Stephanie Principal: Poland, Finally Here!!

Today march 9^th 2013; we finally arrived in Poland, Oswiecim. We visited the Jewish museum in which I learned a few things such as wear a Kippah when entering the synagogue. Now I knew that it was mandatory for Jewish people to do so but apparently any male entering the synagogue have to wear the Kippah . I also did not know that you could not touch the Torah for it is sacred and has to be touch with a pointer.

Auschwitz is not what I would call a modern town but it is certainly simple, vague and beautiful. It seemed that Jewish people no longer reside here. I could totally understand why. Some of them work here or visit. They were thrown out of their home and separated from their families. We watched a documentary at the museum and a lot of them did not want to come back or did not even want to talk about Poland. They preferred Israel for they called it Home. Some of them admitted that Poland was their Home too but even after the war, they were chased out.

 “Every step you take is painful”. Indeed it is because it is not the same ground you walked on years ago. This ground is the witness of thousands who died. Every time the survivors would come back to Poland, memories would come back, if not even more painful than what they went through. While they are taking steps, asking why which they have been asking for quite a while now but there is no answer. No one could ever answer that question except for Hitler himself.  

Furthermore, Auschwitz doesn’t exist for them. It was always Oswiecim and will remain that way. When someone says Auschwitz, the first thing that comes in mind is Shoah, concentration camps and how millions of innocents were murdered for absolutely no reason. But, when you say Oswiecim, it brings memories and how families were together before.