Prayer and Dialogue

This image perfectly captures the solemnity of the day that we spent at Auschwitz I. I could not help but be reminded of the words, “the presence of absence and the absence of presence”. It has been almost two months since returning from Poland. Though we know the importance of keeping the memory of the Shoah alive, sometimes that becomes difficult. There are endless distractions as part of our day-to-day lives that easily allow us to forget...

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Memory And Education: We Must Never Forget

It has now been over two months since we returned from Poland but it seems like only yesterday we were walking through the gates of Auschwitz I. Describing my experience at the death camps has not been easy but I have done my best to put it into words because it is essential, now more than ever, to educate others on the matter. A recent survey, as reported by The New York Times, found there are critical gaps both in awareness of basic facts as well...

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Hero

Above is a picture of where Father Maximilian Kolbe's humble act took place. This picture was taken in Auschwitz I right where Father Maximilian Kolbe’s humble act took place. Prior to attending this trip I did not know who he was, but after hearing his story I was very moved. In the lecture by Father Manfield, we learned that when one prisoner escaped 10 prisoners were punished and killed. When one of the prisoners escaped, a man...

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Never Again

It has been slightly over a month since we arrived back home from Poland. Since I’ve been back I have had many people contact me saying what a wonder experience it must have been. It was definitely an experience, but perhaps, wonderful is not the right word. We learned so much about how important words are and what they really mean; how a word or a phrase could change history. The phrase I would use is a once in a life time experience,...

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A Duty to Remember and Never Forget

“I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.” –Elie Wiesel It has been almost 2 months since I have left New York to indulge myself in the Polish culture and increase my knowledge in Jewish-Christian relations. Thinking back to the flight from Amsterdam to Krakow,...

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Finding The Good, Amidst The Awful

Upon returning from Poland, many people have asked me questions about my experience and what I took away from the class and the trip. Some questions that always seems to pop up from time to time are questions about if the trip was sad or if it was depressing to see Auschwitz. At first it was difficult to answer these questions, not because I did not know what to say, but because of the shear amount of information and history that is behind each...

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