Orly Shachar: A Letter to a Child No More

Natasha Kisler Shachar. Born in 1931. In Auschwitz 1944.

A letter to Natasha Kisler Shachar:

Dear Natasha:

Today, I brought you back with me to Auschwitz, a place you didn’t want to ever see again. The journey is not finished, I said, and you looked the other way. It looks the same and it feels as bad, you said, and I looked right past you. The light, so gray and pitiful, washed the country side with so much pain. The barb wire fence cut through the landscape with so much hate. The rain, these little misty drops of misery, covered everything with a thick layer of hurt.  Did you see the sun when you were here? Did you look around for spring in the midst of a perpetual winter?  You were only a child, beautiful and proud, when you arrived at the end of the world.  You looked up and saw nothing.  No love, no mercy, not even pity. The sun came down and then it disappeared.  Others thought it would come up again but you knew better.  There was no sun in your face, only a vast and cold emptiness of despair. Once you were a happy child, a loved child, a beautiful child.  Was this the end of your happiness? Did you see the tattered love before you?  Did you ever feel beautiful again?

Today, I am asking you, dear Natasha, to let me understand. My feet touch the ground you walked on.  My shoes leave marks where your toes dug in the soil. I see the horror and hear your cry.  Please stop, dear Natasha, stay put and explain. How?  Why? Just say.  Did you pretend it all away?  How did you manage?  Did you know then what I see today?

Today, I claim you, dear Natasha. Hold my hand and I will lead you out. Let me tell you what you are yearning to hear.  This terror will end. You will live again.  Look at me and see your son.  Wipe your tears and see your grandchildren.  We are all in you, beside you, ahead of you.  We will get you through it, calm you and encourage you. We will build you a home, give you a family and grant you much love. You are not alone.

Today, I pray for you, dear Natasha. A child of Auschwitz is only a flower waiting for the rain.  May your heart be filled with faith and patience. May the sun rest upon your face again. May love heal your wound and may peace nestle in your arms. Hope, Dear Natasha, hope hard and strong.

So, now it is time, Dear Natasha, it is time to leave this place. Hear the silence and cry no more. Find your way out and give us life.  Take your place among the living and know you won.  You looked the devil in the eye and he is no more.  You are free and we are you.

 Always,

Orly Shachar

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Stembridge Maimbo: If we do not remember

the quotation beside me stayed with me all through the day. walking on the grounds of Auswitz 1 was not easy. i must confess that it raised more questions in me than answers. as our tour guide was taking us round in variuos buildings where people who had different views from Nazis were kept, it was a sobering experience. I can't imagine how a normal person can do such horrible things to another person.
the exibition with hair that was cut from women's head after killing them made me cry. how do you do such a thing? the doctors carrying out experiment on gentics and reproduction on human beings. it is unimaginable. the rooms were cold. there was only one block i remember that had heating system. thats where the SS people were working from. as you can see my picture, i had a few extra layers because the place was wet and cold and later in the evening it was foggy. imagine the people that were kept there as prisoners who had no priviledge like me to wear extra layers. it was inhuman.
it was a time for me to re-evaluate what I hold dear in my heart. re-examining the values in life and my identity. who am I and how do I relate to other beings? Nazis used bioracial to try and exterminate the other race because they wanted a pure race. since you couldn't be here to feel the way I am feeling, I ask you to think of what could be done today to avoid a repeat of what happened at Auswitz. I learnt that it was not only the Polish Jews that were in these camps but also Polish, Gypyies, French, Russians, Hungarians and so on, that means, anyone in the world could have had come here.
i leave you with this quotation again from the camp. "We were also human beings." this was what is written at the end towards the crematorium.
i had a humbling experience.

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Kelsey: Wiara Nadziei Miłości ("Faith Hope Love")

Me eating Kremowoki

The White March in Krakow, Poland

Berek Joselewicz Street, known as Jewish street (the heart of spirtitual and communal life in Oswiecim) 

Happy Sunday! We got off to an early start this morning and had 7:30am breakfast (that included yummy cocoa pops). After breakfast we drove about 45 minutes to the town of Wadowice. The ride gave us a great chance to look at the Polish landscape. We passed Auschwitz 3 which was a chemical plant during WWII for the Nazis as well as British prisoner of war camp, among other things. Seeing the borders of the camps gave perspective to the massive amount of land they had under control to do what they wanted.

When we arrived in Wadowice it was very quiet, mostly all of the stores and shops were closed (as tradition for a Sunday) and the locals were all on their way to 9am mass. It also didn’t help that it was cold and raining. We saw the outside of what was the home of Pope John Paul II (his birthname is Karol Józef Wojtyła). The home however, is under huge renovations and is to be turned into a museum that captures the life of the former Polish Pope. Right next to the house is the Basilica of Wadowice, the same church John Paul grew up in and attended. While renovations are being done, there is a John Paul II exhibition near that contains many objects from his house, pictures of the Pope throughout his life, writings and so many other things that provide a great biography. I learned that growing up he had a real interest in the arts, wrote poems and even performed in plays. I also was fascinated by a large mural on the wall that depicts a picture of the city of Krakow on May 17, 1981. It was following the attempted assassination on John Paul’s life and the “White March” was held. Thousands and thousands of people filled the streets in honor of the Pope and it just showed the giant support he had. John Paul II was such a significant figure in Polish history because of the work he does as well as the fact that he was the first Polish Pope, and the first to replace over 400 years of Italian Popes. He was also elected at a rough point in Polish history; they had already suffered constant oppression specifically with the Nazi takeover during WWII along with the Communist takeover afterwards. His election to Papacy gave hope to many people. We also got to taste the Pope’s favorite dessert to have called Kremowiki. I would try to describe it but it will only make me want another because it was so delicious!

We also visited a Jewish cemetery that was used prior to WWII but still remains intact. This cemetery sits in a village locked away with little to no visitors and is a reminder of the Jewish population that once strived in Poland.

Our next stop was attending mass in the beautiful basilica in Wadowice. The mass was all in Polish so we had to try our best to follow what everyone did but we managed.

After lunch back at the Center, we went to a Jewish museum in Oswiecem. This was also another painful reminder of the damage WWII and the Holocaust had on the Jewish population. Oswiecem was once dominated by a 60% Jewish population. After the Nazi takeover their synagogues and homes were destroyed and the population is no longer present in the area. The museum is held in the only surviving temple that was used as possible Nazi weapon storage. Inside the museum are artifacts that were excavated from underground the once Giant Synagogue that dominated the village skyline before it was destroyed. Oh and then we got hot chocolate that is completely different from the US.. pure melted chocolate!

After dinner, we had a lecture from Fr. Dr. Manfred, a German priest that has lived in Poland for the last 22 years. His lecture was eye opening and introduced us to the different perspectives of the Holocaust, that of the Germans, the Polish and the Israelis. It will be useful to keep in mind on tomorrows visit into Auschwitz 1. Tomorrow will certainly be a life changing experience. Keep posted for the update! And I Hope everyone had a great weekend!

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Michelle: The Rainy Day That Could

Polish sunset, in Oswiecim

I think that picture of the beautiful sun is a fitting start to a blog about the day that itself started with disgusting rain. This morning was murky, to say the least, but getting out really cured it. Our first stop was Wadowice, the hometown of the Holy Father John Paul II.

Such a small and quaint place, it felt so unassuming in the morning. However, the church was the focal point of the huge square and I was amazed by how... well... for lack of a better phrase, "un-quaint" it was. On the contrary to its surroundings, it was absolutely beautiful, intricate, and detailed. I could probably fill up this blog with hundreds of pictures of the interior and exterior of the place. I easily see how the atmosphere could have inspired the Pope.

Pope John Paul II's home parish church

We went to the 12:00 mass, and it was actually a children's mass for young ones preparing for their first communion. They were incredibly adorable, and even if I couldn't understand a word of their Polish, it was nice seeing them so into the idea of mass and learning about religion. We also went to a temporary Pope John Paul II exhibit since the one in his old home is being renovated. The building that held this exhibit actually had in it a stage where young John Paul, known then as Karol Wojtyla, used to act in plays.

A recreation of Karol (left) on stage

Who would have known that the young Pope was an actor? I found this out to be the most interesting part of the exhibit, because it showed him as a person, a relatable person. It reminds me of one of my high school religion teachers. He kept pictures of Pope John Paul II making funny faces on the chalk board so I saw them every day, and I never realized why he did this. Today I saw that there is more to someone than the appearance they are perceived to have. It is important to recognize and embrace this.  Everyone has human qualities, even one of the most outstanding people who ever lived.

My goodness, I talked so much about Wadowice without mentioning the second half of our day, Oswiecim. Oh well, I think I can sum it up in a picture:

The most delicious hot chocolate ever from Oswiecim, Poland

See you all tomorrow and dobranoc!

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stembridge maimbo

you may wonder why Kremowki? this was the best dessert for late Pope John Paul II. this shop is just around the corner of where he was born and brought up. i couldnt resist the temptation to taste it. i wanted to have more.
my day was good despite it was rainy and cold and windy though we had sunshine later in the afternoon. i always felt there was something missing in the air but i could not put a hand on it. it was an experience of my own shadow. i was trying to listen to silence. below is the picture we took at what was an established Jewish cemetery. this grave in particular showed me how some Jews are so attached to this place. this was home and everything despite what happened.

the power of silence can be threatening but its worth taking it. i learnt more than i knew about the Polish people, Jews and Germans between 1939 and 1945. the complex nature of what happened is beyond my imagination.

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Chelsea: Our First True Polish Experience

Statue of Pope John Paul II in front of his childhood church in his native town of Wadowice

Headstones in Hebrew at a Jewish cemetery outside Wadowice

Today was our first true day of exploring and learning in Poland. It was a rough morning for me at first as I was battling an upset stomach. I have a weak stomach for travel, but to me it is definitely worth it to risk the minor suffering in return for a once in a life time experience! We began our morning under a gloomy rain but luckily by the end of the day the sun came out and I felt better and the day improved. Our first stop was the town of Wadowice: the former home of Pope John Paul II (pictured above). When we arrived we briefly explored the local market square, which is a fairly quiet and empty place due to some construction. We took a look at the outside of the Pope's native church as well, where we would be attending noon mass later in the day. The next stop was a museum commemorating the life and work of Pope John Paul II. This is a temporary exhibit set up due to continuing renovations on his old home, which will be the new site of the museum. It was very interesting to learn about Pope John Paul II for a number of reasons: he was native to Poland, the only Polish Pope to ever be elected, he was the first non-Italian Pope in over 400 years, and more relevant to this course, he was a key player in the improvement of Christian-Jewish relations. My only regret about the visit to Wadowice was that I was too sick to enjoy the Pope's favorite dessert: Kremowki. 

While most of our time in Wadowice was spent investigating the Catholic part of Polish culture, we spent the rest of the day delving into the Jewish history of the area (yes, history, because unfortunately the Jewish community no longer exists in this part of the country). During our time in Wadowice we drove to the outskirts of town to visit an old Jewish cemetery (pictured above). The cemetery is no longer in use and most of the stones remain from before the war. It is a quiet place on the edge of a river, but a certain presence still lingers. Though the Jewish community is non-existent in that region, evidence of activity are still visible in the cemetery. Polish cemeteries, I have learned, are well-kept, heavily visited, and very colorful. The more active cemeteries are filled with flowers and lamps of all colors and we're told that at night they are lit up. This Jewish cemetery, though for the most part abandoned, even has a few of these lamps proving that they are not completely forgotten.

The latter part of the day we spent in the town center of Oswiecim. We toured a Jewish museum and learned more about the Polish-Jewish community of the past. We saw the remnants of a standing (yet not practicing) synagogue as well as the empty pit that used to hold Oswiecim's Great Synagogue. As was the cemetery visit, this tour was a sobering experience and a reminder of what the country was like before the war, and the heavy absence that rests upon the community today as a result of the Holocaust.

We ended the day with a lecture from Father Manfred, another educator at the Centre. He spoke to us about three different perspectives of WWII and the Holocaust: the Jewish/Israeli perspective, the Polish perspective, and the German perspective. This foundation is vital in understanding the complexity of the dialogue of memory and reconciliation that began after the war. Fr. Manfred is an expert on Auschwitz; he wrote his dissertation on the camp's commander. One quote in particular from his lecture stood out to me. Speaking of Auschwitz, which is literally across the street from our accommodations, he said, "Everything is difficult here. The past is far away and the most important things are no longer here anymore and must be imagined." This statement helped to mentally prepare me for tomorrow, which will be our first visit to Auschwitz. It is a reminder that Auschwitz is not only a horrible reminder of human cruelty, but it is an engaging place; it provides the location, the context of history, but it is OUR responsibility to place our minds in the past and try to empathize with and better understand the suffering that faced victims of the Holocaust. And with this in mind I prepare myself for the long and heavy day that is before me.

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Kelsey: Warm Welcome

Me and my Polish Family

Dzień dobry! We are coming towards the end of our first day in Poland, half which was spent traveling to Oswiecem, Poland and the other half has been spent trying to adjust to a 6 hour time change (on about an hour’s sleep). The Center is beautiful and we’ve been treated with nothing but kindness and warm welcomes, especially from Sister Mary. Today was a special day for me. I had made arrangements to try to see my relatives that live in Poland and my cousin Anna (who’s wedding it was that I attended here a few years back), her husband Tomasz, her niece Iwona and their 18 month old daughter, Natalia, were able to visit me at the Center. It was so nice to be able to see them and catch up. I was so glad they took the time to stop by. Tomorrow will begin the real adventure as we start our day with a trip to Wadowice, the birthplace of Pope John Paul II. By then I should be well rested and have so much more to write about and pictures to show. Keep posted for more details. I will end with a quote from Pope John Paul II in honor of our visit tomorrow.

“When freedom does not have a purpose, when it does not wish to know anything about the rule of law engraved in the hearts of men and women, when it does not listen to the voice of conscience, it turns against humanity and society.”
- Pope John Paul II

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Michelle: Silence and the Lack Thereof

Driving into the Center for Dialogue and Prayer in Oswiecim.

Hi again, everyone... and now the real blogging begins since I am actually IN Poland. However, wow, that plane ride sure did take a toll on me. Trying to formulate my words into anything but, "I'm in Poland, oh my gosh!" is very hard, but I'll give it a shot.

Before I say anything though, I want to point out that the picture of the sign above was taken a few seconds before we pulled up to the center. We are that close. I knew that we were going to be... but it is surreal when the van pulls up and well... you finally really realize what you are getting yourself into and how much of an impact your experience could have on other people. For instance, every thing I am going to see this week, you're going to see through this blog, my mom is going to see through my words, my friends are going to see through the world of social networking, and my classmates are going to share in the seeing firsthand. My experiences are not just my own.  Maybe I knew this all along, but seeing that sign so close to where I am living this week really sealed the deal that this as more than just a trip and more than just school credit.

We also met with Sr. Mary today, one of the educators at the center. She further prepared us for what to expect. One of the most significant things she said is that we have to be aware of the silence. When we visit Auschwitz later in our trip, we have to acknowledge the sounds of absence, inherently the sounds of silence even if the world around us is noisy. We have to reflect.

If you're anything like me, you look for answers to requests like this in music. When she spoke all I could hear was "The Sound of Silence" by Simon and Garfunkel in my head.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqGP6p0mNc8&feature=related

Some of the lyrics:

"People talking without speaking
People hearing without listening
People writing songs that voices never share
And no one dared
Disturb the sound of silence"

Can't these verses, taken out of context of what the writers really wanted, almost perfectly describe common reactions to the Holocaust? Silence, repression, and fright. I think they do, but it also praises the alternative, speaking... disturbing that silence. That is what this whole course is about, and really what all teaching should ever attempt to achieve: opinions and conversation. 

Silence must be acknowledged, but it also must be spoken about.

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Chelsea: The Long Journey

Preparing for take-off with Air Berlin at JFK on Friday March 9th

Oswiecim (more infamously known by its German name Auschwitz) is where we will be staying and spending much of our time

After many long and grueling hours of travel we have finally made it to Oswiecim, Poland (pronounce it like "Oshviensheem" - that's my best guess at Polish phonetics)! We left JFK airport on the evening of Friday March 9th and after about seven hours of air travel, two hours of poor sleep, and a six hour time difference, we arrived in Berlin, Germany to connect to our flight to Krakow, Poland. The airport was extremely busy and crowded and we had to rush to connect - unfortunately there was no time to purchase any German souvenirs! - but we eventually made it and here I am now, writing you all from Poland!

The forty-five minute drive from Krakow to Oswiecim provided a great opportunity to catch a glimpse of the Polish landscape and culture. We were driven by a local retired policeman named Andre; he does not speak English but is a very kind man nonetheless, and what a lead-foot! I realized that in Poland they drive on the same side of the road as we do in the States, contrary to my previous belief. People also drive REALLY FAST! The landscape is fairly flat in this region with a few hills and a great deal of farmland dotted with small communities. However, Poland is not free from the grips of American commercialism- there is a KFC right down the road in Oswiecim! The architecture here is very interesting; what seems like a stucco exterior often with tile roofing. Some houses are brightly colored and adorned with beautiful glass work and iron fencing, while others are more simple. Either way, it seems like a unique and charming place and I am looking forward to exploring it further.

The drive to the Centre for Dialogue and Prayer in Oswiecim (where we will be staying and learning for the next week) also reminded me of why we are here. Along the route from Krakow to Oswiecim there are many bus stops. I do not speak or read Polish, but I did not need any knowledge of the language to understand what I saw spray-painted on one of these bus stops: a Star of David covered over by a big and threatening X. From our readings and class time in preparation from this trip I have learned that there are still many anti-Semitic feelings present in Poland even after the war, but seeing this with my own eyes really drove the message home.

We had a very warm welcome to the Centre from the reception staff as well as Sister Mary from the Centre's education department. The building itself is absolutely beautiful and provides a peaceful and relaxing environment which I anticipate will help us absorb all that we are about to learn in the next week. We learned a bit about why the Centre is here and what its mission is and were also given a respite from any further work so we could rest as we were all weary from our travels. So far we have had two meals here - lunch and dinner - and both were really delicious. I must admit I was a bit skeptical about whether or not I would enjoy the local cuisine. So the day is finally winding down after many long hours of struggling to stay awake. But may we rest up so that we may continue onward with our journey! Tomorrow it is off to Wadowice (the former home of Pope John Paul II) and the town of Oswiecim.

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stembridge :arrival news

we arrived safe at the centre for dialogue and prayer. its a beautiful place as you can see. this is just at the reception. People are very nice. Andre drove us from the airport in Krocow. we were using sign language as he can't speak English. it was a quiet journey apart from our own conversations and our own making of what we saw on the road as we couldn't read polish signs as well.
the journey beat us up. having a rest now. we will catch up with u in a few hours time.

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