Well all of the workshoppers have had a few days to rest and get back into the swing of things, after what was a whirlwind trip of intensity, challenge, inspiration, and SNOW in Poland. Early last Sunday morning, both the workshop and European Shnat groups, as well as a massive tzevet of 14 people, headed off to Poland for a journey to examine Jewish life in the diaspora of that time, the tragedy of the holocaust, and the heroism that was exhibited throughout, and specifically by the youth movements during the Shoah.
After arriving in Poland, the workshoppers settled in to the long ride from Warsaw to Krakow. On the way, the group saw Schindler's List, which was based in the Krakow Ghetto and the Plaszow Labour Camp in Krakow. When we finally made it to Krakow, the workshoppers went on a tour of the old Jewish quarter of Kazimierz, where Jews had lived alongside Polish neighbours for close to 600 years before the Shoah.
On the second day, we headed to Birkenau, the largest of the 40 camps and subcamps of Auschwitz, and the biggest camp in all of Nazi-occupied Europe. In the afternoon we went to the main camp of Auschwitz, the original camp of the network of Auschwitz camps. The workshoppers examined issues of the human construct and values that were expressed in the atrocities and terror of the camps, in order to understand the Nazi codes that they implemented.
On the third day of the trip, we started the morning in the former site of the Plaszow Labour camp, famously portrayed in Schindler's List. From there, we travelled to some of the sites of the old Krakow Ghetto, including the Famous Krakow Ghetto Pharmacy, the commune of the youth movement Akiva on Jozefinska Street, and the deportation square of the old ghetto, which is now marked with a monument of chairs around a central brick area. From there we moved to the site outside of the Ghetto where the Sigoneria cafe once stood, a cafe which prominent Nazi officials visited during the War and which was bombed with grenades and molotov cocktails by the members of the fighting underground in the Krakow Ghetto.
After the packed morning, the workshoppers had some free time in the Sukiniece Market in Krakow, a wonderful old market full of cheap and good food, as well as great souvenirs. From there we got back on the bus, and headed off to Lublin.
On Day 4, we did a walking tour of Lublin, which became a very 'Nazified' city during the years of Nazi occupation. We visited the old Gestapo headquarters, as well as buildings and homes of high-ranking Nazi officials. The workshoppers examined what 'everyday' Nazi life was like, outside of the death and concentration camps, and we tried to understand how Nazi social life was structured.
In the afternoon we visisted the Majdanek concentration and death camp, situated right on the outskirts of Lublin. The camp is an eerie reminder of the costs of the Nazi society that was being established, and the death and despair that it created. Having a camp right on the outskirts of the city was also a painful reminder to the residents of Lublin what could happen, if they stepped out of line.
We headed from Lublin to Warsaw for the last leg of the trip, and we started day 5 touring the old Ghetto in Warsaw, the largest of all of the Nazi-established Ghettos. The workshoppers discussed the leadership structures within the ghetto - the rabbinate, the Judenrat (Jewish council), the Jewish police, and the youth movement members. The group also visited the old Jewish cemetary in Warsaw, home to, among others, the Head of the Judenrat in the Warsaw Ghetto Adam Czerniakow, as well as Ludwik Zamenhof, the creator of the Esperanto language. The group also visited the Polish Uprising memorial and spoke of the Polish Uprising of 1944 against the Nazis, as well as the Jewish institute, an archival museum about the Warsaw Ghetto and the Jewish community of Warsaw.
On Day 6, We started off in the morning with a drive to the old shtetl of Tykocin. The sad story of the 2500 Jews of Tykocin, who lived side by side with Polish neighbours for close to 400 years and ended within two days of Nazi occupation, was a sobering reminder of the impact of the Shoah on small communities. It also raised up some big questions about what it means to be a Jew in the diaspora, and to live as a minority within a society.
From Tykocin we headed to the site of the Death camp of Treblinka, which is now a big monument dedicated to all of the communities of Jews who were destroyed there. The workshoppers examined the 'machine of death' that was created by the Nazi regime, and the brutal efficiency that was such a fundamental basis for Nazi ideology and rule.
On the final day of the trip, the workshoppers examined the roots of the youth movements in Warsaw, and specifically the Dror movement. We started the day in Grochow, a neighbourhood of Warsaw where the first chavot hachshara of Dror (agricultural training farms) were purchased and established. From there we moved to Dziela St. number 34, where the Dror commune was within the ghetto walls. And we finished the day, and the journey, with a 3 hour walk along the 'Path of Heroism' a path with markers along the way that symbolises the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising of 1943. The journey was finalised with a Tekkes (ceremony) at the Rappaport Monument, dedicated to the Ghetto Fighters of 1943.
After a long week - most people were exhausted, both physically and mentally, and rest was well met by everyone! Myself included. A big thanks to the day guides - Miryam, Yuval, and Ohad. Below are some pictures for your viewing pleasure.
I wish you all a shabbat shalom and a safe and peaceful weekend.
Until next time,
Leon.
