Dear Friends and Family
Your children are having their final Shabbat tonight in Jerusalem. They had an amazing time on this trip. I am sure you are so excited to see them at the airport on Monday. Once again I am attaching their flight information.
Please give a big hug and thank you to Sarah Warren and Brian Meeron when you see them at the airport. As chaperones of this trip, they were outstanding and extremely devoted to your children in all matters. They were passionate about their roles, and dedicated to preparing the students before leaving. While on the trip they made sure all were having the best possible experiences both in Poland and Israel. Most importantly they each performed their duties with a high level of responsibility. Sarah and Brian kept extremely late night hours to make sure any issues of the day were resolved, that students were in their rooms, and that all was as it should be in order to have the best possible trip. They both dealt with hospital runs, flea bites, emotional issues, eye infections, ear infections, and logistical issues.
Through the entire journey, they communicated thoroughly with me on an almost daily basis, keeping me well informed of all the details. In addition to this the staff of Israel Experience was equally diligent and responsible, providing the best possible experiences for your children.
Our community trip to Poland and Israel is unique and special as you will soon realize upon your child’s return. Students not only bond with one another, by meeting and making friends locally and often with those whom they never knew before; they also bond with Israeli teens from Netanya, our Partnership city. Most importantly however they come back with a new perspective about themselves and about their own Jewish identity.
I hope your son or daughter shares with each of you all the wonderful things that he or she did in Israel and the tragic things they witnessed in Poland.
We are so blessed to live in a community where the Jewish Foundation and the Jewish Federation support travel experiences to Israel for teens and college age students. Both organizations see this very generous gift of $6000 in high school and $4500 in college as an investment in the future, in Israel and in our own local Jewish community. Most importantly it is an investment in your child as a Jewish leader and as a person of character.
Please welcome your child with open arms on Monday as I know they will do the same to you.
Shabbat Shalom,
Barb
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
This Past Weekend...
Joanna Kaissar:
Yesterday we woke up at 3:00 a.m. and hiked up Masada, which wasn’t as hard as I expected, but it was very beautiful. When we got to the top we learned the story of Herod . It was very beautiful, we took lots of pictures. The hike down was actually a lot harder than the hike up. It was a lot harder. We finally got down and had lunch. We went to Ein Gedi and swam. We went to the Dead Sea which was really cool. When we got in it burned really bad. So we got out, put mud on ourselves and took pictures. It was fun. After that we went to this resort thing in the middle of the dessert and slept out there. That was incredible. We laid down and looked at the stars. It was actually a pretty good sleep. We had to cook our own meal. It was a fun amazing day.
Dan Makutonin:
Today we climbed Massada and it was really exciting. I’ve been to Israel twice and both times we climbed Massada. This time we went up the Roman ramp and that was a first for me and I really enjoyed it. Then we went to Ein Gedi and it was really hot but there was a waterfall and it was really refreshing, we had a long swim with the tour guide. After that we went to the Dead Sea. I’ve been there as well, and it was more fun because it was with my friends. We floated and then we swam in the pool. I really enjoyed the day. To top it all off we went camping and we made our own food and it all tasted really good.
Cody Selker:
Today we woke up in the middle of the dessert and we’re all very tired. Then we had a relaxed day camping and then we went shopping which was pretty fun but it’s so hot here it’s hard to stand the heat. We had Shabbat dinner which was good. Now it’s free time and it’s really boring. We’re all talking and ready to sleep in tomorrow. It’s been a pretty relaxed day and we’ve all been enjoying it.
Rachel Barr:
This morning woke up in the dessert and it was really peaceful. It was nice to be able to sleep outside under the stars. When we woke up this morning we had a gorgeous view of the entire dessert and a beautiful clear, blue sky. We had breakfast at camp. We packed up everything and left the dessert just as we had seen it before we came. We then drove to the Ramon crater where we had the opportunity to repel about 35 feet down into the crater. It was really an incredible experience. It challenged a lot of us. Almost everyone was able to do it. After that we drove to Eilat -- we had a little break for lunch but then continued to drive. We had some time to rest at the hotel before we had free time in the market. It was REALLY hot here today so many of us spent some time in the air conditioned mall. And then we had more time at the hotel before Shabbat. We had a nice Shabbat dinner and now we’re just having rest time. Many of us are going to sleep early.
Justin Kirschner:
Today was pretty uneventful. It’s really hot out. We woke up in the dessert which was nice, I hadn’t done that before. Then we went repelling which I’ve done before. It was fun but it was short. Then we drove to Eilat and it is so hot here. The pier is really nice and the Red Sea is beautiful. I’m excited for Saturday where we have a disco ball.
Yesterday we woke up at 3:00 a.m. and hiked up Masada, which wasn’t as hard as I expected, but it was very beautiful. When we got to the top we learned the story of Herod . It was very beautiful, we took lots of pictures. The hike down was actually a lot harder than the hike up. It was a lot harder. We finally got down and had lunch. We went to Ein Gedi and swam. We went to the Dead Sea which was really cool. When we got in it burned really bad. So we got out, put mud on ourselves and took pictures. It was fun. After that we went to this resort thing in the middle of the dessert and slept out there. That was incredible. We laid down and looked at the stars. It was actually a pretty good sleep. We had to cook our own meal. It was a fun amazing day.
Dan Makutonin:
Today we climbed Massada and it was really exciting. I’ve been to Israel twice and both times we climbed Massada. This time we went up the Roman ramp and that was a first for me and I really enjoyed it. Then we went to Ein Gedi and it was really hot but there was a waterfall and it was really refreshing, we had a long swim with the tour guide. After that we went to the Dead Sea. I’ve been there as well, and it was more fun because it was with my friends. We floated and then we swam in the pool. I really enjoyed the day. To top it all off we went camping and we made our own food and it all tasted really good.
Cody Selker:
Today we woke up in the middle of the dessert and we’re all very tired. Then we had a relaxed day camping and then we went shopping which was pretty fun but it’s so hot here it’s hard to stand the heat. We had Shabbat dinner which was good. Now it’s free time and it’s really boring. We’re all talking and ready to sleep in tomorrow. It’s been a pretty relaxed day and we’ve all been enjoying it.
Rachel Barr:
This morning woke up in the dessert and it was really peaceful. It was nice to be able to sleep outside under the stars. When we woke up this morning we had a gorgeous view of the entire dessert and a beautiful clear, blue sky. We had breakfast at camp. We packed up everything and left the dessert just as we had seen it before we came. We then drove to the Ramon crater where we had the opportunity to repel about 35 feet down into the crater. It was really an incredible experience. It challenged a lot of us. Almost everyone was able to do it. After that we drove to Eilat -- we had a little break for lunch but then continued to drive. We had some time to rest at the hotel before we had free time in the market. It was REALLY hot here today so many of us spent some time in the air conditioned mall. And then we had more time at the hotel before Shabbat. We had a nice Shabbat dinner and now we’re just having rest time. Many of us are going to sleep early.
Justin Kirschner:
Today was pretty uneventful. It’s really hot out. We woke up in the dessert which was nice, I hadn’t done that before. Then we went repelling which I’ve done before. It was fun but it was short. Then we drove to Eilat and it is so hot here. The pier is really nice and the Red Sea is beautiful. I’m excited for Saturday where we have a disco ball.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Updates from Israel - Tuesday, July 15
Ronald Rubin:
We started off our day in Israel at an archeological dig. We were digging in four different sections. I was in a cave known as Aphrodite and I found charcoal and pieces of pottery. Towards the end I found an intact, black oil lamp. It was the biggest find of the whole day. The lady who was leading the dig said she thinks it will put in a museum after they do some research on it. That was really interesting. We explored some excavated and non-excavated caves and that was really fun. After that we went to a pool and had lunch. It was nice to have some relaxing free time, no salt water. Then we drove down south for a few hours to the Bedouin tents. We went on camel rides which were really fun. Then we went back to a tent and had some tea and crackers and learned a little bit about the Bedouin culture. We had a nice dinner. We ate with our hands. Then we had a bonfire, ate some s’mores and sang some songs. Overall it was a really fun and relaxing day.
Eva Westheimer:
Over Shabbat I stayed with a Shomer Shabbos family and it was a really good experience for me because I don’t practice Judaism a lot in the States. We went to Shul and everything was in Hebrew, but it was fun. On Saturday, we didn’t turn on the lights and we said the Kiddush on Friday night. There was no driving on Saturday and we just walked around. My host sister showed me her town with some of her friends which was really nice because they were born in the States so they spoke English. Overall my Shomer Shabbos was a good experience. I can say that I don’t think I would want to be a Shomer Shabbos family, but it was a good experience.
Sunday night we went into Jerusalem and saw a traditional folk dance festival. That was really nice because it reminded me a lot of dance festivals back at home. It was teenagers about our age and they had a lot of upper body strength so I admired that. It was a very tiring day because we spent about an hour at the beach so the sun made us all tired. I want to say hello to my family.
Adam Birkan:
In Tel Aviv right now in a so-called hostel, I’m pretty sure it’s a hotel – it’s nice. It’s pretty hot outside. Give a shout out to the parents and anyone else who views this. I came up with this great idea. If you’re ever in a hot place where the air conditioning doesn’t work and you have a refrigerator, take your blanket and leave it in there for an hour. Take it out of the refrigerator and then you have a cold blanket. I’m a genius, I know.
Alex Kraus:
We woke up at 7:30, which was like sleeping in. We drove to Jaffa and did some community service to help the people that can’t afford their food. We packaged boxes of food. We saw the summer camp that they have and we played soccer with the kids. After that we went to this bullet museum, where they made bullets for the War for Independence underneath this kibbutz. Then we went swimming in the Mediterranean for a couple of hours. It was really nice except we got stung a bunch of times by jellyfish. We drove back and had dinner. Then we had free time in the square in Tel Aviv.
Brianna Pecsok:
Sunday and Monday have been really fun, relaxing days. We began Sunday by ending our weekend with our host families which was so much fun. Then we went to Tel Aviv and went to the beach and to this museum that was really cool and we shopped around. Monday we went to the beach again and it was really fun because the waves were really big, but the jellyfish were really bad. We went to another cool museum and shopped around more in Tel Aviv. The past few days have been a lot of fun and I’ve had a really good time.
Annie Brant:
We are chillin’ out in the Bedouin tent right now. We’re in the middle of the Negev Dessert and its totally different the North of Israel. We had an awesome bonfire and an awesome dinner.
Bogdan Leshchinsky:
Today was a pretty good day. We went spelunking in caves and we looked for fossils and then went camel riding in the desert. Right now we are gonna sleep in the camp which is pretty cool. Just having lots of fun right now.
We started off our day in Israel at an archeological dig. We were digging in four different sections. I was in a cave known as Aphrodite and I found charcoal and pieces of pottery. Towards the end I found an intact, black oil lamp. It was the biggest find of the whole day. The lady who was leading the dig said she thinks it will put in a museum after they do some research on it. That was really interesting. We explored some excavated and non-excavated caves and that was really fun. After that we went to a pool and had lunch. It was nice to have some relaxing free time, no salt water. Then we drove down south for a few hours to the Bedouin tents. We went on camel rides which were really fun. Then we went back to a tent and had some tea and crackers and learned a little bit about the Bedouin culture. We had a nice dinner. We ate with our hands. Then we had a bonfire, ate some s’mores and sang some songs. Overall it was a really fun and relaxing day.
Eva Westheimer:
Over Shabbat I stayed with a Shomer Shabbos family and it was a really good experience for me because I don’t practice Judaism a lot in the States. We went to Shul and everything was in Hebrew, but it was fun. On Saturday, we didn’t turn on the lights and we said the Kiddush on Friday night. There was no driving on Saturday and we just walked around. My host sister showed me her town with some of her friends which was really nice because they were born in the States so they spoke English. Overall my Shomer Shabbos was a good experience. I can say that I don’t think I would want to be a Shomer Shabbos family, but it was a good experience.
Sunday night we went into Jerusalem and saw a traditional folk dance festival. That was really nice because it reminded me a lot of dance festivals back at home. It was teenagers about our age and they had a lot of upper body strength so I admired that. It was a very tiring day because we spent about an hour at the beach so the sun made us all tired. I want to say hello to my family.
Adam Birkan:
In Tel Aviv right now in a so-called hostel, I’m pretty sure it’s a hotel – it’s nice. It’s pretty hot outside. Give a shout out to the parents and anyone else who views this. I came up with this great idea. If you’re ever in a hot place where the air conditioning doesn’t work and you have a refrigerator, take your blanket and leave it in there for an hour. Take it out of the refrigerator and then you have a cold blanket. I’m a genius, I know.
Alex Kraus:
We woke up at 7:30, which was like sleeping in. We drove to Jaffa and did some community service to help the people that can’t afford their food. We packaged boxes of food. We saw the summer camp that they have and we played soccer with the kids. After that we went to this bullet museum, where they made bullets for the War for Independence underneath this kibbutz. Then we went swimming in the Mediterranean for a couple of hours. It was really nice except we got stung a bunch of times by jellyfish. We drove back and had dinner. Then we had free time in the square in Tel Aviv.
Brianna Pecsok:
Sunday and Monday have been really fun, relaxing days. We began Sunday by ending our weekend with our host families which was so much fun. Then we went to Tel Aviv and went to the beach and to this museum that was really cool and we shopped around. Monday we went to the beach again and it was really fun because the waves were really big, but the jellyfish were really bad. We went to another cool museum and shopped around more in Tel Aviv. The past few days have been a lot of fun and I’ve had a really good time.
Annie Brant:
We are chillin’ out in the Bedouin tent right now. We’re in the middle of the Negev Dessert and its totally different the North of Israel. We had an awesome bonfire and an awesome dinner.
Bogdan Leshchinsky:
Today was a pretty good day. We went spelunking in caves and we looked for fossils and then went camel riding in the desert. Right now we are gonna sleep in the camp which is pretty cool. Just having lots of fun right now.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Israel Update from Simi Barr
Simi Barr:
“We had a lot of fun today. We first went to a seminar on co-existence—Jews and Arabs-- and we got to talk to Israeli Arab teens. This was really cool because we saw how much they are like us. We then went to a Druze home and learned about the Druze religion and had home hospitality and lunch. We went to Akko and saw the prison used by the British. In Akko we had free time in the open market. It was really cool and I am having a fun time on the trip.”
For more information about Akko visit: http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/vie/Acco.html
For more information about the Druze visit: http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Society_&_Culture/druze.html
“We had a lot of fun today. We first went to a seminar on co-existence—Jews and Arabs-- and we got to talk to Israeli Arab teens. This was really cool because we saw how much they are like us. We then went to a Druze home and learned about the Druze religion and had home hospitality and lunch. We went to Akko and saw the prison used by the British. In Akko we had free time in the open market. It was really cool and I am having a fun time on the trip.”
For more information about Akko visit: http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/vie/Acco.html
For more information about the Druze visit: http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Society_&_Culture/druze.html
Monday, July 7, 2008
Updates from Israel
Ronald Rubin:
“Yesterday was our last day in Poland. We had a tour of Lodz. We saw a lot of memorials and some of them were dedicated to children and we learned how children lost their innocence and how unfair it was for children. We received letters from our parents and it was really nice because we were definitely thinking about them. We saw cattle cars and it was interesting to see how real everything was and it was also suffocating to think that hundreds of people were in one car.”
Josh Levine:
“Right now we are in Tiberias in the hostel. We are in the northern part of Israel. It is only the first day in Israel but we are having a lot of fun so far. We had a great dinner and breakfast. Happy Birthday to my dad! I know it is a little late but I cannot control that.”
Ali Krause:
“We started off yesterday morning in Lodz. We were in the cattle car at the Lodz Memorial and held a ceremony in the Lodz Cemetery where we sang Hatikvah. We had dinner and f arewell ceremony in Warsaw. I am really tired because we got up so early but I am also so glad to be in Israel!”
Joanna Kaissar:
“Today we arrived in Israel. WE WERE VERY TIRED! We went to the top of a wishing well in Jaffa and danced. After that we went to the Independence Hall and watched the history of how Israel became an official country. After that we had lunch and finally went back to the hostel and got to rest which was good because we were extremely exhausted. We then walked around the Market Place in Tiberias for about 45 minutes and I bought some stuff. I really enjoyed the market place. We then came back to the hostel and played an ice breaker game. I am really happy to be in Israel!”
Daniel Makutonin:
“I had a great day today. We met out tour guide Chuck. He is a great guy and very funny. Dinner was the best we had all week I really enjoyed our day in Israel even though we were all tired and I am really looking forward to the rest of the trip.”
Sarah Schneider:
“We landed in Israel today. We were pretty tired from the flight but we went to look out at the water and performed a shehechyanu ceremony. We read about what it was like for us to come to Israel by sharing our own thoughts and we did Israeli dancing. We visited Independence Hall and learned about how Israel became a state. This was interesting! We later came to Tiberias. It is really, really beautiful here by the water of Tiberias (the Knerret) and I love the Palm Trees. We had good Israeli food and it is so nice to finally be here in Israel. I am looking forward to spending time here.”
“Yesterday was our last day in Poland. We had a tour of Lodz. We saw a lot of memorials and some of them were dedicated to children and we learned how children lost their innocence and how unfair it was for children. We received letters from our parents and it was really nice because we were definitely thinking about them. We saw cattle cars and it was interesting to see how real everything was and it was also suffocating to think that hundreds of people were in one car.”
Josh Levine:
“Right now we are in Tiberias in the hostel. We are in the northern part of Israel. It is only the first day in Israel but we are having a lot of fun so far. We had a great dinner and breakfast. Happy Birthday to my dad! I know it is a little late but I cannot control that.”
Ali Krause:
“We started off yesterday morning in Lodz. We were in the cattle car at the Lodz Memorial and held a ceremony in the Lodz Cemetery where we sang Hatikvah. We had dinner and f arewell ceremony in Warsaw. I am really tired because we got up so early but I am also so glad to be in Israel!”
Joanna Kaissar:
“Today we arrived in Israel. WE WERE VERY TIRED! We went to the top of a wishing well in Jaffa and danced. After that we went to the Independence Hall and watched the history of how Israel became an official country. After that we had lunch and finally went back to the hostel and got to rest which was good because we were extremely exhausted. We then walked around the Market Place in Tiberias for about 45 minutes and I bought some stuff. I really enjoyed the market place. We then came back to the hostel and played an ice breaker game. I am really happy to be in Israel!”
Daniel Makutonin:
“I had a great day today. We met out tour guide Chuck. He is a great guy and very funny. Dinner was the best we had all week I really enjoyed our day in Israel even though we were all tired and I am really looking forward to the rest of the trip.”
Sarah Schneider:
“We landed in Israel today. We were pretty tired from the flight but we went to look out at the water and performed a shehechyanu ceremony. We read about what it was like for us to come to Israel by sharing our own thoughts and we did Israeli dancing. We visited Independence Hall and learned about how Israel became a state. This was interesting! We later came to Tiberias. It is really, really beautiful here by the water of Tiberias (the Knerret) and I love the Palm Trees. We had good Israeli food and it is so nice to finally be here in Israel. I am looking forward to spending time here.”
They are in Israel!!
Dear Friends and Family:
The group arrived in Israel at 4 a.m. today! They went straight from the airport to Old Jaffa. Yuliya, Josh Levine, Josh Katz, Simi Barr, Sarah Sterner and Lauren Marmer prepared a few words about how they felt about being in Israel after Poland. Following their presentation they lit six torches to represent the six decades of Israel’s existence and the six million Jews who were lost in the Holocaust. This ceremony occurred as the sun rose over Tel Aviv. Together they learned Israeli dancing and danced to Eretz, Eretz, Eretz taught by their Israeli tour guide, Hadas. They tasted the sweet foods of the land of Milk and Honey and ate the seven species of Israel (dates, figs, olives, grapes, wheat and pomegranates). Following this they went to breakfast and enjoyed e bit of free time at the Tel Aviv beach.
At Independence Hall they learned about the declaration of the State of Israel hearing the recording of Ben Gurion’s announcement just as it occurred in 1948, and witnessing the miracle of Israel just three years after the war ended. They then had lunch together in Tel Aviv, drove to the north, and now are in Tiberias. Tonight they will get a good night’s rest to begin their day hikes in the beautiful northern part of Israel.
To learn more about Old Jaffa and Tel Aviv visit:
http://www.tel-aviv.gov.il/English/Tourism/Sites/Jaffa.htm
To learn more about Tiberias visit:
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/vie/Tiberias.html
Thanks,
Barb
The group arrived in Israel at 4 a.m. today! They went straight from the airport to Old Jaffa. Yuliya, Josh Levine, Josh Katz, Simi Barr, Sarah Sterner and Lauren Marmer prepared a few words about how they felt about being in Israel after Poland. Following their presentation they lit six torches to represent the six decades of Israel’s existence and the six million Jews who were lost in the Holocaust. This ceremony occurred as the sun rose over Tel Aviv. Together they learned Israeli dancing and danced to Eretz, Eretz, Eretz taught by their Israeli tour guide, Hadas. They tasted the sweet foods of the land of Milk and Honey and ate the seven species of Israel (dates, figs, olives, grapes, wheat and pomegranates). Following this they went to breakfast and enjoyed e bit of free time at the Tel Aviv beach.
At Independence Hall they learned about the declaration of the State of Israel hearing the recording of Ben Gurion’s announcement just as it occurred in 1948, and witnessing the miracle of Israel just three years after the war ended. They then had lunch together in Tel Aviv, drove to the north, and now are in Tiberias. Tonight they will get a good night’s rest to begin their day hikes in the beautiful northern part of Israel.
To learn more about Old Jaffa and Tel Aviv visit:
http://www.tel-aviv.gov.il/English/Tourism/Sites/Jaffa.htm
To learn more about Tiberias visit:
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/vie/Tiberias.html
Thanks,
Barb
More reflections on Poland
The following voice messages were left on my cell phone over the weekend. Hop you all had a great weekend. The group should be landing in Israel today! Will keep you informed.
Barb
Sarah Sterner:
Calling from Krakow, Poland and having a really amazing time! Even though it has only been a couple of days it already feels like we have been together for a couple of weeks. Everyone is just really nice and open minded and I can tell we will have an amazing time together in Israel. We went to Auschwitz today which I cannot even explain. I was initially prepared to be emotional because it is such a big place; up until now it has been difficult for me to connect with the camps—Majdanek or Treblinka. But I knew my great grandfather’s family perished in Auschwitz. It is really hard for me now to describe my emotions. I have lots of questions about everything. The more I learn about the Holocaust the more questions I have. The best part of this is that I feel closer to those who perished in the Holocaust I feel closer to. I realize that these are my families, my heritage. I have made a tremendous connection to the past. Hopefully this will continue to grow in my mind as I continue to absorb all of this and think about it for a while. The next time I talk to you I will be in Israel.”
Annie Brant:
“Now we are in Lodz. We started in Warsaw and met with Polish University students and learned about their lives. We saw a presentation on this woman who housed Jews during the Holocaust. We discussed the dilemma of saving a stranger over your own family—should we put them at risk—that is a difficult challenge. We visited the Krakow Ghetto. It was interesting to learn that by keeping Jews in the ghetto intimidated the Polish people. We went to a shopping mall and then drove to Lodz, a very old city which we will see more of tomorrow.”
Eva Westheimer:
“We heard a woman talk about saving 11 Jewish people during the war. She was a righteous gentile and it was very moving. Hi to my sister who is coming home today?”
Lev Mitrofanov:
"Everything is cool!"
Adam Birkan:
"We are at a cool hotel—very retro and even has wifi!"
Paula Savchenko:
“Thank you for helping to make this trip possible. I am really having a good time. I still can’t get a grasp on everything we are seeing. You learn about it in school but you never really understand what is really happening. Still can’t understand but somehow have a better grasp on it. It makes me speechless on how amazing it is to be here and actually experience all of this. Thank you for making this happen again as I really appreciate it. “
For more information about Lodz visit:
http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/article.php?lang=en&ModuleId=10005071
Barb
Sarah Sterner:
Calling from Krakow, Poland and having a really amazing time! Even though it has only been a couple of days it already feels like we have been together for a couple of weeks. Everyone is just really nice and open minded and I can tell we will have an amazing time together in Israel. We went to Auschwitz today which I cannot even explain. I was initially prepared to be emotional because it is such a big place; up until now it has been difficult for me to connect with the camps—Majdanek or Treblinka. But I knew my great grandfather’s family perished in Auschwitz. It is really hard for me now to describe my emotions. I have lots of questions about everything. The more I learn about the Holocaust the more questions I have. The best part of this is that I feel closer to those who perished in the Holocaust I feel closer to. I realize that these are my families, my heritage. I have made a tremendous connection to the past. Hopefully this will continue to grow in my mind as I continue to absorb all of this and think about it for a while. The next time I talk to you I will be in Israel.”
Annie Brant:
“Now we are in Lodz. We started in Warsaw and met with Polish University students and learned about their lives. We saw a presentation on this woman who housed Jews during the Holocaust. We discussed the dilemma of saving a stranger over your own family—should we put them at risk—that is a difficult challenge. We visited the Krakow Ghetto. It was interesting to learn that by keeping Jews in the ghetto intimidated the Polish people. We went to a shopping mall and then drove to Lodz, a very old city which we will see more of tomorrow.”
Eva Westheimer:
“We heard a woman talk about saving 11 Jewish people during the war. She was a righteous gentile and it was very moving. Hi to my sister who is coming home today?”
Lev Mitrofanov:
"Everything is cool!"
Adam Birkan:
"We are at a cool hotel—very retro and even has wifi!"
Paula Savchenko:
“Thank you for helping to make this trip possible. I am really having a good time. I still can’t get a grasp on everything we are seeing. You learn about it in school but you never really understand what is really happening. Still can’t understand but somehow have a better grasp on it. It makes me speechless on how amazing it is to be here and actually experience all of this. Thank you for making this happen again as I really appreciate it. “
For more information about Lodz visit:
http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/article.php?lang=en&ModuleId=10005071
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
