P2K - Shoah Experience to Poland and Israel
Personal Experiences
Personal Experiences
Ghettos, camps, SS, Gestapo, 6 million, death, holocaust. These are the words that I associated with Poland and the holocaust - before I left Durban. An indescribable world, one beyond imagination.
In truth it still remains like that for me. When we were in Israel, the South Africans were asked to state what we hoped to achieve from the tour. In my naivety, I stated that I wished to form a picture of the holocaust in my head in an attempt to understand. After what I witnessed in Poland I did not shut the book on my holocaust understanding, but rather, I opened the proverbial can of worms of emotions of anger, of fear. Why do the flowers bloom at Majdanek? Why is the Jewish cemetery at Czestochowa unkempt and uncared for? I was angry at Majdanek for existing, but furious that nothing remained at Treblinka. These are just some of the issues that dominated my thinking. An interesting conclusion that I came to, was that the tour was not about learning to understand the Holocaust, but rather a trip that teaches just how incomprehensible the holocaust really is.
However incomprehensible, the tour was the most moving experience that I have ever undertaken and we did more in that week to shape my Jewish identity than my Jewish upbringing and education has done. I can now say that I understand what it is to be a proud Jew and a proud Zionist.
It was a significant moment when the majority of the South Africans on the flight home said, “You know what? I really want to be in Israel right now!” For me, that summed up the impact the tour had on us. Two weeks previously we had been worrying amongst ourselves about how unsafe Israel was and how maybe it would be better if we missed out that segment of the trip. The underlying point is that Poland changes you, for different people in different ways. For me it was a desire to be around Jewish youth of my own age - something that the Durban Jewish community is unfortunately lacking. For example when we returned to Israel after the Polish leg of our trip, there were Jews of my age from America (2 groups), Uruguay, Holland, Switzerland and of course Israel staying at our hotel. Mixing with them was one of my personal highlights of the trip.
Poland has been an experience that I shall never forget. I would advise any Jew with the opportunity to go on such a trip to grasp it with both hands. It is indeed a trip that will change you beyond comprehension and have a deep impact on your life.
In truth it still remains like that for me. When we were in Israel, the South Africans were asked to state what we hoped to achieve from the tour. In my naivety, I stated that I wished to form a picture of the holocaust in my head in an attempt to understand. After what I witnessed in Poland I did not shut the book on my holocaust understanding, but rather, I opened the proverbial can of worms of emotions of anger, of fear. Why do the flowers bloom at Majdanek? Why is the Jewish cemetery at Czestochowa unkempt and uncared for? I was angry at Majdanek for existing, but furious that nothing remained at Treblinka. These are just some of the issues that dominated my thinking. An interesting conclusion that I came to, was that the tour was not about learning to understand the Holocaust, but rather a trip that teaches just how incomprehensible the holocaust really is.
However incomprehensible, the tour was the most moving experience that I have ever undertaken and we did more in that week to shape my Jewish identity than my Jewish upbringing and education has done. I can now say that I understand what it is to be a proud Jew and a proud Zionist.
It was a significant moment when the majority of the South Africans on the flight home said, “You know what? I really want to be in Israel right now!” For me, that summed up the impact the tour had on us. Two weeks previously we had been worrying amongst ourselves about how unsafe Israel was and how maybe it would be better if we missed out that segment of the trip. The underlying point is that Poland changes you, for different people in different ways. For me it was a desire to be around Jewish youth of my own age - something that the Durban Jewish community is unfortunately lacking. For example when we returned to Israel after the Polish leg of our trip, there were Jews of my age from America (2 groups), Uruguay, Holland, Switzerland and of course Israel staying at our hotel. Mixing with them was one of my personal highlights of the trip.
Poland has been an experience that I shall never forget. I would advise any Jew with the opportunity to go on such a trip to grasp it with both hands. It is indeed a trip that will change you beyond comprehension and have a deep impact on your life.
