatriots against unjust Soviet labor practices. This peaceful resistance came to a head in the form of a factory strike, December 14, 1981, for which Jerzy was dismissed from his job and ultimately blackballed from the workforce.

Undeterred, Jerzy doubled down on his commitment to the Solidarity cause, spending the next two years publishing, printing, and distributing trade literature to inspire and embolden the Polish workforce to stand up against their Soviet oppressors. He leveraged his passion and talent for photography to disseminate images of Solidarity protests, speeches, and rallies through an underground publishing network dedicated to circumventing the strict censorship imposed by Martial Law.

For his tireless work, Jerzy was finally tracked down and arrested in 1983, and soon convicted for his prominent role in this illegal Solidarity network. Though his time in prison was thankfully cut short due to amnesty, he quickly returned to the front lines of the Solidarity movement, so bold as to hold a Jaslo radio broadcast in 1984, for which he even wrote and edited the radio program’s music, based on the melody of Warzawianka.

Though Jerzy remained dedicated to his activism, he eventually confronted the reality that his prominence within the Solidarity movement had stunted the possibility of staying in Poland. Through years of letters and calls into different Polish officials, Jerzy was finally allowed to leave Poland, making his way to the United States by way of Germany, accompanied by his young wife Jolanta and their 6-month year old daughter, Klaudia.

4300 miles from home, now in Riverside, Connecticut, Jerzy began building the foundations of his American dream. Arriving with next to nothing, Jerzy would found a successful painting business, bought land, and built his growing family a grand four story home by hand in what is now one of the most prestigious and valuable neighborhoods in America. All this while maintaining a valuable role in Polish politics from afar, maintaining leadership positions in local party groups and routinely communicating with contemporary leaders of liberated Poland.

The legacy of Jerzy’s life, and his dedication to Poland, continues to grow as seen by Harvard University exhibition of his photography on campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 2011. The “Jerzy and Olenka Polak Collection”, named with his youngest daughter, gained prominence through Harvard and has since toured to different events, anniversaries, and celebrations surrounding Solidarity and Jaslo. His photography throughout the 1970s and 80s has ensured Jaslo’s voice has been and will be heard throughout the halls of recorded history for generations to come.

Though many will remember Jerzy as a fiery face of activism in Poland, just as many will remember him for the kind, gentle family man he grew into during his time in Connecticut. In his more recent years, he’s taken time to pursue diverse but equally resonate passions in music, baking, photography, carpentry, and too many others to count.

Though any given person may remember Jerzy for a different talent, hobby, or interest, those who truly knew him will remember him as a man of God, and a man of family. He balanced his countless worldly accomplishments with a deep devotion to his faith, and remained heavily involved with his parish at Holy Name of Jesus in Stamford. The same relentless sacrifice he gave for his country, he gave doubly for his three children with whom he maintained an intimate bond until his final breath.

Jerzy is survived by his wife Jolanta, and three children Klaudia, Adam, and Olenka.