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
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