Starachowice And Kielce Today we went with Howard to his hometown of Starachowice. Of the few survivors still alive from Starachowice, Howard is the only one who comes back to visit anymore. This was where he last saw his mother,…
Today we went to Howard’s hometown, their local civic center, and the place where the pogrom took place. I did not expect everything to move me the way it had. When we were at the civic center and in the discussion center,…
Today we will be going to my dad’s home town and meet with the Mayor and other dignitaries. We are with a group of about 80. It is necessary for my dad and emotional and tiring for the two of us. It…
Shoes. Everything leads back to the shoes in our minds today as we walked through Majdanek. To walk through each room and think that someone stayed, rested or bathed in this place, gives a new realization to the situation. Since the first…
Majdanek When the bus first pulled into Majdanek, I only saw Barbwire fences. Then, as either the bus or my head turned, I saw the dark buildings in the distance. I saw the giant stone monument. The sight of the dark…
Majdanak Concentration Camp. I’ve read dozens of books and seen hundreds of images of gas chambers and crematoria. I knew they existed, but, until today, I knew like I knew Jupiter existed – no experience, just certainty. I’ve now stood under those…
While sipping coffee at the Chopin Airport and awaiting the arrival of the rest of our group from the States (via Toronto), Jonty Blackman briefly described pre-WWII Poland, where Jews comprised 10% of the population of the entire country and 33% of…
2: Arrival. We made it. It’s nice being with everyone in Poland. Mostly everything from the airport reached its owners without alarm. Our bus and bus driver are nice, and everything has gone smoothly thus far. Our first stop in…
Warsaw Exploration We departed the Novotel around 9:15am this morning and headed for the Jewish Historical Institute in Warsaw, where our guide Matan worked. Along the way he pointed out several landmarks, and I was pleased to recognize many buildings and parks…
Pre Arrival I was thinking a lot last night. This trip we’re taking, it isn’t just a chance to travel outside the country or experience the camps then do nothing. This trip is a reminder of our Responsibility. On this trip,…
On the final day of our trip in Spain, we left the hotel in groups of four and headed to the Gothic Cathedral in the Old City in Barcelona. Logistically, it made sense for us to be separated, but noticeably it was…
At the risk of sounding like an early jazz tune, I married a girl from Kansas City. One of of my first winter trips to KCMO, my wife Abby eagerly proclaimed that we needed to visit the ¨Plaza:¨ a center consisting of…