Firstly, the rioters are far from being all Muslim (although more than half are from Islamic backgrounds). Second, they have no sense of political or religious identity and no political demands Their allegiance is to their quartier and their gang. Their main demand, so far as can be established, is to be left alone by police and the Interior Minister, Nicolas Sark-ozy, to continue with their life of low-level violence and drugs trading. His first move will be to hold regular Shabbat suppers to strengthen the Jewish community ties and provide pastoral care for the elderly "Come back in a year," he says, slowly. "And I hope I can tell you more about what I have achieved here."Outside the Klezmer Hois, the fifth tour group of the day is gathered around the entrance "A final word on the food, here," booms the tour guide. "It's definitely not kosher." The group appears interested, but not particularly surprised They shuffle on to the next point of interest. "But perhaps I'll feel differently when he's dead."Rabbi Flaks, though, remains hopeful.
In town for six days now, it is too early to be making snap judgements. But history has moved on." He admits the interest in his own Jewish roots is strengthened by his grandfather's faith. "I think we both know," he says, "that once he's gone, that'll be it." Seconds later, he reconsiders. It's more about Jewish life these days.""It is a huge step forward that the community feels self confident enough to have a full time rabbi," he says "Who knows what's going to happen in the future. But without a rabbi, without that structure, we don't even have a chance."Piotr Radwiski isn't so sure. "I'm not sure we will ever be able to fully revive the central and eastern European Jewry," he says "They're gone for ever.
What the Nazis did, the Holocaust, is irreversible." The Holocaust survivors, he says, kept the flame alive but his parents' generation hid it. There has been a generation gap and that, he says, is hard to fill "Of course keeping memory alive is incredibly important. "Poland has had such negative connotations for Jews for such a long time," says Wojtek Ornat, a 41-year-old Krakowian, whose small publishing house Austeria does good business selling books solely on Polish Jewish life. "But now that's changing."Some 70 per cent of the world's Jews can trace their ancestry back to Poland Many are returning. "I know personally of 10 Israelis who are buying up apartments in Krakow," Mr Ornat says."They're not scared of coming here any more The focus on death in Poland is past. And I don't really worry too much about anti-Semitism any more."But is the future of Jewish life here just a fashion statement? "Of course, it'd be great if the community was revived here," says Ms Czerwonogora "But I can't really see it. I'm not going to be the one who leads it."Rabbi Flaks says that he is "a post-modern rabbi" He claims he will not force a wholesale revival "I am orthodox, of course," he says, "but tolerant.