As I leave Poland this morning, I
have a feeling of accomplishment. I am proud of the fact that I have furthered
my knowledge concerning the events of the Shoah. I have gained a deeper
perspective of these events through physically visiting the sites of the camps
and hearing the stories of various victims and survivors. Additionally, as a
result of this trip and of visits to the sites, I recognize and I realize my
personal responsibility that has been discussed all during the week: the
responsibility to, as a result of this experience, direct one’s life in a
positive manner that brings about positive change in one’s community, even if
it is only through small means such as collecting items for the homeless. This
responsibility, which is already present in my life and which I already act
upon through service to others in my community, will now be an even greater
priority as a result of this trip.
I am proud to have gained a deeper
sense of my heritage through this study abroad trip. Fr. Jan Novak, whom I met
yesterday, told me that it is my personal duty (as a result of visiting Poland)
to return to Poland one day in order to further my knowledge of my heritage
here. I took this statement quite seriously and I hope to one day return to
this country in order to complete this task. I feel a connection between myself
and this place and it has now become extremely important to me. I hope to one
day learn fluent Polish and be able to teach this to my family. Additionally, I
would like to start a fund to bring Polish students to America to be able to
give them opportunities to have a perspective on my home country as well.
Additionally, I want to further my
knowledge of the Shoah on my own time. I would like to know more about the
American and Russian involvement in World War II, particularly regarding the
stories of the soldiers who assisted escapees or victims. The film: Hidden In Silence is one example of
this type of research that I would like to review. In the story, Fushia
Pedgorska hides Jews in her Polish home during the war, and at the end, both
she and her hiding friends receive aid from Russian soldiers. I would like to
know if these stories are common or if this is just a matter of happenstance.
It would be interesting to find accounts of US soldiers who assisted Jews by
smuggling them to our country, but this may be highly unlikely or rare.
Finally, for me, this trip was a
type of retreat. I was able to contemplate and reflect on various issues that I
have been having in my own life and I believe that I have experienced some
healing in this regard. I am peaceful, and ready with a firm purpose to return
home and to continue to have this peace surround both myself and those that I
love.
0 comments:
Post a Comment