The pictures below are of the following (from top image to bottom)
At Prague castle
View of Prague from Prague Castle
Auschwitz 2
Auschwitz 1
Auschwitz 1 Sign: Work will set you free
Wall still standing in the Warsaw Ghetto
Belzec Memorial
Sign at Belzec Memorial
7 tons of Ash from Majdenic
1 million shoes in cabin at Majdenic
Majdenic
Monday, 15 March 2010
Final Thoughts on Spring Break
I didn't realize how much of an impact this trip would have on me until I got back to school. Friends were complaining about hangovers and sunburns while I was dealing with jetlag and my feelings about World War II. It has definitely been a big adjustment coming back to a sorority house full of people who are interested in hearing about my trip but could not possibly understand. Today I was talking to my friend Liz about the children's grave and the letters from my parents and she started tearing up in the middle of a coffee shop. It is amazing to me that people can be so moved by these stories here, 4347 miles and nearly 60 years away from where these tragedies unfolded.
You may be wondering how this trip affected me. I would say that remains largely to be determined. I realized that it is my responsibility to raise a Jewish family one day because this is what my relatives have done for generations. 6million jews died as jews, many went to the gas chambers singing shmai yisrael. They lived as jews and died as jews so that this religion would not be wiped from the face of this earth, so it would be ridiculous for me to shrink from the responsibility of continuing this religion when I face no adversity. This trip also allowed me to see the "big picture." I realize that it is all too often that I am upset by things that don't matter. I pick fights with my mother, I stress about the amount of school work that I need to complete, I get moody when I don't make time to go to the gym. All of these things seem so sophomoric when I compare my adversity to the plight of the Jews in the holocaust. No, I do not think that I will always be able to keep things in perspective but I certainly feel that I am able to understand how lucky I am and perhaps I will be better able to be happy in the present and find purpose and meaning in the things that I do.
My mom asked me today how I feel about antisemitism. Obviously I have a problem with anyone who can hate an entire race of people, Jewish or otherwise. But, after meeting the skinhead turned hasid I would have to say that anyone who hates Jews simply lacks information. Judaism has some beautiful teachings and guidelines for leading a fulfilling life and I think that if those who oppose Judaism took the time to learn this they would find it hard to find fault with such wonderful teachings. Hitler acknowledged in his Mein Kampf that Jews were the moral compasses of the world (or something of this nature, though I have never read the book so I am going to take Rabbi Lynn's word on that one). So, even someone who wanted to see the extermination of the Jewish population was able to acknowledge that Jews were people who possessed morals.
While this spring break was not like anyone else's and I would not consider it enjoyable, I am grateful for the insight that it has provided. It is a bizarre feeling having had my world view changed only to come back to Philadelphia and find everything and everyone else very much the same. This trip allowed me to see that it is very easy to get caught up in the stresses of everyday life but learning about true struggles and tragedy helped to remind me to keep things in perspective. Also, after spending a week with orthodox jews who aim to find meaning and purpose in their lives, I feel more inclined to spend my time well (I have become acutely aware of the fact that I spend an unnecessary amount of time catching up on my favorite tv shows on the weekend). No I will not be converting though I am considering following the sabbath to the best of my ability..it really is a great holiday.
Thats all for now. Hopefully I will have the opportunity to travel sometime in the near future at which point I can resume this blog. If you have any questions/comments feel free to email me (hopeafeldman@gmail.com) and I will do my best to respond in a timely manner.
You may be wondering how this trip affected me. I would say that remains largely to be determined. I realized that it is my responsibility to raise a Jewish family one day because this is what my relatives have done for generations. 6million jews died as jews, many went to the gas chambers singing shmai yisrael. They lived as jews and died as jews so that this religion would not be wiped from the face of this earth, so it would be ridiculous for me to shrink from the responsibility of continuing this religion when I face no adversity. This trip also allowed me to see the "big picture." I realize that it is all too often that I am upset by things that don't matter. I pick fights with my mother, I stress about the amount of school work that I need to complete, I get moody when I don't make time to go to the gym. All of these things seem so sophomoric when I compare my adversity to the plight of the Jews in the holocaust. No, I do not think that I will always be able to keep things in perspective but I certainly feel that I am able to understand how lucky I am and perhaps I will be better able to be happy in the present and find purpose and meaning in the things that I do.
My mom asked me today how I feel about antisemitism. Obviously I have a problem with anyone who can hate an entire race of people, Jewish or otherwise. But, after meeting the skinhead turned hasid I would have to say that anyone who hates Jews simply lacks information. Judaism has some beautiful teachings and guidelines for leading a fulfilling life and I think that if those who oppose Judaism took the time to learn this they would find it hard to find fault with such wonderful teachings. Hitler acknowledged in his Mein Kampf that Jews were the moral compasses of the world (or something of this nature, though I have never read the book so I am going to take Rabbi Lynn's word on that one). So, even someone who wanted to see the extermination of the Jewish population was able to acknowledge that Jews were people who possessed morals.
While this spring break was not like anyone else's and I would not consider it enjoyable, I am grateful for the insight that it has provided. It is a bizarre feeling having had my world view changed only to come back to Philadelphia and find everything and everyone else very much the same. This trip allowed me to see that it is very easy to get caught up in the stresses of everyday life but learning about true struggles and tragedy helped to remind me to keep things in perspective. Also, after spending a week with orthodox jews who aim to find meaning and purpose in their lives, I feel more inclined to spend my time well (I have become acutely aware of the fact that I spend an unnecessary amount of time catching up on my favorite tv shows on the weekend). No I will not be converting though I am considering following the sabbath to the best of my ability..it really is a great holiday.
Thats all for now. Hopefully I will have the opportunity to travel sometime in the near future at which point I can resume this blog. If you have any questions/comments feel free to email me (hopeafeldman@gmail.com) and I will do my best to respond in a timely manner.
Prague part 2
So the blog fell by the wayside for a bit but we were doing toursity things so I will just briefly run through our activities. We toured the castle of Prague in the afternoon (beautiful views!) and then walked down to the Jewish quarter. This was probably one of the most interesting parts of Prague. The city was meant to be a museum for the Jews following their destruction in the holocaust. So, there are beautiful, ornate temples filled with incredible menorahs and torah accessories. Then it was time for shabbat so we went to services at one of the temples. It was really enjoyable because Rabbi Lynn led the service and it was just our group, so even though it was entirely in hebrew I was familiar with some of the prayers. Then we headed back to the hotel and stayed up singing songs until around 1am. During this trip we learned to sing "niguns" or songs without words. Its a lot of nai nai la la etc. I could never understand the significance of such songs but Yoni (one of the trip leaders) told us this story:
A rabbi gave a letter to one of his followers to deliver to a rabbi in the next town over. The man was told not to open the letter but curiosity got the best of him and he opened it..and found NOTHING. It was empty. The man was extremely confused and a bit frustrated because he had to make a substantial journey to deliver the empty envelope. Upon return the rabbi could tell that the man was distressed and after questioning the man caved and confessed to having opened the letter. Then the rabbi explained. He said that he always wrote to the other rabbi to say that a building had burned down, there was an accident of sorts, things were going well and the like. But, when nothing of note was going on he wanted to express his love for the other rabbi. But, if he said "I love you" one could infer that he does not respect the man or he does not feel any other accompanying emotion. So, he sent a blank envelope to convey his emotions because words could not do them justice....and this is why we sing wordless songs: they are able to express everything that words cannot.
On Saturday I went across the famous Charles Bridge. Fun fact: over the statue of christ are the letters of the hebrew prayer kadosh (the holiest of hebrew prayers basically says the lord is our god). This is one of the most disrespectful things I have ever seen..the letters were put up by a Jewish man as a form of punishment. People have filed complaints and attempted to have this taken down but the compromise was that a sign was added which explains the circumstances under which the lettering was completed.
Then we had our final banquet where everyone gave a speech. I talked about how Nana told me the story about her neighbors sitting shiva for their daughter who married a non-jew. I told the group that I am not someone who can do things without understanding the purpose, so I was not prepared to marry a Jewish boy just because I was told to do so. I could also never really understand the significance behind being Jewish..I went to temple twice a year and got together with family for holidays and that was about the extent of my Jewish experience. I get it now. I understand that being Jewish is a privilege and if jews in the Warsaw ghetto could have a sedar before carrying out the uprising, I can surely make the time to follow jewish teaching to the best of my ability. After the banquet we all went to a bar by the hotel and sat around discussing our experiences for a bit. At 3 am we headed to Prague airport and at 430 US time we arrived in Philadelphia.
That is the end of my Spring break 2010
A rabbi gave a letter to one of his followers to deliver to a rabbi in the next town over. The man was told not to open the letter but curiosity got the best of him and he opened it..and found NOTHING. It was empty. The man was extremely confused and a bit frustrated because he had to make a substantial journey to deliver the empty envelope. Upon return the rabbi could tell that the man was distressed and after questioning the man caved and confessed to having opened the letter. Then the rabbi explained. He said that he always wrote to the other rabbi to say that a building had burned down, there was an accident of sorts, things were going well and the like. But, when nothing of note was going on he wanted to express his love for the other rabbi. But, if he said "I love you" one could infer that he does not respect the man or he does not feel any other accompanying emotion. So, he sent a blank envelope to convey his emotions because words could not do them justice....and this is why we sing wordless songs: they are able to express everything that words cannot.
On Saturday I went across the famous Charles Bridge. Fun fact: over the statue of christ are the letters of the hebrew prayer kadosh (the holiest of hebrew prayers basically says the lord is our god). This is one of the most disrespectful things I have ever seen..the letters were put up by a Jewish man as a form of punishment. People have filed complaints and attempted to have this taken down but the compromise was that a sign was added which explains the circumstances under which the lettering was completed.
Then we had our final banquet where everyone gave a speech. I talked about how Nana told me the story about her neighbors sitting shiva for their daughter who married a non-jew. I told the group that I am not someone who can do things without understanding the purpose, so I was not prepared to marry a Jewish boy just because I was told to do so. I could also never really understand the significance behind being Jewish..I went to temple twice a year and got together with family for holidays and that was about the extent of my Jewish experience. I get it now. I understand that being Jewish is a privilege and if jews in the Warsaw ghetto could have a sedar before carrying out the uprising, I can surely make the time to follow jewish teaching to the best of my ability. After the banquet we all went to a bar by the hotel and sat around discussing our experiences for a bit. At 3 am we headed to Prague airport and at 430 US time we arrived in Philadelphia.
That is the end of my Spring break 2010
Thursday, 11 March 2010
Prague!
Greetings from the city of 1000 spires! No, I have not been here long enough to count them so I will just take the travel book's word on that one. We drove for 8 hours last night and arrived here at around 830am. Rabbi Lynn said we could either shmy around until 11(breakfast) or we could schluff. I chose sleeping because I have not been getting much of that since I got here. I woke up at 1130 and had time to shower and check out the area around the hotel before we headed for Terezin, our final concentration camp/ghetto. We looked through the museum at this place and saw one of the hidden temples that the Jews in this ghetto created so that they could continue praying even after this act had been prohibited. Terezin is interesting because the area is beautiful. The Red cross wrote to the Nazis and told them that they would be coming to inspect on x date at x time so the Nazis tore down the factory in the center of the town, planted roses and even put in candy shops and other nice features. There were very few survivors from this area so the beautiful architecture is merely a facade.
That was the last camp..I was promised. So we headed back to Prague for some fun. The group rented out a tour boat and we dined on the boat and had a tour of Prague from the river. Dinner was delish..salmon and sushi (seafood themed because of our location). I spent time on the roof of the boat chatting with some of the gentleman from the trip about their college experience and their impressions of the trip thus far. General consensus: we appreciate the sites and the historical significance but the religious discussions are getting to be a bit much. After the boat tour we went to Bed..a bar, not a mattress in a hotel room. Then some of the trip leaders wanted to find this bar that they had visited when they were in Prague on their trips so I decided to join them. We never found the place but I had a lovely walking tour (nearly 45 minutes) of the area. I met up with some of the guys on the way back and we stopped in at one last bar before heading back to the hotel. It was a fun night and it definitely was needed after so many difficult days in Poland.
Tomorrow we will be touring the Prague castle and Jewish quarter. I am interested to see the Jewish quarter because the Nazis left Prague intact so that when the Jews were annihilated it could serve as a museum to the lost people. I am assuming it will be beautiful and I am really looking forward to spending a day sight seeing. Then we are having shabbat and attending services.
OK that is all for now. Lots of love,
Someone who is VERY happy to have made an exodus from Poland (aka Hope)
That was the last camp..I was promised. So we headed back to Prague for some fun. The group rented out a tour boat and we dined on the boat and had a tour of Prague from the river. Dinner was delish..salmon and sushi (seafood themed because of our location). I spent time on the roof of the boat chatting with some of the gentleman from the trip about their college experience and their impressions of the trip thus far. General consensus: we appreciate the sites and the historical significance but the religious discussions are getting to be a bit much. After the boat tour we went to Bed..a bar, not a mattress in a hotel room. Then some of the trip leaders wanted to find this bar that they had visited when they were in Prague on their trips so I decided to join them. We never found the place but I had a lovely walking tour (nearly 45 minutes) of the area. I met up with some of the guys on the way back and we stopped in at one last bar before heading back to the hotel. It was a fun night and it definitely was needed after so many difficult days in Poland.
Tomorrow we will be touring the Prague castle and Jewish quarter. I am interested to see the Jewish quarter because the Nazis left Prague intact so that when the Jews were annihilated it could serve as a museum to the lost people. I am assuming it will be beautiful and I am really looking forward to spending a day sight seeing. Then we are having shabbat and attending services.
OK that is all for now. Lots of love,
Someone who is VERY happy to have made an exodus from Poland (aka Hope)
Wednesday, 10 March 2010
3/9 and 3/10
So much to report and so little time before I board a bus to Prague but per usual I will do my best...
3/9: We started the morning at a mass grave in the woods at Tarnow. This site was extremely setting because it was the scene of monstrous acts (I would say it is worse than anything I have seen thus far). At Tarnow there were three mass graves. Most upsetting was the one that is now the tomb for 800 Jewish children. The rabbi gave a moving speech about how even at Auschwitz parents could comfort their children and sneak in their favorite dolls. So, even though they could not protect the children from the gas chambers, they could make the last moments less terrifying. This was not the case at Tarnow. The children had been taken from nearby villages and would be shot into this ditch. They would be shot in places so that the wounds would not be fatal and instead would die from suffocation in the ditch. It was upsetting and I cried openly for the first time since I arrived in Poland. Then, I was given letters from my parents which made me cry even more because I realized that even though we are thousands of miles away my parents still found a way to comfort me in a time when I felt inconsolable. We left candles on the grave and headed back to the bus, but this is not a place I will soon forget.
Then we headed to a memorial for several individuals who had been honored as the Righteous Among the Nation. This is a title given to non-Jews who risked their lives in order to save Jews during the holocaust. They had to receive nothing in return for their bravery (no monetary rewards etc.) Interestingly enough because Schindler received money from Jews and benefitted from slave labor he was initially denied this honor. It is important to note that there are 7500 righteous among the nation from Poland. While that number seems small, I found it reassuring that in a time of such destruction and mayhem there were many brave people willing to stand up and do the right thing. At this landmark we were told an interesting story that I will relay for you: A young man escaped from a concentration camp and found himself lost in the woods. He saw a farmhouse and a shed and decided to hide in the shed. Moments after entering the hut, the boy was faced with a large german shepherd. Great, he thought to himself, I survived the camp only to be eaten by a dog. The boy was in the back corner of the hut so the only way out was by the beast. But, the dog didn't move and the boy remained where he was. Hours later the farmer dropped a tray of food at the opening of the shed (actually a kennel). The dog dragged the tray to the middle of the hut and then retreated to the doorway. Timidly, the boy approached the food, ate half and left the other half for the dog. This went on for two weeks until the farmer entered the kennel to clean. He saw the boy and surprisingly allowed him to stay. This was an extremely uncommon act and the story serves to demonstrate that if a dog can act humanely it is disgraceful to think that humans could mistreat one another.
We made stops in two towns. In one, we toured a mansion that they are planning on converting into a museum of Jewish heritage and met the mayor of the town. This was a place where jews were rounded up and made to kneel in the square overnight and in the morning they were sent to camps. In the second town, we were given tea by the mayor. One of the boys on the trip, Steve, makes animal balloons. We thought it would be funny if he made one for the mayor..but the mayors daughter showed up and we figured that would be more appropriate. Then, ten other little girls in dance uniforms showed up and Steve made flowers hats and such for the entire group. To thank us (Steve for the balloons and us for our patience) the girls put on a performance. It was an interesting way to end the day..beginning at a children's grave and ending at a children's dance recital. I was glad to see that there is still life (though not Jewish life) in Poland. I was beginning to feel it was a nation that existed only to show the destruction caused by the Nazis and Communism.
3/10
Todays Main events included a tour of Jewish areas of Krakow, Auschwitz and Birkinow.
Let me begin with Auschwitz. This was the most surprising of sites. It looks like a college campus. Large brick buildings (2 stories high), pathways, trees. It was nothing like what I expected. The entire place has been converted into a museum, so all of the barracks house clothing, shoes, hair clippings and the like. It is important to keep in mind that the scenes from Schindler's list were shot at AuschwitzII or Berkinow. Auschwitz was a work camp. The prisoners left in the morning and went to do jobs outside of the camp. The only people who remained at the camp were the musicians who played Wagner for the Nazi's enjoyment. We were told a story about a father who had taught his son to play the violin. Everyday as he was leaving the camp to work, the father would look to see if he could find his son. The Nazis would hit him and tell him to look forward. Finally, on a day when the men were given free time, the boy sought out his father. They had a reunion and the father asked if the boy was in the band. The boy replied that yes, he was and the father was grateful that he had given his son a gift that would keep him safe (staying in the camp would prevent the boy from dying of exposure in the cold winters). The father died three days later and the boy saw him as he was putting his body into the crematorium..the boy had the job of loading bodies into the crematorium and had lied to his father so he could give the man hope and allow him to die feeling fulfilled. Tragic.
Then we heade to Berkinow. This is the death camp with the large gate and the train tracks running through the camp..it is the picture everyone imagines when they hear Auschwitz. It was freezing and we were standing in an open field so this was definitely not a pleasant experience. The first place we entered was the latrines (toilets) that are basically holes in a board, one right next to the other. None of the Jews who had the job of cleaning the latrines survived the experience. They died of various illnesses. There were many horror stories to accompany this room but I would rather not go into such detail at the moment. We also saw the women's bunkers where 6 women would share a bed. We were asked what would be the best bunk, bottom middle or top? Answer: none. On the bottom women were lying on freezing cement. In the middle, well you had better hope the person of you doesnt have dysentery. If you are on the top bunk theres unbearable heat in the summer and rain dripping on you when the weather took a turn for the worse. No matter where you were, things were not good in Berkinow. There were Four gas chamber/crematorium buildings. Basically the place was miserable and by the end of the war people from all over Europe met their ends at Berkinow. 1.1 million Jews met their end there.
But, now our adventure takes a turn for the better. I am currently gathering my belonging and getting ready for the 8 hour bus ride to Prague. So, get ready for my witty banter and happy blogs (a la summer in london)!
love you and cant wait to chat when I am back.
-Hope
3/9: We started the morning at a mass grave in the woods at Tarnow. This site was extremely setting because it was the scene of monstrous acts (I would say it is worse than anything I have seen thus far). At Tarnow there were three mass graves. Most upsetting was the one that is now the tomb for 800 Jewish children. The rabbi gave a moving speech about how even at Auschwitz parents could comfort their children and sneak in their favorite dolls. So, even though they could not protect the children from the gas chambers, they could make the last moments less terrifying. This was not the case at Tarnow. The children had been taken from nearby villages and would be shot into this ditch. They would be shot in places so that the wounds would not be fatal and instead would die from suffocation in the ditch. It was upsetting and I cried openly for the first time since I arrived in Poland. Then, I was given letters from my parents which made me cry even more because I realized that even though we are thousands of miles away my parents still found a way to comfort me in a time when I felt inconsolable. We left candles on the grave and headed back to the bus, but this is not a place I will soon forget.
Then we headed to a memorial for several individuals who had been honored as the Righteous Among the Nation. This is a title given to non-Jews who risked their lives in order to save Jews during the holocaust. They had to receive nothing in return for their bravery (no monetary rewards etc.) Interestingly enough because Schindler received money from Jews and benefitted from slave labor he was initially denied this honor. It is important to note that there are 7500 righteous among the nation from Poland. While that number seems small, I found it reassuring that in a time of such destruction and mayhem there were many brave people willing to stand up and do the right thing. At this landmark we were told an interesting story that I will relay for you: A young man escaped from a concentration camp and found himself lost in the woods. He saw a farmhouse and a shed and decided to hide in the shed. Moments after entering the hut, the boy was faced with a large german shepherd. Great, he thought to himself, I survived the camp only to be eaten by a dog. The boy was in the back corner of the hut so the only way out was by the beast. But, the dog didn't move and the boy remained where he was. Hours later the farmer dropped a tray of food at the opening of the shed (actually a kennel). The dog dragged the tray to the middle of the hut and then retreated to the doorway. Timidly, the boy approached the food, ate half and left the other half for the dog. This went on for two weeks until the farmer entered the kennel to clean. He saw the boy and surprisingly allowed him to stay. This was an extremely uncommon act and the story serves to demonstrate that if a dog can act humanely it is disgraceful to think that humans could mistreat one another.
We made stops in two towns. In one, we toured a mansion that they are planning on converting into a museum of Jewish heritage and met the mayor of the town. This was a place where jews were rounded up and made to kneel in the square overnight and in the morning they were sent to camps. In the second town, we were given tea by the mayor. One of the boys on the trip, Steve, makes animal balloons. We thought it would be funny if he made one for the mayor..but the mayors daughter showed up and we figured that would be more appropriate. Then, ten other little girls in dance uniforms showed up and Steve made flowers hats and such for the entire group. To thank us (Steve for the balloons and us for our patience) the girls put on a performance. It was an interesting way to end the day..beginning at a children's grave and ending at a children's dance recital. I was glad to see that there is still life (though not Jewish life) in Poland. I was beginning to feel it was a nation that existed only to show the destruction caused by the Nazis and Communism.
3/10
Todays Main events included a tour of Jewish areas of Krakow, Auschwitz and Birkinow.
Let me begin with Auschwitz. This was the most surprising of sites. It looks like a college campus. Large brick buildings (2 stories high), pathways, trees. It was nothing like what I expected. The entire place has been converted into a museum, so all of the barracks house clothing, shoes, hair clippings and the like. It is important to keep in mind that the scenes from Schindler's list were shot at AuschwitzII or Berkinow. Auschwitz was a work camp. The prisoners left in the morning and went to do jobs outside of the camp. The only people who remained at the camp were the musicians who played Wagner for the Nazi's enjoyment. We were told a story about a father who had taught his son to play the violin. Everyday as he was leaving the camp to work, the father would look to see if he could find his son. The Nazis would hit him and tell him to look forward. Finally, on a day when the men were given free time, the boy sought out his father. They had a reunion and the father asked if the boy was in the band. The boy replied that yes, he was and the father was grateful that he had given his son a gift that would keep him safe (staying in the camp would prevent the boy from dying of exposure in the cold winters). The father died three days later and the boy saw him as he was putting his body into the crematorium..the boy had the job of loading bodies into the crematorium and had lied to his father so he could give the man hope and allow him to die feeling fulfilled. Tragic.
Then we heade to Berkinow. This is the death camp with the large gate and the train tracks running through the camp..it is the picture everyone imagines when they hear Auschwitz. It was freezing and we were standing in an open field so this was definitely not a pleasant experience. The first place we entered was the latrines (toilets) that are basically holes in a board, one right next to the other. None of the Jews who had the job of cleaning the latrines survived the experience. They died of various illnesses. There were many horror stories to accompany this room but I would rather not go into such detail at the moment. We also saw the women's bunkers where 6 women would share a bed. We were asked what would be the best bunk, bottom middle or top? Answer: none. On the bottom women were lying on freezing cement. In the middle, well you had better hope the person of you doesnt have dysentery. If you are on the top bunk theres unbearable heat in the summer and rain dripping on you when the weather took a turn for the worse. No matter where you were, things were not good in Berkinow. There were Four gas chamber/crematorium buildings. Basically the place was miserable and by the end of the war people from all over Europe met their ends at Berkinow. 1.1 million Jews met their end there.
But, now our adventure takes a turn for the better. I am currently gathering my belonging and getting ready for the 8 hour bus ride to Prague. So, get ready for my witty banter and happy blogs (a la summer in london)!
love you and cant wait to chat when I am back.
-Hope
Monday, 8 March 2010
3/8 Afternoon and Night
After the emotional morning at Majdanek the day did not get any easier. We were told that things had to go from bad to worse on this day so, I got back on the bus and tried to prepare myself for the next leg of the journey. The next stop was Ishpitza. This is not a camp. It was an open field in the 1940s and it still looks the same today. Ishpitza (spelling?) was a stopping point on the way from Warsaw to Treblinka. We were read a first hand account by Martin Gilbert of a scene that took place here. Gilbert was a reporter and he wanted to gather evidence to present to intelligence agencies in the US and UK. He disguised himself as a soldier and was escorted through this "camp" and this is what he had to report: The jews had not eaten for 7 days...it had been a 4 day commute from Warsaw and they had been in this field for 3 days. It was fall in Poland so there were intermittent showers and most of the Jews were not under an overhang. When the trains arrived the German general shouted over the mass for them to board. Then he fired 3 shots randomly into the crowd. The prisoners began to move toward the train and were simultaneously shot at from the front as well as from the back by Nazi soldiers. Chaos ensued. Because the crowd was forced on, the trains were packed with nearly 200 people when they were meant to hold less than 60. The last trying to get on climbed on the heads of passengers in order to avoid being shot by the Nazis. Then the doors were closed and locked. On the floor of the trains was a white powder..quicklime. This substance, when it comes into contact with moisture, burns flesh. So the trains pulled out of the station and after four days of driving they stopped in a new field, not Treblinka. Every single person on those trains died, they were burned alive. Those who did not get on the train were shot in the field.
Ok so like I said things are only going to continue getting worse...
Next stop Belzec. Death camp. What this means is that there was no work force, no cabins, no surviving. 600,000,000 Jews died at Belzer. 2 survived. 1 died in the last year of the war and 1 died after the first day of testifying, so little is known about the camp. What I was greeted with was a pile of stones and a pathway that resembles the vietnam memorial in that it starts off short,,ankle height and by the end of the path the wall is well over your head. The camp is only 800 by 400 meters so no one was ever there for long periods of time. Trains carried people from all over Poland to this camp. There is a story about a Jew who was in charge of cutting the hair of the prisoners before they went to the gas chambers. A train arrived from his home town. He recognized some of the women who were having their hair cut. Then he saw his wife. There was nothing the man could do and he could not talk to her without being killed. So he did what he could. He took longer than normal to cut her hair, tried to be affectionate by touching her neck while he worked and whispered in her ear "stay to the right in the chamber". The reporter who got the information from this man was surprised by this last fact. He asked: why would you say that? how would that help? The hair cutter broke down crying and did not want to speak, but after being pressured he replied: "I could not save her, I just wanted to give her hope."
End of sad portion of the day. Yes, it was a lot to deal with. It is disturbing and horrifying and I am still trying to figure out how this could happen or why but there seem to be no good answers for these questions. This trip has provided me with a lot to think about.
But the day was not all bad. Yes, the bad was terrible but there was some pleasantness:
We headed back on the bus and went off to the grve of a famous hasidic jew. At this grave prayers are supposed to be better heard and the anniversary of his death was yesterday so hasidic jews from all over the world flocked to the grave yesterday (estimated 10,000). So, we went today to avoid traffic. There were still a few stragglers so we werent able to sing and dance and celebrate in the room like we had intended to. So, we walked to a nearby temple and had a celebration there. We sang and danced and toasted "lehayim" because I have learned that is what is customary for more religious jews. It is actually a nice statement "lehayim". I thought it mean "to life" but "im" is plural. So, it is said "to lives, because my life without your life is no life at all". An interesting sentiment that I feel is relevant to this weeks adventure.
After this long day we headed to the next hotel. Tomorrow will be just as busy though there will be fewer upsetting stops along the way. The group has definitely bonded over the past few days and these emotional experiences have brought us even closer. I can't say that I am loving my time here but I appreciate the impact that it is having on my life and outlook. I will never complain about being cold if we go skiing and I am so thankful for my family and for the fact that I was born in 1990 and not 1930.
Ok so like I said things are only going to continue getting worse...
Next stop Belzec. Death camp. What this means is that there was no work force, no cabins, no surviving. 600,000,000 Jews died at Belzer. 2 survived. 1 died in the last year of the war and 1 died after the first day of testifying, so little is known about the camp. What I was greeted with was a pile of stones and a pathway that resembles the vietnam memorial in that it starts off short,,ankle height and by the end of the path the wall is well over your head. The camp is only 800 by 400 meters so no one was ever there for long periods of time. Trains carried people from all over Poland to this camp. There is a story about a Jew who was in charge of cutting the hair of the prisoners before they went to the gas chambers. A train arrived from his home town. He recognized some of the women who were having their hair cut. Then he saw his wife. There was nothing the man could do and he could not talk to her without being killed. So he did what he could. He took longer than normal to cut her hair, tried to be affectionate by touching her neck while he worked and whispered in her ear "stay to the right in the chamber". The reporter who got the information from this man was surprised by this last fact. He asked: why would you say that? how would that help? The hair cutter broke down crying and did not want to speak, but after being pressured he replied: "I could not save her, I just wanted to give her hope."
End of sad portion of the day. Yes, it was a lot to deal with. It is disturbing and horrifying and I am still trying to figure out how this could happen or why but there seem to be no good answers for these questions. This trip has provided me with a lot to think about.
But the day was not all bad. Yes, the bad was terrible but there was some pleasantness:
We headed back on the bus and went off to the grve of a famous hasidic jew. At this grave prayers are supposed to be better heard and the anniversary of his death was yesterday so hasidic jews from all over the world flocked to the grave yesterday (estimated 10,000). So, we went today to avoid traffic. There were still a few stragglers so we werent able to sing and dance and celebrate in the room like we had intended to. So, we walked to a nearby temple and had a celebration there. We sang and danced and toasted "lehayim" because I have learned that is what is customary for more religious jews. It is actually a nice statement "lehayim". I thought it mean "to life" but "im" is plural. So, it is said "to lives, because my life without your life is no life at all". An interesting sentiment that I feel is relevant to this weeks adventure.
After this long day we headed to the next hotel. Tomorrow will be just as busy though there will be fewer upsetting stops along the way. The group has definitely bonded over the past few days and these emotional experiences have brought us even closer. I can't say that I am loving my time here but I appreciate the impact that it is having on my life and outlook. I will never complain about being cold if we go skiing and I am so thankful for my family and for the fact that I was born in 1990 and not 1930.
3/8
It is quite late but I didn't want to forget any of the details of today so here goes: (note no spell check or editing so please dont view this as a reflection of my writing abilities)
We started of the day at camp Majdanek. Thihs is a concentration camp where 70,000 Jews were killed. One of the first things that was pointed out was that there was a main road that passed along the front of the camp. It has been that way since before the war, so people drove by the camp and saw what was going on and still did nothing. The Nazis placed the camp so close to the road to serve as a warning to Polish non-jews in order to prevent rebellion. This camp is one of the most upsetting because many of the original structures are still standing so it provides a real sense of what the camps were like. We entered and went into the room where women's heads were shaved and they were showered. Interesting to note that the chemical that was used to disinfect clothing (typhus was spread in the ghettos) was later used in gas chambers, though at the beginning of the war carbon dioxide was the chemical of choice. But, this is not a death camp so people actually received showers when they arrived. The next cabin we entered was lined with crates of shoes..exactly 1,000,000 shoes. Quite an impressive/disturbing sight. We were told to pick a shoe and make up a story about the individual who had owned the garment. The assignment forced us to imagine the lives of the people who had to endure this atrocity and it made it a much more emotional experience (though just entering the camp was pretty upsetting). We then went into one of the cabins. Bunk beds were stacked so there were four beds one on top of the other and we were told two people would share each bed. The head boards could slide up and down so if someone had their head hanging over or feet (because most were too tall for the bed) a guard could come around and slam the head board down on their neck or feet....even at night people were not safe at Majdanek. In the cabin we were told a horrific story about a 10 year old boy named Bubbee (sounds similar to the name for grandmother). The Nazis took a liking to this young boy and made him a sort of little patrol..Bubbee's parents let him go to the Nazis because they believed it would save his life. Well, this child became a terror..he would eat cherries in front of starving prisoners and would force people who had dysentery to bend down to look at him at eye level. This position would indicate to the ailing person that they should go to the bathroom but because they were in the presence of a child they would hold it in and end up writing on the ground in pain at which point Bubbee would spit on them and kick them. Well, the Nazis decided to make him a German citizen and his parents agreed, again feeling that this would protect the boy. So the ceremony began and all of the men and women of the camp were called to meet in the field. There stood a post with two nooses and Bubbee's parents were instructed to put their heads through the ropes. Then the boy was told that to be a citizen he would have to hang his parents. He did. (yes i nearly was sick when I heard this story)
So, moving on in the camp we headed to the crematorium. When we walked in there was a giant urn that had a sign that basically said ashes from Majdonek..I was surprised that it was so small because 70,000 bodies would seem to take up space (this inclination on my part was correct but continue reading). Anyways, in the room with the ovens we were told the following: 1. the german guard used the heat from the furnace to heat his bath which was located in the corner of the room so he could enjoy the view 2. the bodies were so emaciated that 3 could fit in each oven at a time and 3. This story: A news reporter traveled to a displacement camp following the war and was awoken by a man screaming "I burned them, I burned them myself with my own two hands." Startled, the reporter asked another individual why the man was screaming? To which the person replied: that man is a jew who worked in the crematorium and was responsible for placing the bodies of his wife and his daughter in the fire. Well, after this unpleasant story I was ready to get out of there as quickly as humanly possible. We walked outside and to what I thought was a memorial built in soviet Russian style (large concrete dome). I walked up the stairs to the dome and saw that there was a pile of dirt inside. It wasnt dirt. It was 7 TONS of ash and bone from the crematorium that had been dug up after the war.
I would use this opportunity to reflect on all that I saw and learned at Majdonek but there is really not much to say. It was terrible, upsetting, and even though I have told you almost everything that I experienced there I still cannot put into words how upsetting actually seeing this place was. My feet were freezing and I was in two layers of socks and wearing boots. The prisoners went barefoot in the winter. The amount of suffering that they endured is not something I could even imagine. After only 3 hours of being outside on this tour I was ready to head back to the bus. I am grateful that my tour guide told stories about individuals because when you hear numbers like 3,000,000 jews killed or 70,000,000 killed in this camp it sounds like a statistic-just a number. It finally hit me today that each jew that was killed was someone's mother father sister brother grandparent. These families were destroyed. I could not help but to think of my own family and I imagined us in this situation (there was a lot of crying today). I have never been so grateful that we are all together and I don't think this is something I will ever be able to take for granted again.
We started of the day at camp Majdanek. Thihs is a concentration camp where 70,000 Jews were killed. One of the first things that was pointed out was that there was a main road that passed along the front of the camp. It has been that way since before the war, so people drove by the camp and saw what was going on and still did nothing. The Nazis placed the camp so close to the road to serve as a warning to Polish non-jews in order to prevent rebellion. This camp is one of the most upsetting because many of the original structures are still standing so it provides a real sense of what the camps were like. We entered and went into the room where women's heads were shaved and they were showered. Interesting to note that the chemical that was used to disinfect clothing (typhus was spread in the ghettos) was later used in gas chambers, though at the beginning of the war carbon dioxide was the chemical of choice. But, this is not a death camp so people actually received showers when they arrived. The next cabin we entered was lined with crates of shoes..exactly 1,000,000 shoes. Quite an impressive/disturbing sight. We were told to pick a shoe and make up a story about the individual who had owned the garment. The assignment forced us to imagine the lives of the people who had to endure this atrocity and it made it a much more emotional experience (though just entering the camp was pretty upsetting). We then went into one of the cabins. Bunk beds were stacked so there were four beds one on top of the other and we were told two people would share each bed. The head boards could slide up and down so if someone had their head hanging over or feet (because most were too tall for the bed) a guard could come around and slam the head board down on their neck or feet....even at night people were not safe at Majdanek. In the cabin we were told a horrific story about a 10 year old boy named Bubbee (sounds similar to the name for grandmother). The Nazis took a liking to this young boy and made him a sort of little patrol..Bubbee's parents let him go to the Nazis because they believed it would save his life. Well, this child became a terror..he would eat cherries in front of starving prisoners and would force people who had dysentery to bend down to look at him at eye level. This position would indicate to the ailing person that they should go to the bathroom but because they were in the presence of a child they would hold it in and end up writing on the ground in pain at which point Bubbee would spit on them and kick them. Well, the Nazis decided to make him a German citizen and his parents agreed, again feeling that this would protect the boy. So the ceremony began and all of the men and women of the camp were called to meet in the field. There stood a post with two nooses and Bubbee's parents were instructed to put their heads through the ropes. Then the boy was told that to be a citizen he would have to hang his parents. He did. (yes i nearly was sick when I heard this story)
So, moving on in the camp we headed to the crematorium. When we walked in there was a giant urn that had a sign that basically said ashes from Majdonek..I was surprised that it was so small because 70,000 bodies would seem to take up space (this inclination on my part was correct but continue reading). Anyways, in the room with the ovens we were told the following: 1. the german guard used the heat from the furnace to heat his bath which was located in the corner of the room so he could enjoy the view 2. the bodies were so emaciated that 3 could fit in each oven at a time and 3. This story: A news reporter traveled to a displacement camp following the war and was awoken by a man screaming "I burned them, I burned them myself with my own two hands." Startled, the reporter asked another individual why the man was screaming? To which the person replied: that man is a jew who worked in the crematorium and was responsible for placing the bodies of his wife and his daughter in the fire. Well, after this unpleasant story I was ready to get out of there as quickly as humanly possible. We walked outside and to what I thought was a memorial built in soviet Russian style (large concrete dome). I walked up the stairs to the dome and saw that there was a pile of dirt inside. It wasnt dirt. It was 7 TONS of ash and bone from the crematorium that had been dug up after the war.
I would use this opportunity to reflect on all that I saw and learned at Majdonek but there is really not much to say. It was terrible, upsetting, and even though I have told you almost everything that I experienced there I still cannot put into words how upsetting actually seeing this place was. My feet were freezing and I was in two layers of socks and wearing boots. The prisoners went barefoot in the winter. The amount of suffering that they endured is not something I could even imagine. After only 3 hours of being outside on this tour I was ready to head back to the bus. I am grateful that my tour guide told stories about individuals because when you hear numbers like 3,000,000 jews killed or 70,000,000 killed in this camp it sounds like a statistic-just a number. It finally hit me today that each jew that was killed was someone's mother father sister brother grandparent. These families were destroyed. I could not help but to think of my own family and I imagined us in this situation (there was a lot of crying today). I have never been so grateful that we are all together and I don't think this is something I will ever be able to take for granted again.
3/7 cont'
So, this trip is jam packed and I am going to do my best not to leave anything out. Some of the highlights (but also most painful parts of the trip) are the stories told by our tour guide Tsvee so I am going to include those and I am sorry if they are excessively graphic/gruesome. Anyways, yesterday was pretty uneventful. We toured a town where one of the other girls’ grandfather lived. We then went to a bar in the town and met with a Jewish historian. It turned out that the woman owned artifacts from the Jews who were killed during the Holocaust and one of her possessions included a piece of torah parchment. We took the woman back to her home on our bus and then the Rabbi said he wanted to “steal” the torah and bury it. While this is the appropriate way to treat the sacred document, I was horrified by the idea of stealing from a woman who had given our group free books and spent the day explaining all that she knew about the history of the town. The situation was resolved (no stealing required) but Rabbi Lynn and I had an interesting discussion about the matter later that night (I asked about the whole no stealing or coveting thing that the torah outlines). He explained all of the jewish laws that would support his taking the torah in order to bury it. My response-if you have evidence to justify your taking it and you believe that this is what the law allows then it isn’t STEALING! He agreed. Then that night we went to one of the places of Jewish Teaching in the city. I got into a discussion with Tsvee about Judaism and asked if the religion believes in “a TRUTH” that can be discovered or something more like Platos “Ideal”. It was an interesting discussion and eventually after about 30 minutes of back and forth discussion (I don’t believe in a truth and if there is a truth in the torah it would be impossible for one individual to comprehend this truth in its entirety..he believes that with study you can find THE truth) we reached a compromise. Needless to say this trip has inspired some interesting conversations and much contemplation on my part.
3/7
Sunday 3/7.
Went on a tour of Ludz. It was warmer today and the streets were wider and less creepy than in Warsaw. We learned about Rumkovsky (the head of the Jewish army at the ghetto) and the ghetto at Ludz. It is an interesting story and it is not clear if Rumkovsky was a hero or a villain. On the one hand he played god and decided who would be sent to Auschwitz and Treblinka. On the other hand, 8,000 jews from the Ludz ghetto survived the war-more than anywhere else (including Warsaw where there were 500,000 jews). The occupants of the camp really resented this man because, in order to make quota he sent all of the children and elderly to the death camps. In 1944 the final occupants of the Ludz ghetto were sent to Auschwitz and Rumkovsky did not survive-there are several theories about his death (1. he was killed by the Ludz Jews on the train 2. The head of Auschwitz gave him a personal tour of the camp and then escorted him personally into the gas chamber or 3. The Ludz jews working at the crematorium put him in alive…not pleasant I know). We are currently on the bus watching the end of the Pianist, which has taken on all new meaning now that I have been to Warsaw and seen the places that inspired the film. Our next stop is the hometown of the grandfather of one of the other students on the trip.
Now that the sun is out it isn’t so miserable in Poland and I am really enjoying (well maybe not enjoying...appreciating may be more accurate) the stories that accompany the sites.
Went on a tour of Ludz. It was warmer today and the streets were wider and less creepy than in Warsaw. We learned about Rumkovsky (the head of the Jewish army at the ghetto) and the ghetto at Ludz. It is an interesting story and it is not clear if Rumkovsky was a hero or a villain. On the one hand he played god and decided who would be sent to Auschwitz and Treblinka. On the other hand, 8,000 jews from the Ludz ghetto survived the war-more than anywhere else (including Warsaw where there were 500,000 jews). The occupants of the camp really resented this man because, in order to make quota he sent all of the children and elderly to the death camps. In 1944 the final occupants of the Ludz ghetto were sent to Auschwitz and Rumkovsky did not survive-there are several theories about his death (1. he was killed by the Ludz Jews on the train 2. The head of Auschwitz gave him a personal tour of the camp and then escorted him personally into the gas chamber or 3. The Ludz jews working at the crematorium put him in alive…not pleasant I know). We are currently on the bus watching the end of the Pianist, which has taken on all new meaning now that I have been to Warsaw and seen the places that inspired the film. Our next stop is the hometown of the grandfather of one of the other students on the trip.
Now that the sun is out it isn’t so miserable in Poland and I am really enjoying (well maybe not enjoying...appreciating may be more accurate) the stories that accompany the sites.
Saturday, 6 March 2010
oops I forgot.. 3/6
So clearly you can tell the days here are jam packed and I totally forgot to tell you. I was sent this article by Debbie before i came because she thought it would be interesting and it is relevant because it is about poland:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/28/world/europe/28poland.html?pagewanted=all
well, I actually met this man and got to ask him questions. He came to our shabbat dinner and actually is a butcher in Poland so he brought us dinner. His story is very interesting but he sort of made light about the whole thing and I tried asking him how his beliefs could change so quickly and his answer was that he dealt with it a long time ago and has embraced judaism. Fun fact that i dont think the article mentions: his wife was a skin head too.
So strange. Like i said, it is a different world here and I am constantly reminded just how far I am from home.
ok must go to bed. We have a 645 wake up call tomorrow and I havnt been up that early since high school.
xoxo,
Hope
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/28/world/europe/28poland.html?pagewanted=all
well, I actually met this man and got to ask him questions. He came to our shabbat dinner and actually is a butcher in Poland so he brought us dinner. His story is very interesting but he sort of made light about the whole thing and I tried asking him how his beliefs could change so quickly and his answer was that he dealt with it a long time ago and has embraced judaism. Fun fact that i dont think the article mentions: his wife was a skin head too.
So strange. Like i said, it is a different world here and I am constantly reminded just how far I am from home.
ok must go to bed. We have a 645 wake up call tomorrow and I havnt been up that early since high school.
xoxo,
Hope
Poland Warsaw and Ludz (3/5-3/6)
3/6
Greetings from Warsaw! We landed in Poland and were greeted by dreary weather. The snow is unrelenting and it seems that even when the sky is blue, everything is shrouded in grayness. Maybe it is the winter, but I’m thinking it is just typical of Eastern Europe. The first stop we made was at the Warsaw cemetery (they certainly rolled out the welcome wagon-NOT). Many important Jewish figures are buried there but what I found most disturbing was the mass graves- over 100,000 Jews are buried in two pits. They are the individuals lost in the first year after the creation of the Warsaw Ghetto.
Then, the group headed over to our hotel. I was rooming with Emily and Morgan..two girls I knew before the trip. After a long day of travel I was grateful that we were given the opportunity shower before services. The synagogue we went to was located in the ghetto and the Nazis spared it because it was across from a church and could be used as a stable. It is the only surviving temple of over 800.
Some facts I learned on the first day: prior to the war, 1/3 of the population of Warsaw was Jewish. Now it is estimated that there are between 13 and 30,000 Jews in the city. It is probably closer to 13 because many of those who are Jewish (and counted in the 30) are unaware of this fact. I never realized that after WWII Poland was then occupied by the soviets and they were about as friendly to the Jews as the Nazis were..so many hid their Jewish identities.
Today (Saturday) I got up at 10 and went to breakfast. Then, we went back to the temple to meet with a woman who started a Jewish school in Warsaw. The school began with 9 students and is now serving more than 240. After lunch we headed to one of the remains of the wall of the Warsaw Ghetto. I learned that Nazi soldiers were given 2000 calories a day, Poles around 1500 and Jews in the ghetto were given 150. 80% of the food in the ghetto was smuggled in by children who were nimble enough to squeeze through the fence or climb trees over the wall. Troublesome fact: the wall was paid for and made by Jews (fortunately, they were able to pay some of the workers not to cement parts of the wall so they could remove bricks and come and go).
Tonight we packed up and left the hotel. Before we headed to our next destination we stopped at several spots. The first was the spot in the ghetto where Jews were sent to Treblinka. There a sign reads “along this path of suffering and death over 300,000 Jews were driven in 1942-43 from the Warsaw Ghetto to the gas chambers of the Nazi extermination camps.” The second stop was a bit brighter. It was 18 Mila street, the sight where the Warsaw uprising was organized. I learned that Mordechai Anilevitzs (organizer) sent a man on a train to find out where the Jews were being taken. The man jumped off the train, avoided the bullets of the guards and discovered that the trains were headed to Treblinka where the Jews were going to be burned in the woods. So, on the first night of Pesach the prisoners of Warsaw led an uprising and resisted for 36 hours. Our guide told us that that year when the children said Ma Nishtana and asked the four questions, one asked his father a fifth: Will I be alive next year? I don’t know was the reply he got. But, his father added that even if we are not alive there will be a Jew somewhere. It was a truly powerful story and something to keep in mind at the Seder this year. The final stop was the memorial for the Warsaw ghetto uprising, made of black stones from Scandinavia that had been ordered by Hitler for his victory statue. Ironic?
I think that what I found most astonishing about Warsaw was the decrepit state in which I found it. The bombs fell on this city more than 60 years ago but it still looks like a war zone. Can you imagine a place where 1/3 of the population disappeared? It is really a different world over here but I am glad I have the opportunity to see it. I am learning a lot about the events of the war, and seeing the sites first hand is definitely providing me with a unique experience.
OK that’s all for now. I love you and I will do my best to keep you posted.
Xoxo,
Hope
______________________________
Thought that was the end of blog 1 (I was writing it while on the bus to Lodz). Wrong. We stopped at the Lodz train station where I went on a train car that brought the Jews from the Lodz ghetto to Chelmo, a death camp. The only other place in the world where you can go on one of these trains is at the Washington DC holocaust museum. So, since I didn't go when the family went during our trip to DC I am glad I had the opportunity to do so here. I have recovered from the jet lag (I was pretty exhausted yesterday) and had a surprisingly positive end to the day. One of the boys on our trip makes balloon animals and he does this for kids all over the world and films the interaction. We ran into a famous polish singer Avita something and he made balloons for her entire entourage (I was put in charge of filming the event). It was extremely amusing and I am very grateful that everyone on the trip is so nice. It makes being in such an unpleasant place much more enjoyable. I am learning so much and if there is ever a WWII jeopardy category I will kick butt. Ok thats really all for now. Goodnight, love you and miss you.
Greetings from Warsaw! We landed in Poland and were greeted by dreary weather. The snow is unrelenting and it seems that even when the sky is blue, everything is shrouded in grayness. Maybe it is the winter, but I’m thinking it is just typical of Eastern Europe. The first stop we made was at the Warsaw cemetery (they certainly rolled out the welcome wagon-NOT). Many important Jewish figures are buried there but what I found most disturbing was the mass graves- over 100,000 Jews are buried in two pits. They are the individuals lost in the first year after the creation of the Warsaw Ghetto.
Then, the group headed over to our hotel. I was rooming with Emily and Morgan..two girls I knew before the trip. After a long day of travel I was grateful that we were given the opportunity shower before services. The synagogue we went to was located in the ghetto and the Nazis spared it because it was across from a church and could be used as a stable. It is the only surviving temple of over 800.
Some facts I learned on the first day: prior to the war, 1/3 of the population of Warsaw was Jewish. Now it is estimated that there are between 13 and 30,000 Jews in the city. It is probably closer to 13 because many of those who are Jewish (and counted in the 30) are unaware of this fact. I never realized that after WWII Poland was then occupied by the soviets and they were about as friendly to the Jews as the Nazis were..so many hid their Jewish identities.
Today (Saturday) I got up at 10 and went to breakfast. Then, we went back to the temple to meet with a woman who started a Jewish school in Warsaw. The school began with 9 students and is now serving more than 240. After lunch we headed to one of the remains of the wall of the Warsaw Ghetto. I learned that Nazi soldiers were given 2000 calories a day, Poles around 1500 and Jews in the ghetto were given 150. 80% of the food in the ghetto was smuggled in by children who were nimble enough to squeeze through the fence or climb trees over the wall. Troublesome fact: the wall was paid for and made by Jews (fortunately, they were able to pay some of the workers not to cement parts of the wall so they could remove bricks and come and go).
Tonight we packed up and left the hotel. Before we headed to our next destination we stopped at several spots. The first was the spot in the ghetto where Jews were sent to Treblinka. There a sign reads “along this path of suffering and death over 300,000 Jews were driven in 1942-43 from the Warsaw Ghetto to the gas chambers of the Nazi extermination camps.” The second stop was a bit brighter. It was 18 Mila street, the sight where the Warsaw uprising was organized. I learned that Mordechai Anilevitzs (organizer) sent a man on a train to find out where the Jews were being taken. The man jumped off the train, avoided the bullets of the guards and discovered that the trains were headed to Treblinka where the Jews were going to be burned in the woods. So, on the first night of Pesach the prisoners of Warsaw led an uprising and resisted for 36 hours. Our guide told us that that year when the children said Ma Nishtana and asked the four questions, one asked his father a fifth: Will I be alive next year? I don’t know was the reply he got. But, his father added that even if we are not alive there will be a Jew somewhere. It was a truly powerful story and something to keep in mind at the Seder this year. The final stop was the memorial for the Warsaw ghetto uprising, made of black stones from Scandinavia that had been ordered by Hitler for his victory statue. Ironic?
I think that what I found most astonishing about Warsaw was the decrepit state in which I found it. The bombs fell on this city more than 60 years ago but it still looks like a war zone. Can you imagine a place where 1/3 of the population disappeared? It is really a different world over here but I am glad I have the opportunity to see it. I am learning a lot about the events of the war, and seeing the sites first hand is definitely providing me with a unique experience.
OK that’s all for now. I love you and I will do my best to keep you posted.
Xoxo,
Hope
______________________________
Thought that was the end of blog 1 (I was writing it while on the bus to Lodz). Wrong. We stopped at the Lodz train station where I went on a train car that brought the Jews from the Lodz ghetto to Chelmo, a death camp. The only other place in the world where you can go on one of these trains is at the Washington DC holocaust museum. So, since I didn't go when the family went during our trip to DC I am glad I had the opportunity to do so here. I have recovered from the jet lag (I was pretty exhausted yesterday) and had a surprisingly positive end to the day. One of the boys on our trip makes balloon animals and he does this for kids all over the world and films the interaction. We ran into a famous polish singer Avita something and he made balloons for her entire entourage (I was put in charge of filming the event). It was extremely amusing and I am very grateful that everyone on the trip is so nice. It makes being in such an unpleasant place much more enjoyable. I am learning so much and if there is ever a WWII jeopardy category I will kick butt. Ok thats really all for now. Goodnight, love you and miss you.
Thursday, 4 March 2010
Thursday March 4, 2010
So, I bet you all thought that my return from London marked the end of this blog. Well, you will note that it is no longer titled "Summer in London" and instead has been updated to "Hope's Travels", a much more fitting title given the circumstances.
So, it is now almost 2pm and I am sitting in my room at Chi Omega looking at a pile of luggage (pile is an exaggeration, I actually packed pretty light). Most people are headed to Florida/Mexico or home for spring break. In lieu of these destinations I have opted for a slightly different adventure. I am headed to Poland for a holocaust tour and then to Prague to check out the Jewish community.
I must admit I am a bit apprehensive about what I will find in Poland. I have heard some areas are extremely antisemitic and I will be traveling with a predominately orthodox group. I was also warned that at this time of the year it is going to be painfully cold. And, while I would like to believe that I am prepared for what I am about to encounter at the concentration and death camps, I am sure that it is far worse than anything I could fathom. I am fairly certain that this experience will have a great impact on my view of the world and it is for this reason I have decided to chronicle my experience.
You can anticipate finding out about my daily routine/trips in this blog as well as my thoughts about discussions and excursions.
Ok, I better head to the bus. So, Ahoj (Czec), do widzenia (Polish) and I will be in touch soon.
xoxo,
Hope
So, it is now almost 2pm and I am sitting in my room at Chi Omega looking at a pile of luggage (pile is an exaggeration, I actually packed pretty light). Most people are headed to Florida/Mexico or home for spring break. In lieu of these destinations I have opted for a slightly different adventure. I am headed to Poland for a holocaust tour and then to Prague to check out the Jewish community.
I must admit I am a bit apprehensive about what I will find in Poland. I have heard some areas are extremely antisemitic and I will be traveling with a predominately orthodox group. I was also warned that at this time of the year it is going to be painfully cold. And, while I would like to believe that I am prepared for what I am about to encounter at the concentration and death camps, I am sure that it is far worse than anything I could fathom. I am fairly certain that this experience will have a great impact on my view of the world and it is for this reason I have decided to chronicle my experience.
You can anticipate finding out about my daily routine/trips in this blog as well as my thoughts about discussions and excursions.
Ok, I better head to the bus. So, Ahoj (Czec), do widzenia (Polish) and I will be in touch soon.
xoxo,
Hope
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