Arrival in Poland (Auschwitz 2015)

Jewish Cemetery in 

Oświęcim 

I am Jordan Darling, I'm a junior at Iona College and am studying for a double major in English and Religious Studies. One of the major reasons that I wanted to come on this trip is because it is truly an out of this world opportunity. As far as I know there is not another American college or university that facilitates a deep reflection on the Shoah from the perspective of Jewish Catholic relations.

What a strange feeling to be resting somewhere between delirious and and content surrounded by my classmates trying to triumph over technological woes. My plane rides were focused on readings of wonderful spiritual autobiographies from Thomas Merton and Theresa of Avila, and though perhaps not directly connecting with the Judaism aspect of our course, it indeed did begin to prepare me for this most moving a spiritually challenging immersion. 

Before leaving, I was constantly questioned by friends and acquaintances about how excited I was for Poland. Excitement is indeed a sliver of my emotions, but it is complicated by feelings of apprehension, respect for the undeniable seriousness, and those emotions which one can neither anticipate nor control. With regard to these dizzying emotional paradigms, my first step in Krakow felt true, the first step of a much deeper path. 

I found the tour through the Auschwitz Jewish Center extremely fascinating. It really solidified some of the important foundational work of grounding my understanding of Auschwitz in the broader history of Oświęcim. Although of course I knew that Poland throughout history was not a sovereign nation the idea of the country From 1711 until the end of the first World War, Poland was entrenched at various times in Austrian Hapsburg Empire, The Russian, and Prussian empires. 

The most heart-warming and of course eventually heart breaking aspects of this tour was the relationship that formed between the local Catholic priest and Rabbi. In between the two World Wars these special men did the extremely difficult work of creating an understanding and symbiotic relationship between the two communities. Such work to be done at that time is nothing short of amazing. When the Nazis invaded, Father Jan tried with all of his vigor to assist as many members of his community as possible, but of course one man working against a system and ideology formed around the basis of eradicating Jews and those who sympathize, makes the Father's bravery a drop in the ocean of death that would soon flood Europe.

I made the conscious decision to enjoy the bus ride from Krakow in solitude at the back of the bus. As the scenes rushed in and out of vision I was particularly inspired and moved by the spaciousness of Poland as well as the two cemeteries adorned with flowers honoring those who have since past, little did I know that the conclusion of our walking tour through Oświęcim would be the complete opposite of those graveyards we originally passed. It is difficult to reflect on how one reacts to seeing a cemetery so devoid of the structure and order that we usually associate with death. It was a moving realization that sitting there amongst the either destroyed or deteriorating tombstones that these individuals were in actuality the lucky ones, they escaped the fate of the crematorium and were respectfully buried according to their religious beliefs. It is difficult to be in a place such as this, and I would be dishonest if didn't say I felt the very specter of death lingering around each new corner. This is the work that we must do though, I am not here in Oświęcim to feel the overwhelming grief that has soaked into the hallowed grounds, but to challenge myself, to attempt to understand, and reclaim Oświęcim from this terrible sorrow.