Personal Reflection II- Ashley Scully

Friday March 15, 2013

I journeyed through the remains of Hell,

Passed a gate that read Arbeit Macht Frei.

This place is called Auschwitz,

A realm separate from the world with a broken ground,

Here lies a rupture in humanity.

All alone in the remains of Hell,

I was not in danger.

All that is left are human ashes, crumbling chambers, and a deafening silence.

Without my rosary I could not pray,

I felt a presence of absence and an absence of presence.

God was absent,

I did not feel God’s presence.

But I heard a voice echo through the birch trees,

“You must finish this journey and witness what was done,

I am not here because it is a sad place for a creator to be dwelling.”

I took a deep breath,

And walked the railroad tracks without God to guide me.

To my right, I see the blocks where they slept.

To my left, I see the remains of the gas chambers where they died.

Up above, the sky was gray.

Even the sun was absent in this place.

On the ground, I see the ashes…. the ashes of my distant relatives of faith.

My soul writhed in pain.

I journeyed through the remains of Hell,

Passed a gate that read Arbeit Macht Frei.

And I lived to tell this tale.

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Goodbye- Ashley Scully

Friday March 15, 2013

Today is our last day in Poland. I cannot believe how quickly the week went by. When I look back, I am amazed how much I have grown intellectually and spiritually. I realized over the past few days that I want to continue my education in the Shoah studies. I feel there is much more to learn—I have new questions that need to be answered. One important question I can answer now is what the Shoah means to me.

In my eyes, the Shoah was not only a rift in the history of the Jewish people but also a rift in human history. There are wounds that still need to be healed and/or strengthened such as Jewish-Christian relations. Looking back, this was a unique trip because as I am learning Memory and Reconciliation: The Churches and the Holocaust, the Vatican elects a new pope. I realized that in the post-Shoah world, new leaders will emerge in Christianity and Judaism. It is essential that they continue to strengthen Jewish-Christian relations and that they ask themselves what the Shoah means to Judaism and to Christianity. I also realized that as a Catholic, I have a responsibility to help strengthen Jewish-Christian relations as well. This responsibility should not be left up to religious leaders, but shared with the people of faith as well.

It is important to note that the meaning of the Shoah will differ for everyone, especially future generations who will no longer have a direct family and/or memory to the Holocaust. It is important to be mindful of the different experiences that future generations will have when they learn about the Shoah. In some ways, there will be challenges in teaching to future generations about an atrocity that no longer has living survivors to share their personal experiences. Also, there are artifacts on display now that will not be on display in the future because of preservation reasons such as the collection of hair that belonged to Jewish prisoners. 

The hair of Jews who passed away in Auschwitz. Most of the hair contains the chemical
Cyclone B used in the gas chambers.

Therefore, students today should visit Auschwitz soon so generations tomorrow can have that direct memory and learn about these artifacts and personal stories of survivors from us.

When I leave Poland, I will leave a piece of my heart behind. In the future, I will come back and bring my family and friends so they can witness Auschwitz. I want them to go on a similar educational and spiritual journey I went through during my stay in Poland. When I come home, I will continue educating others about Jewish life before, during, and after the Shoah. It is important for me to continue the Jewish-Christian dialogue and to spread awareness about my experiences in Poland. I highly recommend this trip for all Iona students—this is one trip you will never forget. Thank you Dr. Elena Procario-Foley!

Our last day spent in Krakow's market square!

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Disturbing Art- Ashley Scully

Thursday March 14, 2013

Marian Kolodziej is a Polish Catholic who used art to give testimony to the horrors of Auschwitz and of the world today, and whose body of work provides a testament to suffering and “man’s inhumanity to man.”

Marian was on one of the first transports to enter Auschwitz. His prison number was 432. He survived and never spoke of his experience for 50 years. After a serious stroke in 1993, he began rehabilitation by doing pencil drawings depicting the experiences that he and others endured in the concentration camp. These drawings, in their skeletal detail, are a gripping depiction of the pain, death, and suffering of the camp. He shows the starvation of Jews and the Nazis’ abuse on Jewish prisoners. While most of the drawings represent the memories of his hellish experiences in Auschwitz, some tell stories of small acts of kindness and dignity. An example is the picture he has of Fr. Maximilian Kolbe holding a dying Jew in his arms. Marian’s story of life before, during, and after Auschwitz are a testament to the human spirit. Even in some of the most gruesome pictures, there is a small depiction of light or a crucifix-symbolizing faith, hope, and the presence of God. Marian’s drawings, which he called The Labyrinth, fill the large basement of a church near Auschwitz and draw visitors into the nightmarish trauma of the holocaust. 



“This is not an exhibition, nor art. These are not pictures. These are words locked in drawings…I propose a journey by way of this labyrinth marked by the experience of the fabric of death…It is a rendering of honor to all those who have vanished in ashes.” -Marian Kolodziej



In The Labyrinth, Marian takes the audience on a journey through his drawings and art installations. Through The Labyrinth, we explored the memories and nightmares of a man, who like so many others buried experiences deep within. Marian was in the same roll call and cell block as Fr. Maximilian Kolbe, who voluntarily took the place of a prisoner condemned to death and was later executed. This self-less act became legendary in Auschwitz and inspired the entire camp---somehow an act of love and courage stood as a testament to good in the face of overwhelming evil. Marian’s numerous drawings of his friend Kolbe are stark and iconographic. Kolbe is now a saint in the Catholic Church.

In my opinion, Marian’s artwork is brilliant and disturbing. I cannot imagine having those horrific images in my head. I wonder if survivors have similar images come to mind when they share their experiences of the camps to others. I learned that after his stroke, Marian spent 15 years sketching pictures. He was determined to put on paper every image, every scene, and every face that he recalls from the camp. He was so determined that his friends and loved ones worried that Marian would suffer another stroke from the stress of creating his artwork. The Labyrinth showed me the trauma that survivors suffer after their experiences in the Shoah. I admire Marian for his artwork- I cannot imagine how difficult it was for him to spend another 15 years reliving his experiences in the Shoah; and it was done for people like me who wish to educate themselves about the Shoah. Thank you Marian.

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Kaitlynn O'Reilly: March 16, 2013

Poland 

 Leaving the center the sun was shining.  Finally there were blue skies in Poland, like an invitation to Spring back home.

It has been a full week with long days and short nights of sleep, but the trip was entirely worth it.

Taking a moment to look back on it now, as I sit in the Krakow airport at Gate 6, I know that I have grown as a person.  This experience is one that will stay with me, in all the sights, sounds, and scents of Poland.

Or in the silence.

I'm thankful to the people who shared their stories, gave lectures, tours, car rides, and hospitality.  They each are an inspiration for continuing dialogue and remembrance and education on the Holocaust. 

When we first landed in Krakow and drove through the countryside, I fell in love with Poland.  Coming to Poland was my first taste of Europe.  I hope that one day I can explore more of Europe, possibly with another opportunity as extraordinary as this one.  

For anyone who is interested in this trip next year, expect to be busy and to be cold.  There is no time for partying, but the people that you will meet could not be better.  As long as you take this experience to heart, regardless of the work involved the trip will be worth it to you, just bring many many layers of clothing.  

Thank you to everyone who has followed my blog and the blogs of my friends!
Check out the blogs next year too as we continue to grow. 

Sincerely,

Kaitlynn O'Reilly 

PS: I left a piece of my heart in Poland.

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Reflections--Danielle Sargent

March 16, 2013

Returning to the United States was surprisingly overwhelming.  I had overheard many of my peers stated that they were “ready to go home,” but I could not help but feel differently.  I did not want to leave Poland because I felt like I still had so much to learn.  I can still learn while in the United States of course, but it is not the same without having a hands-on experience being able to see where these events physically occurred.  This experience was so valuable to my education; I cannot even begin to describe it.  I have been taught information about the Holocaust since I was in the sixth grade, and I do not believe that I have learned as much about it in those past eight years than I have learned in these past eight days in Poland. 

Most importantly out of all the things that I have learned during this trip, I learned more about myself.  I learned that I am able to learn so much more while I am close to the artifacts and seeing as I am listening and reading.  It is not enough just to read the books, but to actually see through my own eyes what I have been reading about makes the entire Holocaust seem so much more real.  This was the point which I stopped studying and started feeling for all of those that had lost their lives during this horrible time in history.

Photos of Prisoners

 

I have taken with me so much from Poland; one thing including the feeling of standing on the same spot which others had perished.  Not many people can say that they have stood where the Nazis have stood or where the prisoners have stood.  I can.  However, it is much more than that.  I was able to feel the energy of the camp and see its remains and how the entire area was masked by the overcast and lack of sun:  the lack of happiness. 

Now that I am home, I still feel the need to travel back to Poland to see what else that I can learn from the land and the remains of the Holocaust.  This trip has also inspired me to learn more about other events and to travel more to see where other things have occurred.  There is so much information that the world is holding within that I need to discover for myself.  I have read books and have seen the films, but I know that my thirst for knowledge will not be quenched until I am standing on the same spot where something significant has happened.  I want to see the change that an event has made in the world.  I want to learn from it and take its lesson with me into the future and let others know about my experiences.  Without this, history, along with its importance is forgotten.  Without this, humanity might be lost.  It is important to learn from the past to create a better future, and I am more motivated now to do so than I have ever been before in my life. 

 

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Krakow--Danielle Sargent

March 15, 2013

Today we went to Krakow which is a major city in Poland.  Here we were able to see firsthand the different cultures of the town.  I think that this was an important part of the trip because we were able to see the before and after effects of the Holocaust.  Even though the Holocaust happened, the people of Poland are still able to live everyday as a new day without the burden of the past, which we were able to see in Krakow.

During our tour of Krakow, we were able to see different synagogues and Jewish cemeteries, both of which are still active.  This was refreshing to see especially after we had just taken tours of the concentration camps.  It was great to see that the religion as well as its people survived and still thrive today. 

Following seeing how the country of Poland was able to regenerate after the Holocaust, we attended a service at a synagogue.  This was a new experience for me but I looked forward to it, partially because I enjoy learning new things, and also because I wanted to see how their service went along despite the occurrence of the Shoah.  However, I learned that any topic that might cause tension is not talked about.  This topic was not brought up at all, even though it was held in a make-shift synagogue within a Holocaust based gallery. It is very inspiring to see how their faith survived despite how hardly many people tried to destroy it.

It is easy to say that today was probably one of the most tiring days that we have had both physically and mentally.  So I think it is safe to say that over the next few days, all the information that I have obtained today will continue to sink in.  In a way, this might be a good thing because it can symbolize for me the effects of the Holocaust still sinking in on the younger generations, and how it impacts how they go about their day.  I know that after today, the way that I live my life will significantly be changed, and I will be more reflective on the things that I have now in relation to what the prisoners of the Holocaust had taken away from them.

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Kate Ann Gonta: Remembering

I remember the first night that we arrived in Poland and how Sister Mary told us that our trip would have four dimensions.  I’m glad to say that I believe I experienced all of them.  The first dimension was to be silent and listen. Listen to the earth.  As we visited Auschwitz and Birkenau, I definitely felt and heard the earth.  The stories of suffering the ground of the camps had were overwhelming. I could hear the screams and cries of the mothers and children.  I could hear all the people asking questions and praying.  I found myself asking the questions as well.  The second dimension was to listen to the voice of our own hearts. Connect the memory of the past with us today.  This past week I have been trying to do this and I have to admit it has been a little challenging for me.  I still can’t wrap my head around how a tragedy like this could have happened and lasted for as long as it did.  How could humans do this to other human beings and how come no one tried to stop this until years later? And because of this I have had a little trouble connecting when I can’t even fully understand the concept.  However, all I know is that I will not be a bystander.  I will tell the stories of those lost so that they will be remembered, always. The third dimension was to listen to the voice of others. To know the facts and make connections.  This kind of ties along to the last point, I made.  I thought I knew a lot about the Holocaust coming into this trip, but the truth is I learned more than I could have ever imagined.  Touring the camps was a lesson in itself.  Seeing the camps and feeling the air surrounding them made it all come to life.  Listening to stories of survivors, made it more real.  This is not something you can learn in a classroom and I am so thankful I had the opportunity to learn about the Holocaust this way.  The last dimension was to listen to the voice of god.  Only then can we encounter questions and understand the Jewish/ Christian relations.  Even though I asked myself every day “Why would God let this happen?” I do believe that he was in the camps.  The stories that I heard of prisoners keeping their faith and hope alive while in the camps was so inspiring to me.  Especially the story of Maximillian Kolbe stepping up and offering his life to save another prisoners life.  All this would not have happened if God was not present in these camps.
Even though this trip was very emotional for me, I would not have traded it for the world.  I am truly blessed to have been able to go on a trip like this and I will always remember what I learned and how I felt while being in Poland. I vow to honor the innocent lives lost during the holocaust and to spread their stories.

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A Theatrical Production--Danielle Sargent

March 14, 2013

Today was one of our more “slower” days in Poland.  We were not shuffling around Poland constantly going from one place to another.  Instead, we spent the majority of our day in different lectures learning about the Holocaust from different perspectives.  One of these perspectives was about the way that the Holocaust is portrayed theatrically by Professor Donnarumma.  The one place that we did go during the day was to a place called Harmeze where we received a tour of an art gallery.  This gallery was full of artwork created by a Holocaust survivor, whose story was very inspiring to me.   

This Holocaust survivor, number 423:  Marian Kolodziej.  He had suffered from a stroke, and when he woke up, the first thing he asked for was a pencil.  Before this, Marian never really spoke about what he had went through during the Holocaust, but this began his long journey into expressing himself.  He had drawn hundreds and hundreds of faces and eyes as well as other images to show his memories of the camps and of the other prisoners. 

 

His artwork is very raw and it expresses how the prisoners were stripped of everything and left with nothing but their bare bones.  The gallery was displayed in a dungeon type environment which was cold, dirty, and eerie, which I believe is perfect for the type of message he is trying to get across to his audience:  the message of pain and suffering and survival.   Marian Kolodziej also showed a separation between good and evil in his artworks by splitting one of the rooms into artworks which reflected those that had tried to help the prisoners versus another side which depicted the Nazis and those who sought to harm the prisoners. 

Reflecting back on the lecture with Professor Donnarumma, I am intrigued by how Marian was choosing to express himself with his artworks, when sometimes some of the prisoners were forced to do so while in the camp.  A lot of people do not know this, but sometimes the prisoners were forced to perform shows for the officers.  They even had buildings designated for such things.  In the concentration camp of Buchenwald, these activities were licensed and illicit.  The prisoners could only perform for the guards, and not for each other or in their spare time (although many still did).  In the Dachau concentration camp, theatre was not permitted whatsoever except when outsiders visited the camps, in which case it was used to make the camp look good and seem as normal as possible.

According to some, the healthiest release was in the form of satire and making fun of certain parts of camp life.  For some, this was the only way to get through the day.  Thinking about the Holocaust, this is something that I would not have expected to have occurred, but learning about it, it makes sense.  These activities for the prisoners proved that humanity still existed for them even while the Nazis thought otherwise.

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Kaitlynn O'Reilly: What Surprised Me From the Beginning

During the first days of class I was surprised by something which still has a similar effect on me today. 

The thing which surprised me is that Nazi measures closely mirror Canonical Law, which means that Nazis seem to have formed their ideas from past Christian ones. 

Anti-Semitism is a long standing problem in Christianity, mainly with the deicide charge that the Jews were responsible for the death of Christ, even though he could have only been killed by Romans.  This deicide charge was invalidated by the doctrine Nostra Aetate in 1965, and work between Jewish and Christian relations continues. 

However the past reveals a shocking story, which some of my friends do not believe.  In year 306 there was prohibition of intermarriage and sexual intercourse between Christians and Jews.  The Nazi measure of the Law for the Protection of German Blood and Honor of Septmeber 15, 1935 mirrors this.  Another Canonical law is of the 4^th Lateran Council of 1215, which was the marking of Jews with a badge.  Christians wore blue belts and Jews wore yellow belts.  This leads to the Nazi decree on September 1, 1941 that Jews must wear the Yellow Star.  In 1267 Jews were put into compulsory ghettos by Synod of Breslau, which was an order by Heydrich on September 21, 1939.  These are only three examples out of the 13 in the table that I was given.  

I find it hard to believe that Christians following their faith could make such laws, which reminds me of the lecture of Father Dr. Kamikowska.  He spoke to us with a translator one morning about different perspectives on the Holocaust: Jewish, Christian German, Christian Polish.  He also discussed his article “Looking at Auschwitz from the Polish Point of View.”  As he was speaking, his comment that he was surprised there were other bishops in Germany stuck with me and I asked him to clarify when he was finished speaking.  I asked if he meant that he did not think there were bishops in Germany or if he had meant something else by it.  His reply was more or less because the image of Germans in the Polish conscious or subconscious was that they were an evil occupant, a perpetrator.  Germans had the image of men who invaded Poland.  Kamikowska remembers the fear in his Mother’s eyes when she heard the German language.  He did not think of any religion tied to Germans.  However, this was his first impression.  Upon analysis it became obvious that there must be Christians in Germany.  

Nazi measures which mirror Christian Canonical Laws, and a faithless group in a land where Christians must exist, gives a negative view of Christianity.  But the noteworthy work in the positive direction cannot be forgotten either, and will continue with the new Pope.  

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Keep Talking--Danielle Sargent

March 13, 2013

I have learned the importance of communication during this trip, especially in relation to continuing to talk about the issues and events in history.  After the Holocaust, this subject became “taboo” for many people to talk about.  Some people even doubted the fact that the Holocaust even happened at all.  For the survivors, it is understandable why they might have a hard time talking about their story, but I want to express to you the importance of spreading the stories that have already been told.

Without doing so, history can be lost.  Jolanta Ambrosewicz-Jacobs emphasizes “resolution of conflict and reduction of cognitive dissonance” in her article, “So Many Questions:  The Development of Holocaust Education in Post-Communist Poland”.  She explains the importance of educating students to learn about the Holocaust so that they have a full awareness of the world’s history.  Also, by learning about this event in history, this can help to diminish the possibility of something like this reoccurring in the future. 

Many people, who have heard about the Holocaust while it was occurring, failed to talk about it because they felt powerless.  This is important to take into consideration.  The failure to talk about something so serious that is happening in the world can have extreme repercussions.  It leads to a lack of understanding as well as a lack of importance to others.  In the case of the Holocaust, it caused millions their lives.  Maybe if someone had spoke up; maybe if someone had shared what they knew; maybe if people formed an organization to rebel; maybe if someone formed an army to take down the Nazis….maybe things would have been different.  This is something that we will never know. 

Having a lecture with Dr. Jolanta in the Przegoraly Castle today definitely brought to life the issues in her article.  She spoke about Robert Traba’s Memory Formation related to World War II that has three phases.  The first phase is the “living memory” phase which occurred from 1944-1949.  The second phase is “legalized memory” from 1950-1979 which is also known as “confiscated memory”.  The third phase is the attempt of “memory reanimation” which occurs after 1980.  Putting this progression of memory into words helps to understand what is going on in the minds of the survivors. 

Our Group with Dr. Jolanta

Unfortunately for many, the survivors must undergo their traumatic experiences and take in what is happening around them (phase I).  Afterwards, those that survived look at what happened to them, but may not necessarily be comfortable talking about it yet.  For many, this was the case (phase II).  Finally, survivors may attempt to portray their experiences to others through speech, writing, or art (phase III).  It is through these three phases that we are able to learn about what happened during the Holocaust.  For it to be such a long treacherous process for the survivors to begin to talk about what they have been through, it almost seems wrong to not keep their stories going in order to let people know what really went on during the Holocaust so that it can be prevented in the future.

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