Apr 25, 2013 - Auschwitz Day 2 - Birkenau

Viv went to 7.30am Mass in the centre so we didn't get to the Auschwitz museum until 8.30 but thankfully the bus loads of visitors hadn't started to arrive so we had an hour or so start. We basically followed the same path that we took yesterday but now we had time to stop and absorb more of the detail. For instance the standing cells three foot square where they punished prisoners by making four stand jammed together in them all night. We were able to stand in the first gas chamber, virtually alone, and try to imagine the horror when the...

Apr 24, 2013 - Auschwitz - Day 1

These notes are my recollection of some of the enormous amount of facts, figures and information that we were swamped with on our tours of the Auschwitz camps. I cannot guarantee their complete accuracy but they should serve to give our impression from our visit so please forgive me if I err at all. Auschwitz is the German name of the Concentration Camp that they set up in the southern Polish town of Oswiecim. It started as one camp for political and other prisoners but was expanded by the construction of Auschwitz 2, known as Birkenau, a...

Apr 23, 2013 - Off To Poland

Well we got away at 8.15am in the end. We had to wait for the camp office to open and then they had to read the electric meter and sort out our final bill before returning the deposit that we had to leave with them when we arrived. We were soon back on a motorway again and back in cruise mode. I had been cruising at 50-55mph up to now but gradually upped it to 60-65 mph on motorways. The 10mph makes a lot of difference when you're doing eight or nine hours driving in a day. Our next problem was that Ethel deserted us at the Polish border....

Apr 13, 2013 - Update

Shalom to all, Ask any of the teens, and they will tell you that life without Wifi is difficult...if not impossible. We have blog entries from the time we have arrived in Israel, but between the continued wifi challenge and Shabbat, we just haven't had the opportunity to post. I assure you, once we have the chance, they will be shared. Love from Israel, The West

Apr 10, 2013 - Day 7

Poland, may not be the world’s hottest vacation spot, but thanks to this program, I can now tag my experiences had wearing five layers, thermal underwear, and woolen socks through this country as some of the most meaningful of my life. During this past week of what normally would have been my spring break, a time normally spend lazing around a pool or in front of a TV, I have done and seen more than I ever thought possible. Throughout this week I visited mass burials, celebrated the Sabbath at one of the only synagogues in Warsaw, took a...

Apr 9, 2013 - Day 6

Today we visited Belzec, “The Forgotten Camp.” It only had two survivors. I was really amazed by the size of the memorial. The memorial is located behind a wall with a narrow entrance. As soon as you look up from the ground, you see a bunch of black stones scattered among the field and dead center you see a hole with sides that walls that grow bigger around it. As we got closer to the entrance of the tunnel I felt that there were stronger emotions within me. Eliran Gazala Now as I am experiencing a whole different level of exhaustion, both...

Apr 8, 2013 - Day 5

Expression and reflection come in different forms. Some sing, some draw, some write freely - even though they are different forms,they all have the same feelings behind them. Here are two examples from two participants - an original song written by Hilly Rubin and poetry written by Rae Marcum. A Different Way- Original song by Hilly Rubin The day before I cannot bear The day before I become scared Only day I’ve ever been Completely untied at the seams Tonight I won’t be left alone So many miles away from home My blood and bones my skin and...

Apr 7, 2013 - Day 4

The only bummer with blogging while traveling is the not-so-reliable internet connections. Pictures are taking an awful long time to upload, so we will try again tomorrow. Meanwhile, here are some very, very fabulous entries from our teens. Enjoy! Love from Poland, The West Today we visited the Jewish Heritage Museum. It was really interesting! The museum is located in the middle of the Warsaw Ghetto Square. It’s crazy that the location of the museum would have been in the ghetto just seventy years ago. The museum is still under some...

Apr 6, 2013 - Day 2 & 3

Shalom to all! This entry includes photos and entries from Friday, April 5 and from today, Saturday, April 6. We have returned, after a very meaningful Shabbat. Our Havdalah ceremony, led by Hilly earlier this evening, was absolutely beautiful. The staff keep talking amongst each other, completely in awe, of how quickly this group has bonded and come together as a family. The friendships that are blossoming, between Jewish teens from five different communities, is such a wonderful thing to watch. One (of many) special moments so far: This...

Apr 4, 2013 - Day 1

After relinquishing an entire day to 10 hour plane rides, sleep deprivation, and airport security, I would be lying to say I was enthralled at the idea of visiting a Warsaw cemetery in place of a shower, upon stepping off the plane. What I sense will make The March live up to (and maybe even exceed) my expectations is the way in which being a part of such a great group of people pushes you to test your comfort zone, helping us doing things such as lug our lethargic selves off of the plane, directly to a cemetery. This trip to the Warsaw...

Oct 29, 2012 - Kraków

@@@@@@@ BACKGROUND In the interest of expediency, here are some excerpts from the Lonely Planet - Poland chapter on Kraków: If you believe the legends, Kraków was founded upon the defeat of a dragon, and it’s true a mythical atmosphere permeates its attractive streets and squares. Poland’s former royal capital has a suitably long back-story to match its beautiful historic appearance. The first traces of the city’s existence date from the 7th century, and the earliest written record of the town dates from 966, when a Jewish merchant from...

Oct 22, 2012 - Gdańsk

@@@@@@@ BACKGROUND In the interest of expediency, here are some excerpts from the Lonely Planet - Poland chapter on Gdańsk: Like a mini-state all to itself, Gdańsk has a unique feel that sets it aside from all other cities in Poland. Centuries of maritime ebb and flow as a port city; streets of distinctively un-Polish architecture influenced by a united nations of wealthy merchants who shaped the city’s past; the to-ing and fro-ing of Danzig/Gdańsk between Teutonic Prussia and Slavic Poland; and the destruction of WWII have bequeathed this...