MOL - Krakow

Krakow:

Wake up 5:15. We board the bus and begin the 4 hour drive from Warsaw to Krakow.

Physical Evidence. In contrast to Warsaw where we could not see any evidence of a thriving pre war Jewish Community, Krakow is full of physical proof. We walk the streets of Krakow and visit numerous majestic synagogues and cemeteries full of the graves of famous rabbis. Rabbi Poupko tells us wonderful almost fantastical legends if rabbis who lived and studied right here. At the grave sight of the rabbi who wrote the prayer for the sick which we say each day, Rabbi Poupko recites the misheberach and asks the kids to shout out the names of sick people in our lives who we wish to bless. Daniel Ruben's name was mentioned so many times. We dance and sing in the synagogue of great rabbis. The city is full if our rich Jewish heritage - culture, spirituality, intellect...

We trace the footsteps of the Jewish community from the Jewish quarter to the ghetto across the river - the place where Jews were relocated. There we sit on the ground in a semi circle at the foot of Rena's home in the Ghetto. She bravely recounts her story to the awestruck students who sit in stunned silence as she speaks of the day her family along with the Jews from her community were rounded up for transport to Plaszow. She speaks of the love and protective instinct a mother has for her children. We cry. How does she have the strength and courage to do this? "It is my duty to tell you my story," she says. We honour her my remembering her story and committing to re tell it.

Next we head to Plaszow to hear the continuation if Rena's story. Standing at the top of the pit where 6000 Jews were murdered and buried in a mass grave, Rena explains her job in the camp. She was charged with uncovering the bodies of the buried Jews and bringing the bodies to be burned, she asks the families whose loved one's she uncovered to forgive her. The kids are sobbing. I am sobbing. She should not be here. She should not have to relive her nightmare in this very place. The children rush to embrace her, to be near her. Their love supports her, gives her strength. Students break off into small groups to seek comfort from friends, chaperones and other survivors. They wander the holy ground while locals walk their dogs, lounge on the grass and stroll along the paths. Sickening. Don't they realize where they are, what happened here. The students are upset, angry, full of questions. We will try to tackle their emotions during debrief tonight. I don't know what to tell them, how to comfort them, how to make sense of this.

Yom HaShoah Ceremony:

In yet another Krakow synagogue even more beautiful than the others we visited earlier, the entire Montreal Delegation gathers. Each of our 6 survivors lights a candle in honour if the 6 million who perished. They each dedicate their candle to the memory if a list family member. Again we hear heart wrenching testimony. How much more can they take? Most speak about their mothers. We sing, we cry. Ernest says Kadish for the 5th time in 4 days.

Rabbi Poupko apologizes to all the survivors for the pain we are inflicting upon them by having them relive and retell their ordeals. While we recognize the need to have them with us and are humbled by their courage and strength, we are causing them pain.

I am dreading the debrief session tonight... Tomorrow is the March. The kids are nervous. They don't know what to expect!

A thought

I pray that the kids realize how blessed they are, how privileged they are to be traveling in Poland with the survivors hearing first hand testimony. When they are parents and their children come home from school with stories about the Holocaust, they will proudly be able to say "I was in Krakow with Rena, I was in Plashow with Rena, I heard Ernest's story in Burkenau inside the barrack he lived in, I saw Oscar Schindler's factory, I was in Treblinka with Sidney."

The only thing they asked if me was to retell their story.

Monica Mendel Bensoussan