bjemotlblog-blog

[bjemotlblog-blog]

Some Student Reflections

I asked a number of students, "What was the most impactful, memorable or meaningful moment of the trip for you?" Here are some of the responses: Madelyn Loube: I was impacted by following in the footsteps of those who walked and died in the camps. I was also impressed by the Survivors' continued, unshakable faith. Michael Bolour: The March in Poland was my most meaningful moment. The size and scale of the event was remarkable. Zoe Abranson: I marched with Estelle (survivor), and talked to her the whole time. It felt unreal, and was the most incredible experience of my life. Rae Smooke: Walking with Estelle during the March was very enlightening -- we won't be defeated! Danielle Younai: The singing of Hatikva in Birkenau brought me to tears. To be able to sing that song, in that place, was amazing. Sophia Bazyler: I was impacted by the March in Poland and the opportunity to participate in something much larger than myself. Spenser Kussin-Gika: I loved the water tunnels under the City of David and their historical significance. Owen Shezaf: Confronting the end of so many lives in he gas chamber of Auschwitz was incredibly moving. Nate Ramer: Shabbat morning at the Kotel, and being so close to the source of our faith and the hub of Judaism, was moving. Ashley Blacher: Having the survivors march us out of the site of the mass children's grave in Poland was my most impactful moment. Laura Lavender: I was with Estelle when she found out that her husband and son died in Auschwitz instead of in a killing field. It was incredibly moving. Adam Ash: Seeing the same gate at Auschwitz as his grandfather did was very moving. Sarah Irmas and Simi Benisty: We loved our time at the beach in Haifa! The change from the dreary coldness of Poland to the warmth of Israel, and the opportunity to relax with friends was great! Kaylin Malek and Tevel Shoham: Today (the March in Jerusalem) was the best! It was exhilarating to be with so many Jews who are all so happy and proud. It gave us chills!

[bjemotlblog-blog]

Departure Day

Our trip has come to an end, and we have all been grappling with saying goodbye to fast-friends made over a very intense experience, including our wonderful Israeli hosts. With flights leaving at different times, our buses have been jumbled, and the day has felt very different. For those on the later flights, we took a biking tour of the JNF forest, enjoyed some free time in the unique Sarona marketplace, and finally headed to the airport for flights home. I would say that the entire delegation is exhausted, and more than ready for the return to home, family and friends. Get those cold remedies ready, folks...

[bjemotlblog-blog]

Yom Ha'Hazmaut & the March of the Living, Jerusalem

Our day started with a visit to Har Herzl, the military cemetery where Israel's fallen soldiers are buried. This is also the place where American "lone soldier" Michael Levin is interred. Our delegation had the opportunity to hear from his parents and ask them questions about his decision to join the IDF, his service, and their continued commitment to offer support to foreigners who have made the decision to move to Israel and serve in the IDF. At the conclusion of this program, it was time to get ready for the March of the Living through Jerusalem. This was a very big day, and one that was in stark contrast to our March in Poland. As somber as Poland was, this March was an equally exuberant and joyous celebration of our survival and thriving in the State of Israel. Starting at Jerusalem's City Hall, we marched along the edge of the Old City until we entered through the gate and proceeded to the Kotel. Chants, songs, rhythmic drumming, prayers and waving Israeli flags were our constant companion as the delegations combined and snaked their way through the city. We left notes in the cracks of the Western Wall, prayed and enjoyed a ceremony that concluded the March, after which our group was free to explore a portion of the Old City, buy souvenirs (again), and enjoy even more shawarma, falafel, ice cream and ice cafe. Our day was far from over, as we boarded buses for Latrun, the IDF tank museum and home to the grand-finale of the March of the Living, enticingly entitled the MEGA Event. The MEGA event is rather hard to describe, as I don't know I have ever seen so much going on at once in a single event. Simultaneous lasers, dozens of dancers, massive video displays, fireworks, and aerial acrobatics were on full display (and that was only one number). A mosh pit and 55 cheers of "Am Yisrael Chai" rounded out a night that our students loved. We finally returned to the hostel for a slide show compiled by staff-member Terry Wunder. It was an awesome recap of the trip, a link to which will be forwarded shortly. Tomorrow we say goodbye to Israel and sections of our delegation as we depart on 3 different flights.

[bjemotlblog-blog]

More photos from Israel. For more photos and videos, check us out on Instagram at www.instagram/bjemotl

[bjemotlblog-blog]

The shuk in Tel Aviv

[bjemotlblog-blog]

Yom Hazikaron

Today was Yom Hazikaron, the somber Israeli Day of Rememberance. In rather stark contrast to our Memorial Day, this day is not characterized by barbecues or sales, but by reflection and mourning for the family members, friends and acquaintances who have been lost as a result of military action or terrorism. Because so many Israelis have been impacted by loss, this is a directly personal, and nearly universal moment to which everyone here relates. Our observance of the day started in Tel Aviv, where we broke into small groups and met current or former Israeli soldiers and discussed their service. At promptly 11:00am the siren marking two-minutes of observation sounded, and as street traffic stopped and drivers got out of their cars, we joined the nation in standing at silent attention. We then drove to the Shenkin Street shopping district where the group was given 25 shekels apiece for lunch, and allowed to have some free time soaking up the atmosphere of the shops along the boulevard and the stalls within the nearby shuk. We then returned our attention to the seriousness of the day with a reflection upon the very real human cost the State of Israel has demanded, and continues to exact, in order to exist. We also considered the poetic juxtaposition of the Day of Rememberance with Yom Ha’Atzmaut, the Israeli Independence Day. Where one holiday is somber and mournful, the other is equally joyous and exuberant. Perhaps only here, in Israel, can the entire population shift from mourning to jubilation with such speed and ease. Our own journey tonight is charting a similar course: We returned to the hostel, had dinner, and joined a raucous drum circle that will be followed by a DJ dance party in the bomb shelter (yes, a dance party in a bomb shelter). The kids love this evening, as well as the release it affords them. Tomorrow is the March of the Living, from Jerusalem City Hall to the Kotel, conducted in remarkably different circumstances than our march in Poland. It will also be our final full day in Israel, as this journey begins its final moments.

[bjemotlblog-blog]

Day of Complexity

We call yesterday the “Day of Complexity”, because it involves many thought provoking and complex realities of the Israeli experience. Starting with geopolitical maps of the region and viewpoints overlooking Jerusalem, the border fence and Jewish and Arab settlements, we examined how centrally important this area is for the world’s three major faiths, and how challenging it is for this diverse population to live in such close proximity with each other. Our discussion turned to more controversial topics as students voiced their opinions regarding the border fence, and how peace might (or might not) be achieved. After touring a clandestine bullet-making factory critical in the war for Israeli independence, we returned to the hostel for a presentation by Helen Gotshtain. Essentially a one-woman, four-act performance, Helen portrayed the opinions of an orthodox woman, a Zionist, a Tel-Aviv liberal and a Palestinian. It was a fascinating and thought-provoking piece of theater that completely engaged the students. In the discussion groups that followed, we were encouraged by the insightful comments and consideration of different points of view by all of our participants. The day shifted as we approached Erev Yom Hazikaron (Israeli Day of Rememberance for fallen soldiers and victims of terrorism). Dressed in white and assembled in the amphitheater, we heard from our Israeli guides about the very real and personal cost the maintenance of the state of Israel requires. Our day ended on this somber and reflective note. Tomorrow is Yom Hazikaron, which we will observe in Tel Aviv.

[bjemotlblog-blog]

Shabbat in Jerusalem

We all enjoyed a wonderful Shabbat yesterday in Jerusalem. Our participants were afforded the opportunity to select among a number of morning services and activities, including a walk to the Kotel, a conservative service, yoga and a singing and reflection minyan. Following our morning, many participants welcomed family and friends into the hostel for an extended visit. It was awesome to see so many people arrive, laden with food, games and gifts. The hostel was filled with an incredible spirit of warmth and love that only family can deliver. Those who did not have family visiting were offered the opportunity to go to the Israel Museum (where the Dead Sea Scrolls are housed, among many other incredible exhibits) with Ori, one of our great Israeli guides who happens to be an art historian. Another group went to a nearby park, where I am told our basketball team represented us well and brought home a victory against the delegation from South Florida. Our Shabbat concluded with Havdallah in the outdoor amphitheater under a gorgeous indigo Jerusalem sky with a beautiful crescent moon. If you close your eyes and imagine “evening in Jerusalem”, that is what it was. And then, finally, we boarded buses for Ben Yehuda street where the kids charged up and down the boulevard, consuming vast quantities of falafel, shwarma, ice cream, crepes and ice cafe, watched street performers and bought plenty of souvenirs and gifts. Tummies full and wallets (or your credit cards) dented, we reboarded the buses at 11:30 and returned to the hostel for sleep. Today, we will engage in what we call a “Day of Complexity”, where we examine the social and political realities of Israel. It will be an interesting and thought provoking day, which hopefully leads to thoughtful reflection and healthy discussion. Stay tuned...

[bjemotlblog-blog]

Day of Choice and the Dead Sea

Today was another incredible day in Israel, and one that saw the group spilt up according to their interests during our “morning of choice”. We were able to pick from 6 choices: Beit Issie (a school for kids with disabilities), Yad Vashem (the incredible Holocaust museum), a graffiti tour in Jerusalem, Ein Raffa (a discussion with a Muslim woman regarding her experience and insights), a mountain bike ride, or exploring Hezekiah’s Tunnels below the City of David in Jerusalem. Each activity was facilitated by our Israeli guides and was fantastic. Upon the conclusion of the morning activity, we immediately departed for an afternoon at the Dead Sea, where we floated in the salty water, smeared the amazing mud over our bodies, and enjoyed ice cream and slushies. Sun-baked and tired, we have now returned to the hostel for Shabbat. We will reflect a bit more on the arc of our trip, enjoy a service together and sit down for what I am sure will be another great meal in Israel. Curfew is late tonight (12:00), so I am sure the students will continue to enjoy themselves and have a relaxed morning tomorrow as we have a variety of activities planned, including welcoming families visiting students, Havdallah, and some much anticipated free time on Ben Yehuda Street. Shabbat Shalom!

[bjemotlblog-blog]

Haifa, the Beach & Arrival in Jerusalem

The arc of this trip is remarkable: After experiencing gray, cold days in Poland touring concentration camps and confronting the worst in humanity, we come to Israel and are immediately embraced by the warmth the Mediterranean sun and, more notably, the Israeli people themselves. This morning we awoke to a fantastic breakfast that is also an amazing break from the monotony of the food in Poland. Cheeses, salads, eggs, fish, and much more were set out on an never-ending buffet, of which we all ate more than our fill. We rolled out of the hostel and made the short trip to the beach, where the warm sun, salt air and Mediterranean Sea reinvigorated our bodies and souls. The kids socialized, played games, snoozed on the sand and swam in the ocean. It was a much needed break and stunning contrast to where we were a short 24 hours earlier. Following the beach, we made the trip to Jerusalem and various lookout points to gain some perspective of where we are. Each of our amazing Israeli guides found different perspective and meaning to each lookout. The Red Bus guide, Efrat, took us to a park just opposite the Knesset where we stood between that imposing building and a sculpted menorah decorated with carvings of the history of the Jewish people. She told us that standing on that site, we could see the past in the menorah, the present in the Knesset, and the future of the Jewish people in our group of students. We toasted the moment with the shehecheyanu as the sun began to slowly set over Jerusalem. Following a group reflection that discussed the arc of our trip and the transition from what we saw and felt in Poland to what we are seeing and feeling in Israel, we checked into the hostel that will be our home for the remainder of our trip and enjoyed another great Israeli meal before free time and curfew. Tomorrow will be a “day of choice” with a wide range of activities from which participants may select in the morning, a trip to the Dead Sea in the afternoon, and the beginning of our second and final Shabbat of the trip.

[bjemotlblog-blog]

Thoughts on Majdanek from Kayla Cohen Pictured here (from left to right): a field cleared for "Harvesting Fest," a day in which 18,000 Jews were shot to death and their screams drowned by blasting music; a group of 21st-century Jews singing "Am Yisrael Chai, just a few feet away from the field; and the crematorium of Majdanek. I've spent my week in Poland deeply struggling with trying to imagine and honor the spirit/life easily erased -- and, without the transmission of stories, too easily forgotten -- in the physical places we've visited: in the barracks of labor camps, within the walls of gas chambers, below mass graves, and within each tomb in Polish Jewish cemeteries. Studying history is a lot like meeting and knowing people. Should we only recognize the physical, we forget the other half of human beings, and what in fact defines and determines our humanity: the soul. If I were to walk the grounds of any of the sites we visited without the knowledge of a guide, the physical remains of the grounds would have overcome the power of the memories and stories surrounding them. Without memory at Majdanek, I wouldn't have taken this picture. The fields would have appeared empty (and brilliantly and amazingly green) to me. The emptiness of the ovens and the crematorium's quiet chimney would have been equally deceiving, with its walls failing to claim the camp's great loss of life and its burning of not just thousands of naked, pale bodies, but the human spirit that once filled all of them. And now, hours after leaving the camp, even the patch of land between the field and the crematorium looks empty, and bears no remnants of that huddled group, a symbol of Jewish redemption, and their powerful song. The responsibility of "never forget" is not just about testifying to the physical, but keeping the unphysical half of memory alive; to never forget the remaining monuments of great destruction and death, but the life that once surrounded them; to never forget the bodies and the incompressible statistics that they constitute, but also the spirits and dreams that made each of those 6 million bodies unique and infinitely valuable human beings; to never forget stories of horror of victimhood, but also stories of hope and personal triumph. Before departing from the camp, we formed a circle around a mount of human ash (physical remnants of victims of the camps) and listened to an old recording of "Hatikvah" (symbolic of not just the Jewish people's collective dream of a Jewish homeland, but the individual hope -- "The Hope" -- within every single spirit). I write this now on the bus to the airport. Tonight, I will be in Israel. The miraculousness of the Jewish state and the hope celebrated in its anthem never made sense to me in the context of history textbooks (what "physically remains"). I will sing "Hatikvah, " tonight, with the spirit of my ancestors. I will appreciate spiritually, differently.

[bjemotlblog-blog]

Madjanek

Today, our last in Poland, we visited Majdanek. Somewhat fittingly, it was another exceptionally cold day, with a chilling wind and intermittent rain. This camp is a powerful one, due not only due to the atrocities committed here, but the relatively intact nature of the camp. Surprised by the Russian advance, the Nazis did not have time to destroy this camp like many others. As a result, barracks, gas chambers, guard towers and crematoria remain eerily present. We gathered next to the giant sculptural monument to memory standing at the entrance to the camp, as our educators provided some first-person testimony and framed the day. We then toured the camp, concluding at a large dome-roofed pavilion protecting a reclaimed pile of human ash from pits adjacent the to the crematorium. Our delegation encircled the ash, heard once more from our educators, listened to a powerful rendition of Hatikva sung by camp prisoners of Bergen-Belsen upon their liberation, and recited the mourner’s Kaddish. It was moving and powerful. There, next to the final resting place of so many, we delivered the letters you wrote to each of your children. Hearing from home at the conclusion of a week that has been so powerful, challenging and highly emotional was a gift, and each participant was tremendously moved by the letters received. Somber and reflective as we loaded the busses, it quickly dawned on us that we were all being treated to yet another experience so many did not have -- the opportunity to escape the camps and go to Israel! And as I type these words, the wheels of our flight just touched down at Ben Gurion Airport, and the entire plane let out a spontaneous cheer of pure joy. Our journey turns a page now, as we continue to explore our heritage, our connection to Israel, and how we will approach the future. Tonight, we drive to Haifa for some very quick sleep. Tomorrow, we will wake to the warm Israeli sun, a delicious breakfast and the beach!

[bjemotlblog-blog]

Kraków and Zbylitowska Gora

Our morning in Kraków started under sunny skies and mild temperatures. We took a very short bus ride to the Jewish quarter of Kraków and enjoyed a glimpse of the rich history of Jewish life in this beautiful city, which extends back to the 12th century. At that time, Jews were invited, valued and protected citizens who contributed richly to Polish society. In Kraków, we saw many remnants of that life, including three breautiful synagogues, posters advertising klezmer performances, and restaurants that serve Jewish food. Upon completing our walking tour, we boarded the busses and made the drive to one of the most difficult sites of our trip: Zbylitowska Gora, located just outside the town of Tarnow. A short walk through a well-tended middle class neighborhood is a lovely forest, where Nazis took all of the 800 Jewish children from the town of Tarnow, brutally beat them to death, and dumped their bodies into a pit not much larger than a backyard swimming pool. Today, we walked through that same idyllic forest to a simple patch of grass ringed by an equally simple blue metal fence: The final resting place of those 800 children. Standing around that fence as a single delegation, we tried to align the beauty of the forest and the near constant chirping and trilling of birdsong with the incomprehensible evil that occurred here. We cried, we sang, we blessed the children, we recited the mourner's Kaddish and took some time to offer the children our individual thoughts, written on pieces of paper and hung on the fence or nearby trees. It was emotional and incredibly impactful, as reflected by the thoughts of the students: Jordan B.: The Nazis took away so much...it is just incomprehensible and I can't even begin to process the emotions of it... Michael R.: This site made me think about each little child, and each one of their stories...about relationships I have with my own family...and I can’t imagine the brutality. Lauren C: I had a very hard time today, and am still struggling with what I saw. Numbers can make it hard to connect to the reality of the tragedy. When it is personalized, and I think about a child playing with siblings, having a lemonade stand or looking out a window -- all of the beauty and innocence of childhood -- it is impossible to conceive of this happening to those children. Aaron L.: Standing in two lines and having the survivors march out of this place ahead of us was when it hit me. It was so bittersweet. There should’ve been so many more people walking between our lines. People from this town; people the same age as our survivors. Brian P.: This made me even more determined to live a meaningful life...a life these kids did not have the opportunity to have. I am more determined to do more, study harder, be kinder and love more. Danielle L.: Blessing the kids was the hardest part of the day. It reminded me of being a camp counselor and blessing my campers on Shabbat -- of putting my hand on their heads and messing up their hair. How could anyone smash an innocent child’s head into a rock? How could anyone do that to a child? Zoe: It was surreal to be standing there, and at first, I really could not wrap my head around what had happened here, and could not really access my emotions. During our time for solo reflection I sat down near some flowers, and saw some that were still just buds and had not yet bloomed. I picked several of them and made a bouquet -- and then immediately realized what I had done. It was just like all of these children. Their life was cut short, and just like the flower buds, would never have the chance to blossom into their full potential. I wrote my note to the children and hung it, with the buds, on a nearby tree. I want to teach others about what happened here, and encourage people to bring beauty, not hatred and evil, into the world. The reflections of your children continued, and they were all clearly impacted by the day. Tomorrow is our last day in Poland: We visit the camp at Majdenak. Shortly after that, we fly to Israel!

[bjemotlblog-blog]

The March of the Living

Today is perhaps the most unique day of our journey, and is possibly best viewed in contrast to yesterday. Yesterday, as we toured Auschwitz and Birkenau, the horrors of the camps were on full display, as were their very personal impacts upon specific people and families. Joseph Wise, a student whose family lost 300-500 members during the Holocaust and approximately 70 in Auschwitz, summed up his feelings about yesterday's tour thusly: "The scale and scope of the evil here is just so hard to comprehend. How could people do this to one another? How would I manage in these conditions? I just want to cry and suffer with them." Today, the focus, experience and conversation shifted. Rather than a focus on death and evil, today was, in many ways, about the future, about hope and about survival. After getting charged for the day with important context from our educators and some great singing from Happie and Eric, we headed over to Auschwitz with as many as 12,000 other March of the Living participants. Kids from Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Panama and many, many other delegations excitedly met each other and put their negotiation skills to the test to trade for the hot pis, caps and scarves. The tumult of meeting peers from around the world was placed on hold once we were told to proceed through the cruelly false Arbeit Macht Frei gate. We marched somberly out of Auschwitz as a single delegation with our survivors leading the way, and continued along the railway tracks to Birkenau. The route itself was lined by Poles there to pay their respect, many saying "Shalom" and "Shalom forever" to us as we passed. Once inside Birkenau, our delegation was afforded time to mingle with other delegations until the powerful ceremony began. Featuring prominent figures from around the world, the ceremony ended with reciting the mourner's Kaddish, a powerful rendition of Hatikvah, and several forceful declarations of "Never again!" Evan Satlin commented, "This was the most impactful day of the trip for me so far. Marching out of Auschwitz -- doing something that so many were unable to do -- was really, really meaningful. I also got to wear Tefillin today for the first time (and it was in Auschwitz!). Other highlights of the day were the performances of Happie and Eric. They played twice: Once while we were marching in, and again during the ceremony. Their music continues to provide a rich and meaningful soundtrack to this event. The Los Angeles Delegation was also offered the honor of lighting one of the candles during the ceremony. Tammy Shine represented our delegation, and did a wonderful job. Tomorrow we explore Kraków and the terrible Zbylitovska Gora.

[bjemotlblog-blog]

Estelle shares her post-liberation story with the Red Bus.

[bjemotlblog-blog]

Auschwitz and Birkenau

Today was a very difficult day in just about every respect.

It was physically demanding: We awoke at 5:30 and packed up to check out of our hotel and make the long bus trip (4+ hours) to Auschwitz. It was a bitterly cold day for all of your California kids, and we got to experience just about every kind of weather, from rain, to hail to periods of snow…all in the muddy grounds of Auschwitz and Birkenau. Context and perspective were the rule of the day…we wore many more layers than any prisoner ever did, and I would hazard to guess that our fabrics were far more effective at keeping us warm than the prisoner uniforms of Auschwitz.

It was a brute of an emotional day: As we toured Auschwitz and Birkenau, our guides and historians once again provided vital information and context. Several students commented that just being on the grounds was an incomparable experience to reading about the camps in books or seeing them portrayed in movies.

We also continued our theme of bearing witness, honoring memory, and trying to make the enormous and incomprehensible small and reachable. Our remarkable educators each shared the stories of survivors with indelible connections to this program who have passed or were unable to make the trip. Phil spoke movingly of Freddie Diament, who witnessed his brother’s execution in Auschwitz; Eli told Sidonia Lax’s story of her father’s murder while trying to get his undernourished daughter an apple, and of her grit and determination to survive Birkenau; and Alisha spoke beautifully of Jack Adler’s story of heroically saving his baby sister from a Nazi killing field only to later watch helplessly as she was sent to her death in a Birkenau gas chamber.

When asked what was the most moving part of the day, Dina commented that seeing the enormous pile of human hair shaved from condemned women was by far the oust powerful moment of the day for her. She was also incredibly move by Jack Adler’s story and our delegation’s recitation of the mourner’s Kaddish for his sister at the Birkenau gas chamber.

Dani Orloff said that for her, seeing all of the pictures of prisoners’ belongings in the sorting room brought the reality of the place home for her. It was at that moment that it hit me that these people are not just statistics or numbers, but individuals deserving of being remembered for how they lived.

Tomorrow we return to these sites for yet another very unique experience: Honoring the dead while also celebrating the fact that we can do something over a million Jews could not: Walk out, alive and free.

[bjemotlblog-blog]

Crowd surfing and dancing post-Havdallah!