The concept of a system that refers to the whole range of Jewish culture in Poland, comprising the Hebrew, Yiddish and Polish systems is referred to here as a 'polystem'. In addition to the traditional religious culture that was predominant between the two world wars, three modern post-enlightenment cultural systems existed among Polish Jewry. They were generally distinguished by linguistic and ideological characteristics. The true and great power of this culture lay not in the isolation of these linguistic areas, but in their interaction