Dizeń Jeden

We’re Here!

After hours of flying, we finally arrived to our home for the week and started the day! There was no time to rest after two flights - one for seven and a half hours to Berlin, Germany and then one for an hour and a half to Krakow, Poland. 

We are staying at the Center for Dialogue and Prayer in Oswiecim. We had the pleasure of spending the day with Sister Mary O’Sullivan as our guide. She told us all about the center. Cardinal Macharski founded the center in 1992. The Center’s mission is to honor the memory of all the Holocaust victims and offer peace and reconciliation to the world. They welcome groups of all ages from all around the world with tremendous hospitality and great food. See left a picture of Dr. Procario-Foley leading us in.

After learning more about Auschwitz and Jewish culture at the Auschwitz Jewish Center, Sister Mary took us around the town showing us many important spots of Oswiecim. She took us down, what used to be known as, the Jewish Street - see picture to the right. On this street we saw the spot that the Great Synagogue would be today. The synagogue used to be a center for Jewish culture and education. The Germans burned it down in November of 1939. The only remains of the synagogue are an empty field and a sign to represent its place – see picture below.

Sister Mary took us to the square in town. She was telling us about the market space that the square turns into. Back before the Holocaust, Jews would be the main sellers at the market. Although Oswiecim used to have a high population of Jews, not one Jewish person lives in the town today.

One main reason why there are no more Jews in this town is because the death, concentration, and work camp, Auschwitz, is located here. I can see the camp from the Center for Dialogue and Prayer. Although the location where thousands of Jews had been murdered is right across the street, the Center for Prayer and Dialogue has been very comforting and welcoming. 

Lastly, Sister Mary took us to the Jewish Cemetery. In 1939 when the Germans invaded they destroyed the cemetery. There was an eerie feeling that came upon me when I walked into the graveyard. Moss was growing all over the tombstones and many of them were broken. None of gravestones were in their correct place. It was very emotional. You could feel the spirit of the ground.

I thought back to the car ride from the airport to the center. I had seen two cemeteries in the hour trip. Each tomb was covered with beautiful, colorful, fresh flowers. The whole cemetery was colored like a rainbow. 

Comparing the two places was so disheartening. Every human being deserves a place to rest after they pass. Seeing the two reminded me something that Maestro Sidlin told us in our class: Jews had everything taken away from them - even their cemeteries. 

On a lighter note, below is an adorable picture of a nun playing tennis. Also, Fred has fallen asleep at every location today because he did not sleep on the plane. However, Fred did stop our van from rolling back into traffic. 

Poland 4, Fred 1.