Poland

By Sagie Veldman

On September 9th of last year another youth delegation set is way to Poland on a ten day expedition. The purpose of that expedition was to visit the places which concern the Holocaust and World War II. The trip is a unique way of confronting a very painful side of history which claimed millions of fatalities, among them several millions of Jews.

The first stop was Prague. Prague, which is located in the Czech Republic. A country known for its natural beauty and purity.

As soon as we arrived at Prague, we set our way to Terezin, a fortified city which also served as a prison for the Gestapo troops. Its purpose was to hold in captivity the ones who rebel against the Nazis, and surprisingly there were many of them. But they didn't have much chance to survive.

The place seemed quite innocent. Throughout the years, the place became very green and pastoral. Who could believe that under our feet, below the grass, lay hundreds if not thousands of bodies of people who were murdered there.

After a short tour throughout the fortress, we returned to the buses to continue on our way. There was short period of time in which no one spoke - a deadly silence, but soon the usual joy and happiness returned to rule our moods.

It did not seem appropriate. The thoughts of the Holocaust and death were far from us then. We were prepared to lament not otherwise, a queer feeling.

Even when visiting an old Jewish cemetary, in which were more than than 100,000 bodies of unknown people who were erased from this world, did not seem to be quite rational. We did not seem to realize then the meaning of such an enormous quantity of fatalities.

The second day was dedicated to touring Prague itself. We were given time to browse around the center and do as we wish for a few hours. It was good for the ones who still had Terezin on their minds.

On the third day we crossed the border to Poland. That voyage took more than eight exhausting hours of irritating sleep and discomfort and finally ended in Krakow.

On the fourth day, we began our journey to the concentration camps. We were to visit the larger camps, in shich million of Jews, Poles, Gypsies and Russians were sent to work or to instant death. Either way, the same fate await all; it was only a matter of time till they got to the gas chambers.

The first of the several camps where we were was Aushwitz-Birkenau. This camp which is actually built of many minor labor camps, holds the highest rank of fatalities which reached almost 2,000,000.

At first sight, the camp seems quite innocent. All quiet and pastoral, the thought of such horrible action against mankind taking place there seemed deceiving.

As we walked on the gravel by the railroad tracks which were used to transport in to the camps the ones who fate was to perish, an irritating noise made by the shuffle of the feet, broke violently the silence around us. When we reached the dock, we all settled down to hear the testimony from Hedva Ofir, who had been there as a child. Her testimony shocked us all as she described precisely what she as a seven-year-old child was forced to see.

After a stroll around the gas chamber ruins, we returned to the buses. For the first time, there was silence for a long time. No one talked, few cried. It was sad for all of us. Each and everyone was deeply concerned in his own thoughts.

The next day, we strolled in the city of Krakow, mainly in the sector formerly known as the Jewish Precinct. That day was meanth for us to get loose a bit from the tension that we were put into at the Aushwitz-Birkenau camp the day before. It was very unusual for some to change their moods so rapidly. Many had bitter expressions on their faces as they were still concerned from what they had seen.

At night we had an evening of public singing with two Israeli singers - Dany Katz and Ronit Ofit. It was very excitiing. For the frist time all the songs were used to sing here in Israel suddenly received a whole new important meaning to each and every one of us. There was a great sensation of victory that filled our hearts. The fact that we were singing those songs in a country where the Jewish community perished since the war, had a very strong meaning to us all:

The Nazis failed - We survived and we're stronger than ever. Nothing can keep us down no longer. A feeling to cherish forever.

The next day, we traveled to the salt mines called the Wielizka Mines. These underground salt caves lay 250 meters below the ground. There we saw some spectacular salt monuments dedicated to Jesus Christ, Ave Maria, some important personalities of that era and some fellow miners who worked there. At night we slept at the Lizitzia Hotel in Ostrovitch.

On the seventh day we visited the most shocking camp of all - Maidanek. Everything had remained whole and untouched for the Germans did not have time to destroy it when they were retreating.

Our eyes ached as we walked through the camp, observing carefully every piece of evidence that showed what horrors had been committed there. Horrors beyond the worst nightmare. There were remains of hair, thousands of rotting shoes, personal items and more. Each belonged to a baby, teenager or adult which were sentenced to death in the gas chanbers. The thought that thousands of whole families were extinct, leaving no trace of their existence, created a very awful feeling of lamentation.

We were prepared to lament, but no one could prepare for something like that. It was sad beyond anything many had experienced all their lives.

At the end of the camp, laid an enormous mushroom shaped structure which was built around a mound of human ashes, whose bodies were burned to dust in the Crematorium. Some pieces of disintegrating bones could be seen in the giant mound. It was a signt to be forever remembered. The most cruel and ruthless method of massive massacre, without regret nor remorse.

No living person ever should deserve such a thing. No one.

Afterwards, we held a symbolic ceremony in memory of those who lost their lives. That was one of the most painful parts of the trip. From all the ceremonies which were held everywhere, this was the most tragic one, undoubtedly. It was very cold, which enhanced the sensation of grieving sorrow. Many cried, but quietly and alone. That was the time to support each other, giving a very strong meaning to friendship.

As the ceremony ended we slowly scattered to the buses. Deathly quiet surrounded us all. A sound of a strangled cry, a sigh of a hug of support from a friend, but no more than that. It was sad.

A couple days later, after some free time, we headed to Treblinka, the last of the camps we were to visit. It was totally destroyed by the Nazis when they felt their fate of defeat approaching.

Large monuments were built there in memory of the hundreds of dead who were killed there. There was a stone there, near a tall monument, which read "Never again." That raised a smile on some faces, with a true feeling of victory and pride. nNever again would this happen nor should it happen.

On the last day, a sudden feeling it was all going to end emerged. Those ten days meant a lot to all of us. It created bonds between us and our country, and of course among us.

It was one of the experiences in life one must not permit to bypass, for it gives new value to all the simple things in life, that we take for granted.

A new point of view of life had been granted to those who were there, as it showed the aspects of life we could not understand before.

That was a trip of a lifetime. A memory to cherish for evermore.

Very recommended.

This article previously appeared in The Amal B Star- The Student Newspaper of the Amal "B" Comprehensive School, Petach Tikva, May 1998.

For additional student writing on this subject Poland, see A Journey to Poland, Back from Poland, and We Marched with the Living.

For other related materials, check out the following Amalnet sites (in Hebrew):
The Holocaust, Holocaust Literature, and Journey to Poland

Amal B Petach Tikva site