On our first day in Poland, we experienced the hope that Jews had both before and during the War. In the Warsaw cemetery, we had the opportunity to learn about many different types of Jews, many of whom worked towards their utopian dreams. Ludwig Zamehof created his language "Esperanta," in hopes of uniting peoples through common language. Bundists like Marek Edelman strove to create a socialist society in Poland. Still others were Zionists, wishing for a Jewish state or cultural center in Israel. Some people, like Esther Kamenska and Y. L. Peretz added to Yiddish culture through plays and stories.
While thousands of people were given proper, if not lavish, burials within the Warsaw cemetery, we also saw a huge kever achim from the time of the Warsaw Ghetto. Many people died from starvation, as hunger was rampant during the years of the ghetto. Their families did not have the money or resources to bury them as they would have in pre-war times.
After seeing the cemetery and celebrating the lives of the pre-war Jews, we were able to drive to see the last standing piece of the ghetto wall. To see the tall, imposing, chunk of bricks was powerful for many in our class. Seeing the wall, a symbol of all the restrictions put upon Jews during these years, now surrounded by people living everyday lives, evoked many emotions and questions.
After our visit to the remains of the ghetto wall, we began our ghetto memorial walk. We stopped at important parts of the ghetto and at monuments erected in honor of ghetto figures. One of our first stops was at the infamous umschlagplatz, where Jews were gathered and stuffed onto trains for deportation. The story of Januscz Korchak, a man in charge of an orphanage who stayed with his children even when he had the opportunity to escape, was particularly powerful. Many Warsaw stories show a shocking amount of hope, even in the darkest of times. Korchak's story was no different. He was able to give the children under his care a true and happy childhood, even under such severe conditions. On the day he and his orphanage had to report to the umschlagplatz, he led them singing. Another surprising story of resistance and maintaining the sanctity of life, or iberleben, was the Warsaw uprising. Leaders like Mordecai Anielwitz were able to lead the ghetto youth and resist the Germans and, for longer than was expected, succeed.We ended our day at the monument in front of the Polin Museum. This monument reflected the duality of Jewish existence in Warsaw and today; on one side we saw the afflicted, and on the other side, we saw a strong group of people. During the war, the Jews of Warsaw were definitely oppressed, but they were able to maintain strength and resist their death sentence. Today, Israel gives the Jewish people the opportunity to be strong, but anti-semitism is still a worldwide issue.
**Questions:
How do you feel the monument in front of the Polin Museum reflects the past and current situation of the Jews? Do you feel it is an accurate depiction at all?
Which half of the day held more significance for you personally?
or me, the most interesting part of the ay was the memorial walk. I really enjoyed learning about different ways in which people tried to hold onto life during the Holocaust. I also was amazed at the extravagant Rappaport Memorial. On one side, it showed the defeat of the Jews in the Holocaust, and the other side represented the Jews coming back strong after the Holocaust. Another part of the day that I found interesting was the symbols on the gravestones in the cemetery. Each different symbol represented a bi part of the deceased's life. It really made the gravestones more personal.
ReplyDeleteI had a very personal attachment to this day. I think the cementary was a great way to learn about jewish life and it was very peaceful, I really enjoyed looking at the graves and the fall. One of the most important parts was passing the place were my grandpa lived. It was a marijuana dispensary and a burger joint... I was pretty mad and was sad because I wanted it to be something pretty or important. I learned that something is there. That burger joint is were some one gets lunch almost everyday, or were someone will meet up with an old friend. I guess coming to that understandment was what my grandpa wants.
ReplyDeleteWhat is the question here?
ReplyDeleteTo me, the most meaningful part of this day was seeing the wall in the Warsaw Ghetto. I don’t have any specific connection to the ghetto other than being Jewish, but I’ve seen The Pianist many times, so seeing that interpretation and then seeing the actual wall was amazing to me. I appreciated what Januscz Korchak did for the children of the orphanage, and it was special to me to know that even in times of such despair, Januscz was able to spend his last few minutes with his children singing and dancing and trying to be cheerful.
ReplyDelete-Rachael Coleman
To those who already commented and Scott, I'm sorry that I forgot to post questions. They are there now for everyone else.
ReplyDeleteI felt a special connection to the cemetery because it was important to me to be able to get to know more of the life besides the connection to or involvement in the horrors of the Shoah. The tombstones were able to give us more insight into the lives of the Jews, for example if they were a rabbi or a teacher; a respected figure in the community or a lover of theatre; zionist or not. The cemetery emphasized from early on that we were in Poland to learn about the lives of the people and not just about how they perished.
ReplyDeleteThe memorial outside the museum was amazing to me because it did an excellent job of portraying both Jewish hopelessness on one side, for example with the child looking upon the observer with a look of desperation, and Jewish strength and hope.
While it wasn't when we were actually there, the most meaningful part of the day for me was when we went to the memorial at the umschlagplatz. I found out later that night that members of my family had passed through there on their way to Treblinka, which made the experience seem shocking to me, that I had been there and not known. The monument in front of the Polin Museum was also very powerful for me. My family's story in the Holocaust has a lot to do with luck and I feel that the side of the monument displaying Jewish hopelessness that they must have felt when their luck in Poland ran out. I think the other side of the monument is an accurate and powerful display of Jewish perseverance and hope for the future.
ReplyDeleteI loved the monument that was outside of the Jewish Museam in Warsaw On one side the expression of despair, hopelessness and utter silence was greatly portrayed just as the Jewish people have felt in many many different situations. However the opposite side showed how strong and courageous the Jewish people are and that through everything we have endured, we are still here and stronger than ever. Being able to touch the Warsaw ghetto wall or what remained of it left me with such confusion. I just could not process the thought of creating a barrier specifically designed to keep a certain group of people solely based on religion separated from the rest of humanity.
ReplyDeleteI don't know how I feel about the Polin Museum monument. I would have to spend a lot more time looking at it to form a clear opinion, but from what I gathered, I don't think it accurately represented the Jewish experience. Each side represented an opposite but isolated emotion: sorrow versus determination. But the issue with the monument is that sorrow and determination are never mutually exclusive in the Jewish tradition. We have no end of days, there has always been some glimmer of divinity in life, no matter how terrible it is.
ReplyDeleteThe most meaningful part of the day for me was by far our experience in the cemetery. As I said in our last group time, I think that visiting the dead, even if they're being ceases to exist, is a mitzvah in itself. We must remember those who died, and I tried my best to do so by walking through the crammed cemetery until I met the brick walls. There were paths there that had weeds and small trees growing on them, showing that nobody had walked there in years. I made a point of trying to read the names on as many graves as possibly, because I'm sure most had not been seen in decades.Visiting the dead is similar to prayer for me, I think. It does nothing supernaturally, but it holds special symbolism for myself.
-Noah Arnold
I really like the monument in front of the museum. I like how it depicts the Jews victory coming out of their struggles. I believe that every struggle that the Jewish people endure makes us stronger. I believe today we live Jewish lives not because others can't, but because we can. This is what I see the monument depicting. I found the second part of the day more meaningful. I really enjoyed getting to hear the individual and personal stories of those who were in the Holocaust. I find it easier to connect with stories like this.
ReplyDeleteI loved the monument because it interpeted the story of the holocaust very well. It shows how we first are people who are pushed around to a proud people who triumphed over this horrible time. The second part was much more impactful for me. To see all these stories of how people resisted nazi rule by continuing their Judaism filled me with pride to be a Jew.
ReplyDeleteI think that the monument in front of the Polin Museum is an accurate depiction of the past and current situation of the Jews because it shows the hopelessness of the Jews on one side of the monument and it shows the Jews rising up from their helplessness on the other side. The most meaningful part of the day for me was being at the Warsaw Ghetto Wall. It was very moving to actually see the wall that closed off the Jews from the rest of the world during the war.
ReplyDeleteI the monument was an excellent attempt at depicting the life of the Jewish people. But nothing can accurately depict life, especially hundreds to thousands of years of it.
ReplyDeleteEverything was so different than I though it would be. So what I guess what would be most meaningful to me that day would be that even after mass destruction and death, life still has the chance to continue forth. So the lesson seems to me to be that life prevails.
I think the monument was a good before and after picture for the experience of the Jews from past to present. From hopelessness and despair to strength and being on the rise I believe this accurately describes the situation. I think for me the second half of the day was more meaningful. From the first half which talked about death and oppression mostly seeing as we were at a cemetery. Then the second half of the day we learned about stories of good, and iberlaben and eventually when we reached the end of the day the lasting impression was hope and the image that life went on. That's the main reason that I liked the second half of the day better.
ReplyDeleteThe monument in front of the museum held no historical importance to me. The only thing I found interesting about the monument was that my Grandmother was there when it was first revealed. I felt the first half of the day was much more meaningful. I enjoy visiting sites like that, and the graveyard was such a beautiful place.
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ReplyDeleteI really did like the monument in front of the Poland Museum. I think it shows an excellent display of how the Jews viewed life before the Shoah and how they viewed life after the Shoah. During the second part of the day was when I felt more connected to the Jewish people being able to here personal stories from actual survivors and not just reading it odd a paper or not at all
Which half of the day held more significanc