An educational trip to Poland is something that many people never get the opportunity to do during their lifetime. Neither of my parents have had the chance to experience the tragedy of the holocaust in Poland. Besides students that attend the March of the Living program during their junior or senior year, I do not know of any high school student that has been to Poland. I am so thankful to have been fortunate enough to go on a trip like this and learn about my ancestors and the Shoah. Everyone around the world can learn about the Holocaust, but being in Poland and seeing the camps first hand is something truly special and life changing. Before traveling from Israel to Poland, we did a few exercises to discuss how we feel and what we are expecting or hoping to get out of the trip. I hoped that I would leave Poland with enough knowledge of the Shoah to be able to help in educating others when returning to the United States. I feel as if I have accomplished this goal and writing this essay will allow me to give others a glimpse of what it is like to learn about the Holocaust in Poland, hopefully increasing their desire to properly educate themselves and others.

On our first night in Poland, we had dinner at a Jewish school in Warsaw. We ate with a few Jewish students and discussed what it is like for them to be Jewish teenagers in Poland, and specifically Warsaw. The teens we met spoke English surprisingly well, so the communication was seamless. Before learning about their religious viewpoints, we discussed their interests and hobbies. A lot of them were interested in American culture. One of the girls I talked to listened to Drake’s music and loves watching Marvel movies. We then asked them some questions about what it is like to be A Jew in Poland. They told us that anti-Semitism does not affect their daily lives, but they do see it every once in a while. They also said that it does not affect their relationship with friends or teachers at all. They explained that there are so little Jews left in Warsaw that their ‘Jewish school’ has a majority of non-Jewish students. They estimated that only about forty percent of the students at their schools are Jews. This was shocking to me because before the Holocaust, Warsaw was said to be the center of Jewish life in the world. Now, the only Jewish school in Warsaw does not even have a majority of Jewish students. So many generations of people were eliminated by the Nazis and it was apparent in Warsaw. 

The first camp that we toured was Majdanek, which was by no means a slow start. Around three hundred and sixty thousand people were killed at Majdanek, including one hundred and twenty thousand Jews. It is estimated that around forty percent of these people were killed by either a Nazi firing squad or by the gas chambers. The majority of the people at Majdanek were killed by starvation, torture, or disease. Majdanek was unlike the other systematic, calculated, and mathematical camps. Most camps were run by either SS or regular German soldiers, but not Majdanek. Majdanek was run by criminals and lunatics that the Nazis specifically selected, which resulted in absolute chaos. One of the most surprising things about the camp, which I noticed almost immediately after our arrival, was its location. The death camp is in the residential outskirts of the city of Lublin. There are shops and restaurants all across the border of the camp, but the houses are what really shocked me. It is so hard to understand why or how people are able to live right next to a place like this. These people can see the camp by just looking out the window, and must be reminded of the death and misery during their day-to-day life. The worst part about this, for me, was learning that these houses were there while the camp was active. The fact that Polish citizens could see and hear everything that was going on every single day is so difficult to think about. The Nazis were very careful to hide what they did in other camps such as Auschwitz-Birkenau and Plaszow, but did not even try to hide what they did at Majdanek. After the war, when asked why they did not stop the Nazis, the Allies denied that they knew the extent of what the Nazis were doing. By visiting Majdanek myself, I know this cannot be true.

During our tour of the camp, we heard stories that were emotionally challenging. We read primary sources like journals, diaries, or poems written by holocaust survivors who were tortured themselves. Nothing at Majdanek was harder for me than seeing the crematorium. Right before turning left (upon entrance) to the ovens themselves, there is a large, open space. This area was used for piling the dead bodies when they could not burn them fast enough. Jews were forced to stack the dead in a huge pile, like they were just worthless piles of dirt. One of the most important things in Judaism is the care and respect for dead bodies, which this completely goes against, but the Jews could not do anything but follow orders if they wanted to survive.  Seeing the ovens made me imagine what it must have been like to shove dead men, women, and children into these little compartments for them to be burned. I cannot even begin to understand how painful this must have been for the Jews who were forced to do this themselves. Until my teacher pointed it out, I did not realize there was a bath next to the ovens. At first I did not understand what a bath was doing in a crematorium, but then I learned that the Nazis used the heat from the burning of dead bodies to warm their bath water. They bathed right next to the burning of thousands of people a day simply because it was convenient; it did not bother them at all. Also, right outside of the crematorium was a Nazi flowerbed. The ashes from crematorium were used as fertilizer for the flowers. Being here taught me not only about the pain of the Jews and prisoners in the camp, but the true cruelty and evil of the Nazis.

The morning after visiting Majdanek, we toured Auschwitz. Before actually going to Auschwitz, I was unaware of the different sections that made up the camp. There are three major parts of Auschwitz. Auschwitz I is a labor camp that has for the most part been turned into a museum. Auschwitz II, also known as Birkenau, was the most effective extermination camp throughout the entire holocaust. Auschwitz III, also known as Monowitz was a large working facility to support the war effort. Most of the forced labor here was agricultural to produce food for the soldiers. We visited Auschwitz I first and then Birkenau, but did not get to tour Monowitz. We arrived at Auschwitz I relatively early in the morning, and there were already many tourists waiting in line to get their tickets. Auschwitz was a horrifying labor camp during the Holocaust where many Jews (and non-Jews) suffered terribly, so it caused some controversy within our group about its transformation to a common museum. The entrance building sold snacks and in the long lines, while waiting for tickets, people get impatient and chat with each other. This building used to be a Nazi headquarters for meetings discussing ‘issues’ that the Nazis were having within the camp. Unless I missed it, there was no sign or informational exhibit, so the general public most likely has no idea where they were standing while they were casually munching on their snacks and laughing with their friends. Throughout the tour, we saw people taking selfies and smiling around the camp. Treating Auschwitz like a museum attracts tourists who did not care about the Shoah beforehand. This desensitizes people because these random tourists create a casual and informal feel for everyone else. I believe the proper way of going about Holocaust education is teaching kids the basics in a classroom, and as they get older, gradually teach in a more graphic and detailed manner. Eventually after learning as much as possible be taken to the camps to witness the horrors firsthand.  We saw kids touring Auschwitz that looked like they were still in elementary school, which I cannot imagine is old enough to truly understand anything about the Holocaust. The age in which students should visit the camps can be debated, but I believe kids should at least be in high school before doing something like this. It takes maturity to be able to take in the powerful stories and the unfortunate reality of the Shoah.

On the Thursday before we left for Poland, we visited  the Yad Vashem museum in Jerusalem. We learned all about the organization and all of the amazing things they do. One of them is creating an exhibit in Auschwitz in honor of the Jewish life that existed in Europe pre World War II. On the walls of the exhibit were short video clips displaying what life was like for the Jews. One of the famous clips shows children singing HaTikvah; this clip displays happiness and hope right before a time of terror and death. There were also videos of weddings and bar mitzvahs. In these videos Jews all over Europe  are practicing their religion (and ancient traditions) in peace; this was something they unfortunately lost during the holocaust. The exhibit with all of these happy memories and Jewish life in Auschwitz is overshadowed by the unfortunate reality that it eventually comes to an end.

After we finished our tour of Auschwitz I, we headed towards Auschwitz II, better known as Birkenau. The first thing I noticed was the big building with the main entrance gate. Until actually seeing it, I did not realize I had seen pictures of the camp before, but I actually recognized it. A lot of my classmates described the camp as a scary movie set, and I think that was a very accurate description. Other camps, like Auschwitz I are aesthetically pleasing and relatively normal-looking. The Birkenau extermination camp had such a terrifying and gloomy layout, that it makes the whole experience even darker. The front building is where the train cars brought thousands of Jewish men, women, and children to their deaths. The train tracks enter through the gate building and continue for the entirety of the width of the camp. I have seen pictures of Jews exiting the train cars and realizing where they were. I thought it was scary in broad daylight so I cannot imagine what it was like in the winter, at night, while the camp was still active. The gas chambers, for some reason, did not make me so emotional. The thing that got me most at Birkenau was a building known as the ‘sauna’. The Sauna was basically the welcome new arrivals in Birkenau. The Nazi soldiers took all of the prisoners’ remaining possessions, cut their hair, and took their clothes. They put all of the clothes in special ovens to kill lice, but the prisoners did not know that, and this large oven usually scared them a bit. Once all of this is over, the prisoners keep going and eventually reach showers. Many of the Jews who came to Birkenau had heard rumors about deadly gas coming out of the showerheads, so most of the time they thought they were about to be gassed to death. At first the Jews all were terrified and tried to escape, but then they just stood there, waiting for death. Once water came out, they were all thankful but the thought of being aware and waiting for your own death in just moments was hard for me, emotionally.  Birkenau was the best example of a systematic killing of an entire race. Nazis worried about the effectiveness and the speed at which they could kill the most people every day. This is something truly evil that is rare to find throughout history, and personally, I will fight anyone that denies the Holocaust. 

In the town of Lancut, we had a Tisch at grave of Rebbe Naftali of Ropshytz. Just in case you do not know, a Tisch is a Jewish celebration of life that consists of eating, drinking, speeches, singing, and dancing. After learning about Rebbe Rophytz, we went to his grave to learn about the Jewish concept of life over death. Most cultures, especially Christianity, are focused on the event leading to your death. Judaism does not have a concept of heaven or hell, like Christianity does. Jews focus on what you do during your own lifetime, rather than how your life affects you after death. At the Rebbe’s grave, rather than mourn his death, we celebrated his life.

Rabbi Moshe Isserles, also known as the Remu, was born into a wealthy family in the city of Krakow, Poland. The Remu’s father built a shul in Krakow, where we had the great privilege of studying. The Remu become successful and opened his own Yeshiva. He gained a large following and become a well-known Jewish figure in Krakow. After writing several important works on Jewish law and philosophy, he decided to write down his official opinions on the halacha, known as Jewish laws. Before publishing his work, Rabbi Yosef Karo from Safed, Spain, published the Shulchan Aruch, which were his own opinions on the halcha. This became quite popular and was accepted as the new standard for Jewish law. Instead of releasing his version as a conflicting opinion, the Remu solved the problem in another way. Instead of creating his own laws based on interpretation, he simply added some alterations to Karo’s version. This was a peaceful and cooperative way of releasing his views without disproving the Shulchan Aruch. This created the branches of Judaism known as Ashkenaz and Sephard. This revived the Jewish value of debate and questioning. Throughout Jewish history, the Jews have been taught to question everything and try to find the best solution to their problems, and I think this is a concept still present in modern day Judaism.

Judaism has changed and developed in many different ways throughout the world since the Shoa. Judaism in Poland was torn apart by the Nazis. While some Jewish survivors remained in Poland, after the Holocaust it was never the same. One of the best examples of modern-day Jewry in Poland is a man named Merrick from a town called Lancut. He has been given the nickname ‘the last Jew of Lancut’, but the odd thing is he is not even Jewish. At this point, there are absolutely no Jew living in the entire city of Lacut. This is a prime example of how extreme the still very significant effects of the Holocaust really are. There is an old temple from before the Holocaust that Merrick works at by himself. Merrick is a Christian man that finds Judaism very interesting, so he made the decision to dedicate his life to preserving the temple. He taught himself Hebrew and he studies from the Tanakh every day. Most of my friends were most impressed that he taught himself Hebrew, but I was more impressed with his dedication to the temple. I am sure that it is not easy to teach yourself a language, but you have to be very brave to do something like Merrick does every day. In a town where there are no Jews, he preserves a Jewish temple for the sake of history and a potential Jewish future in Lacut. I can only imagine that he is seen as an outsider among his neighbors, but he continues to do what he believes in no matter what. I loved  meeting Merrick and it was great to see, even today, a gentile caring so much about Judaism and our history. 

Before coming to Poland, we watched the film Schindler’s list, a movie about a Nazi who helped save thousands of Jews during the Shoah. On our last full day in Poland, we visited the last concentration camp, called Plaszow. This camp was heavily featured in the movie, so after watching it, we got to see it for ourselves. Except, when we got to the camp, we could not find any gas chambers, crematoriums, barracks, or even watchtowers. That is because the Nazis destroyed all of it before the end of the war. In an attempt to hide the evil of what they had done, they took down the camp before the Soviet Union got to it. Today, the land that once was a Nazi concentration camp has become just an open field, commonly used as a park. When we visited Plaszow, we saw people taking casual walks and groups of friends hanging out, chatting, and fooling around there. It is a controversial topic, whether or not this should be allowed or accepted, and I believe that it is ok. When people relax and walk with their family and friends here, it symbolizes the fact that the Holocaust and WWII are over. I think it is important for people to be educated and aware of where there are in order to avoid any unknowingly inappropriate behavior, but I do not think it is bad to enjoy yourself on this open field. There were only two informational/educational signs across the entire, very large field, and one monument built by the communists after the war. I think there should be more memorials or information about this concentration camp in order to give proper respect to the Jews and non-Jews who went through hell here, but at the same time, the Holocaust is over and whether or not we like it, and the camp is no longer there. I believe many would agree with me when I say that no death camp should be rebuilt for educational purposes, so a beautiful open field in its place is a good alternative. As long as people are given the opportunity to learn about what Plaszow was, and as long as it is given the proper respect by the Poles and tourists who visit it, why not enjoy it and appreciate its natural beauty? Places like these will always be stained by the dark history of the Shoah, but they can still be beautiful.

When our group got on the plane to go back to Israel after such a meaningful trip, I thought about what it meant to me that I was returning the Jewish state; Eretz Yisroel. I was returning home. After learning about the history of the Jewish people, especially in modern times and during the Holocaust, it’s evident how important it is to have a Jewish state. Prior to the Holocaust, the Jews felt safe in Europe, Poland, and even Germany and thought of themselves as loyal citizens to their country. They felt safe and felt like those places were their homes, but it’s clear now how fast things changed for the Jews. I am so thankful that we have a state where Jews do not fear the possibility of anti-Semitism on a large scale within their own county. Jews now have a strong military to protect their borders and their safety. The IDF has soldiers that fight for the existence of their nation every single day. I am not only lucky to live in a time where Israel exists, but where I am able to come study for an entire semester and learn about the history of my people. I looked down before we landed in Israel and thanked G-d for everything I have.  Before leaving Poland we all had to choose one responsibility that we would put upon ourselves once we arrived back in Israel and eventually the United States. When I return to the United States, I will stand strong and vocal against anti-Semitism and speak up against anyone who denies the Holocaust. I think it is ridiculous that people get away with such an uneducated and ignorant claim. If I ever hear someone try to disprove the Holocaust, I will make sure this person knows about everything that I have seen first-hand in Poland. I will fight anti-Semitism, if at all possible, non-violently. I believe in free speech and everyone’s right to state their opinions, but I will always try my best to educate others as best as I possibly can. Anti-Semitism is becoming a bigger problem every day in the United States, but I think Judaism still has a future there. I will do everything in my power to protect Jews in America. This is my Jewish responsibility.