Lady Blanka Rosenstiel Endowed Program in Polish Heritage

The Lady Blanka Rosenstiel Endowed Program in Polish Heritage is made possible by a generous gift to the University of Miami from The American Institute of Polish Culture, established by Lady Blanka in 1972. The gift, made in 2021, is intended to support program events and activities designed to celebrate Polish people and Polish culture. The Program is aligned with Rosenstiel's commitment to educating audiences about the rich history of Poland and the substantial scientific, scholarly, and artistic contributions made by those of Polish descent. The Center for the Humanities is pleased and honored to lead efforts in coordinating the Program at the University of Miami, in partnership with the College of Arts & Sciences and The American Institute of Polish Culture.  

Lady Blanka Rosenstiel was born in Warsaw, Poland. Following World War II, she studied art in Brussels, Belgium before moving to the United States in 1956.  In 1967 she married the late Lewis S. Rosenstiel, Chairman of Schenley Industries, a renowned humanitarian and philanthropist. 

Her avid interest in the arts, dedication to helping young artists, and desire to promote Poland’s heritage while fostering culture in her American homeland, prompted Rosenstiel to establish The American Institute of Polish Culture, Inc. (AIPC) in 1972, based in Miami. The Institute shares with American society the rich heritage of Poland and serves as a center of educational facilities and resources for the encouragement and promotion of the scientific and aesthetic endeavors of Americans of Polish decent.  In 1977, Rosenstiel established the Chopin Foundation of the United States, a national organization dedicated to helping young American musicians, and promoting Chopin’s music in the United States. In 1998 she helped to establish a permanent Kosciuszko Chair of Polish Studies at the University of Virginia. Each year the Institute awards scholarships in the field of journalism, communication or public relations to talented students of Polish origin. 

Rosenstiel has been awarded numerous titles and honors including her being appointed an Honorary Consul of the Republic of Poland in 1998. Other honors and awards include: 

  • Community Television Foundation of South Florida, Inc. – PB Award, 1975, 1976
  • Outstanding Citizen’s Award of Dade County, FL, 1975
  • Polish American Congress, Florida Division – Certificate of Appreciation, 1975,
  • Biscayne College Award, 1976,
  • International Fine Arts College of Miami – Doctor Honoris Causa, 1976,
  • Alliance College of Cambridge Springs, PA – Doctor of Humane Letters, 1978,
  • American Council of Polish Cultural Clubs National Award, 1978,
  • National Advocates Society and National Medical and Dental Association – National Humanitarian Award, 1981,
  • St. Mary’s College – Orchard Lake, MI – Ambassadors Award, 1981,
  • Miami Ballet Society Humanitarian Award, 1983,
  • National Parkinson Foundation Humanitarian Award, 1983,
  • American Council of Polish Cultural Clubs Award, 1984,
  • Lady of the Sovereign Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Knights of Malta, 1984,
  • Am-Pol Eagle – National Citizen of the Year Award, 1985,
  • Florida International University – The Society of Founders Award, 1989,
  • Greater Miami Youth Symphony Award, 1994,
  • Orchard Lake Schools – Honorary Benefactor and Alumna, 1994,
  • Admirals of the Fleet of Florida – Woman of Distinction Award, 1995,
  • Ellis Island Medal of Honor, 1995, Cavalier’s Cross of Polonia Restituta Order, 1996,
  • Jose Marti Medal, 1998,
  • Polish Commander Cross of the Order of Merit, 2004

Lecture Series, 2024 - 2025

Please join the Center for the Humanities and the American Institute of Polish Culture for a public lecture by H.E. Ambassador Mark Brzezinski as part of the 2024-2025 Series for the Lady Blanka Rosenstiel Endowed Program in Polish Heritage.

This lecture will consider the evolution of US-Poland security collaboration between 2021 and 2024. Given Russia’s further full-scale attack on Ukraine, security is sacrosanct in Central/Eastern Europe. The indivisibility of US-Polish security collaboration means there are not only military dimensions, but also refugee, energy, commercial, democratic and people-to-people dimensions. This holistic approach has protected against de-establishing influences in the region and has ushered a new era of cooperation in this 200 year plus relationship.

Mark Brzezinski was sworn in as the Ambassador of the United States to Poland on December 22, 2021. Ambassador Brzezinski previously served as U.S. Ambassador to Sweden from 2011 to 2015, spearheading innovative new approaches to advance U.S.-European trade and landing key Swedish investments, including Volvo’s decision to build a $1 billion factory in South Carolina.  He also arranged the first-ever U.S. Presidential visit to Stockholm, which brought together all five heads of governments of the Nordic countries for a summit that galvanized a U.S.-Nordic strategic approach on energy, innovation, and sustainability.  In 2015, he was asked by the White House to lead a strategic effort on the Arctic as the first Executive Director of the White House's Arctic Executive Steering Committee.

Ambassador Brzezinski was founder and previously the principal of Brzezinski Strategies LLC.  He was a Managing Director at Makena Capital Management, where he led the firm’s sustainable and ESG investing efforts.  For a decade, he was a partner at the law firm McGuireWoods LLP, where he helped build the law firm's international compliance practice.  From 1999 to 2001, he served on President Clinton's National Security Council staff, first as a Director for Russia and Eurasia, and then as a Director for the Balkans. 

Ambassador Brzezinski is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) and the Trilateral Commission.  He was a Fulbright Scholar in Poland in 1991-93, during which he researched and wrote a book entitled “The Struggle for Constitutionalism in Poland.” In 2010, he was named to the State Department's Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.  He received a BA from Dartmouth College, a JD from the University of Virginia, and a PhD in Political Science from Oxford University. He is the proud father of a teenage daughter.

 to RSVP by Friday, November 15, 2024.

Film Series, 2024 - 2025

Introduction to the film by Phil Harling (Director, Center for the Humanities and Professor of History) and Beata Paszyc (Executive Director, American Institute of Polish Culture; Honorary Vice Consul of the Republic of Poland).

This documentary highlights the uprisings in Europe during 1944, with a particular emphasis on the Warsaw Uprising, the largest military operation undertaken by the civilian resistance movement during World War II.

The war began on September 1, 1939, when Poland was attacked by Germany, marking the start of World War II. The occupation of Poland lasted until May 8, 1945

Presented by the Blanka Rosenstiel Endowed Program in Polish Heritage at the University of Miami;
The American Institute of Polish Culture; The Honorary Consulate of the Republic of Poland and the Center for the Humanities at the University of Miami.

 for tickets!

Film Series, 2024 - 2025

Doors open at 12:30pm

Welcome, Introduction @ 1:00pm

3:15 – 3:30pm Q & A with Tim Martin? and Hermann Beck?

3:30 – 4:00pm Reception, Plaza @ Coral Gables Art Cinema

Through the eyes of a strong-willed woman comes the remarkable true story of Irena Gut, and the triumphs of the human spirit over devastating tragedy, as she risked her life to save a generation of Jews from the atrocities of the Holocaust.

Based on a true story. Filmed in Poland.

Irena Gut was a powerful voice in a time of deafening silence, and her message resonates with events of the world today.  

Discover the incredible true story of Irena Gut Opdyke, a Polish Catholic nurse who heroically saved Jewish lives during WWII. A courageous and inspiring film that needs to be seen.

These kinds of acts of heroism were common in occupied Poland during WWII, yet few of them have been told.  

Ticket information is forthcoming.

Program from 2023 - 2024

 

PROGRAM (2023-2024)

You are invited to attend the third lecture in the Lady Blanka Rosenstiel Endowed Program in Polish Culture, which will feature Ambassador Aldona Z. Woś, President of The Institute of World Politics.

Thursday, November 2, 2023 @ 7:00pm. The Honorable Aldona Woś, M.D., President of The Institute of World Politics.“Polish-Estonian Relations and Their Importance in Current Events.” Lady Blanka Rosenstiel Endowed Program in Polish Heritage, 2023-2024 Series. Kislak Center at the University of Miami Libraries, Coral Gables.

 to register.

Please confirm your attendance in advance to enable sufficient set-up for the program. We look forward to seeing you!

Getting to the Program: 

The University of Miami can sometimes be busy in the evening, so we would recommend that you arrive early on campus if you are parking a vehicle.

 For those who are familiar with the University’s Coral Gables campus, you are welcome to park in parking lots (such as Red) that are open for “Pay by Phone” parking after 4:00pm. Instructions for campus parking can be found HERE:

If you are less familiar with parking at the University, the Center would recommend for you to use the Pavia Parking Garage.

 for directions from Pavia Garage to Kislak. We look forward to your attendance!

Description of Program: 

Warsaw and Tallinn are destined to cooperate because of their shared history, commonality of interests, and similar geopolitical challenges. Both Poland and Estonia have experienced alike vicissitudes of fate, usually at the hands of their predatory neighbors, in particular Russia and Germany. Therefore, the Poles and the Estonians are drawn together. Sharing affirmative attitudes to freedom has allowed them consistently to cooperate on a variety of practical issues: defense preparation, energy security, infrastructural projects, cultural exchanges, and others. 

In addition to bilateral endeavors, both Estonia and Poland constitute a part of a larger mosaic in the region. Not only are they part of many joint initiatives in the Intermarium—lands between the Baltic, Black, and Adriatic seas—but they also are members of the European Union and NATO. They often speak in unison on EU issues and military defense affairs.

Ambassador Woś will shed light on the essence of Estonian-Polish solidarity.

Ambassador Aldona Z. Woś is President of The Institute of World Politics, where she has served on the Board for over 15 years. In 2004, Ambassador Woś was appointed as the U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Estonia. From 2013 to 2015, she served as North Carolina’s Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, overseeing more than 18,000 employees across North Carolina and a nearly $20 billion budget. In 2017, President Trump appointed Ambassador Woś as the Vice Chair of the President’s Commission on White House Fellowships, and in 2020, he nominated her to be the U.S. Ambassador to Canada. Ambassador Woś also serves on the boards of The Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation, the Council of American Ambassadors, and the University of North Carolina Wilmington, as well as on the Duke Law Board of Visitors. Ambassador Woś earned her M.D. at the Warsaw Medical Academy. Her career as a doctor included private practice, corporate medicine, clinical care, teaching, and consulting for both hospitals and private industry.

 

 

 

 

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