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Meet the teacher devoted to protecting Polish culture

Meet the teacher devoted to protecting Polish culture

Last updated on: December 5, 2024 at 5:44 pm by William Hemsworth

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Meet the teacher devoted to protecting Polish culture 2024-12-05T17:44:19-07:00 William Hemsworth

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When Bożena Konkiel first started teaching music and math at St. Stanislaus Kostka Catholic Academy in Brooklyn’s Greenpoint neighborhood in 2000, nearly 80% of her students were Polish-American. These days, that number is as low as 20% — and in some classes, zero.

But Konkiel’s devotion to teaching and celebrating the music of her native Poland is helping keep this crucial cultural connection alive for the area’s students and the greater community.

“I teach all of my students at St. Stanislaus Kostka to sing in three languages: English, Polish, and Latin,” says Konkiel. As both the school’s Math Honors teacher and its Music Director, she has led her students in several live performances at Carnegie Hall and produced multiple CDs of students singing Christmas carols in both Polish and English. In 2023, one of her musical fundraising efforts raised $27K for the school community.

Konkiel believes the popularity of Polish music among diverse NYC audiences reflects both an active curiosity in sharing authentic cultural experiences and also Polish-Americans’ deep desire to stay anchored in their cultural heritage — a feeling Konkiel herself knows all too well.

When she first traveled to the US in 1999 to visit her mother, who had moved here from Poland, Konkiel never expected she’d stay for the next quarter-century. Already a celebrated teacher, choreographer, and choir conductor in Poland, Konkiel found her musical talents in high demand in the US, and especially in Brooklyn’s Catholic schools — despite Konkiel knowing almost no English.

“After a few years of working with the Polish community in Greenpoint and taking English lessons, a parent asked if I was interested in teaching Catholic school, and the sisters convinced me to work with them,” says Konkiel. “The first class I taught was 8th grade. I was working hard to pronounce each word correctly, but I accidentally pronounced Jesus ‘cheeses,’ which the students found very funny. Fortunately they helped me learn the proper pronunciations of the words we used in class. The children I teach have really inspired me.”

That inspiration has lifted Konkiel’s teaching and leadership skills to impressive heights.

In addition to winning numerous honors in both math and music over the past 25 years, Konkiel’s students have also performed live at Steinway Hall, the Kosciuszko Foundation, and the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland. In 2017, Konkiel was honored by the Children’s Smile Foundation for her active involvement in supporting children in need, and in 2022 she was honored by Polish President Andrzej Duda with the Silver Cross Medal for her efforts promoting Polish culture in the US. She has twice served as the Greenpoint Grand Marshal for the Pulaski Parade, and she currently serves on the Board of Directors of Brooklyn’s Polish Slavic Center.

“I think a lot of Polish people living in the US miss Poland very much, and they enjoy hearing Polish music and going to Polish events. I miss it myself too,” says Konkiel, who still owns an apartment in the Polish city of Ostrołęka and visits every year. “I also love introducing American audiences to Polish music, because New York City is a melting pot and we should know each others’ culture.”

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