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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