March of the Living - Day 4
Another early start since there is so much to do. We had an amazing and inspiring walking tour of Krakow. Several synagogues, a JCC, Schindler factory, a bathroom break where we ran into 1/4 of the people on the March - there were blue jackets all over Krakow, and even Emma Weiss who is here with BBYO. Cantor Ed led us and another group in HaTikvah in one of the synagogues. What a talented Cantor! His voice filled the old shul.
The area had old symbols of the Jewish life that once filled the streets, but also new life as all the shops were clearly targeting the Jewish tourists. My favorite was Sababa - Hummus and Happiness. I think we need one of those back home. It oddly made me feel at home.
Then, what we were here to do, we marched, with 13,000 (!) other people of all ages and nationalities and religions from Auschwitz to Birkenau (Auschwitz II). As we marched the almost two mile walk, people lined the route as if it were a parade. Some cheered, they held posters, and even handed out flyers of support. There was heavy security sharp shooters on the roofs, Polish police lined the path - standing with their backs to us to protect the marchers. There were Israeli flags every where, as well as some from other countries. I had brought a few flags, so our group mwarched with pride holding the ISreli flags as well. We marched with pride, we left walking OUT of Aushwitz, leaving the Arbeit Macht Frie gate behind us. Thousands of Jews walking out of Aushwitz, free, that is uplifting.
The ceremony was lovely - a survivor, a mother and daughter - the mom participated in the first march, and her daughter this one, politicians, the chief cantor of the IDF (Chris summarized his talent well by saying he'd go to shul daily to hear that amazing voice), and many meaningful prayers and poems.
The group then boarded a bus for along ride back to the Warsaw airport - it is ff to Berlin in the morning. chris and I are making a detour. We hired a car and came to Worclaw, Poland, formerly Breslau, Germany, where my father was born. He left around age 5 in the late 1930's. My sister visited here so she told us which hotel to stay in - she happened to reserve it for her visit - and as fate operates - it is right across the street from the Jewish courtyard. This is were the old Stork Synagogue has been refurbished, a synagogue desecrated during Kristallnacht, and my grandfather ran into the flames to save the torah. It is also where my fathers grandparents lived. Even though we arrived late, we decided to visit the courtyard. We walked in and saw a pub with outside seating on one side - and the refinished synagogue, now more a museum, on the other. It is also where the office for the Jewish community is located - perhaps in the exact spot that was my great grandparents home. The pub had a live musician playing Riders on the Storm (The Doors) - a song that my brother always used to listen to in the dark to get ready for his basketball games. If he was in a good mood, he'd let me join him. We also read the synagogue had been refurbished by R and P Ehrlich - my parents are Rae and Peter (My fathers birth name in German). We were meant to be there!
My family who has been here suggested I contact the director of the Jewish community. So I called....this poor woman. I call her and explain my story and why I want to visit....tomorrow. Again, as fate would have it - tomorrow morning there is a plaque dedication ceremony honoring the Jewish residents who were deported! She invited us to be her guests. Of course we said yes. So tomorrow we will tour the synagogue/museum visit my great grandfathers grave, he was a Judge here and was buried in a prominent cemetery, then attend this ceremony. I am honored. We then rush off to Berlin to meet the group for Shabbat.
Before I left the group, I asked them to remove the name tags. We have experienced 4 long emotional days, but it is time to focus on life and renewal. That is the goal of the next few days. We leave the name tags behind, but what we saw will forever be with us, we can now bear witness. We will never forget.
The area had old symbols of the Jewish life that once filled the streets, but also new life as all the shops were clearly targeting the Jewish tourists. My favorite was Sababa - Hummus and Happiness. I think we need one of those back home. It oddly made me feel at home.
Then, what we were here to do, we marched, with 13,000 (!) other people of all ages and nationalities and religions from Auschwitz to Birkenau (Auschwitz II). As we marched the almost two mile walk, people lined the route as if it were a parade. Some cheered, they held posters, and even handed out flyers of support. There was heavy security sharp shooters on the roofs, Polish police lined the path - standing with their backs to us to protect the marchers. There were Israeli flags every where, as well as some from other countries. I had brought a few flags, so our group mwarched with pride holding the ISreli flags as well. We marched with pride, we left walking OUT of Aushwitz, leaving the Arbeit Macht Frie gate behind us. Thousands of Jews walking out of Aushwitz, free, that is uplifting.
The ceremony was lovely - a survivor, a mother and daughter - the mom participated in the first march, and her daughter this one, politicians, the chief cantor of the IDF (Chris summarized his talent well by saying he'd go to shul daily to hear that amazing voice), and many meaningful prayers and poems.
The group then boarded a bus for along ride back to the Warsaw airport - it is ff to Berlin in the morning. chris and I are making a detour. We hired a car and came to Worclaw, Poland, formerly Breslau, Germany, where my father was born. He left around age 5 in the late 1930's. My sister visited here so she told us which hotel to stay in - she happened to reserve it for her visit - and as fate operates - it is right across the street from the Jewish courtyard. This is were the old Stork Synagogue has been refurbished, a synagogue desecrated during Kristallnacht, and my grandfather ran into the flames to save the torah. It is also where my fathers grandparents lived. Even though we arrived late, we decided to visit the courtyard. We walked in and saw a pub with outside seating on one side - and the refinished synagogue, now more a museum, on the other. It is also where the office for the Jewish community is located - perhaps in the exact spot that was my great grandparents home. The pub had a live musician playing Riders on the Storm (The Doors) - a song that my brother always used to listen to in the dark to get ready for his basketball games. If he was in a good mood, he'd let me join him. We also read the synagogue had been refurbished by R and P Ehrlich - my parents are Rae and Peter (My fathers birth name in German). We were meant to be there!
My family who has been here suggested I contact the director of the Jewish community. So I called....this poor woman. I call her and explain my story and why I want to visit....tomorrow. Again, as fate would have it - tomorrow morning there is a plaque dedication ceremony honoring the Jewish residents who were deported! She invited us to be her guests. Of course we said yes. So tomorrow we will tour the synagogue/museum visit my great grandfathers grave, he was a Judge here and was buried in a prominent cemetery, then attend this ceremony. I am honored. We then rush off to Berlin to meet the group for Shabbat.
Before I left the group, I asked them to remove the name tags. We have experienced 4 long emotional days, but it is time to focus on life and renewal. That is the goal of the next few days. We leave the name tags behind, but what we saw will forever be with us, we can now bear witness. We will never forget.
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