As I write this entry on the last night of our Germany trip, I am filled with gratitude, connection, and hope, but also anger, grief, and shame. I am not surprised by this myriad of feelings, because it seems to be an…
This fictitious playlist resonates with CWB’s mission of experiential learning, cultural immersion, and professional development for educators: Throughout this ficticious Classroom Without Borders Musical Setlist, these songs seem to underscore CWB’s dedication to providing unique and immersive professional development experiences that go…
The House of the Wannsee Conference is a manor of rough beige stucco, a World War I-era country home with an Art Nouveau-curved façade pared down by a certain German sobriety. In July, the neighbourhood is shaded by a deep green tree…
When I first heard about this trip, I knew it was going to be emotionally challenging. Going to a concentration camp, visiting where the Wannsee conference happened, and going to the Holocaust museum just to name a few. There have been several…
The past few days have been a whirlwind of learning and new experiences. We have been fortunate to have been to many important places in Berlin and the surrounding area, including Sachsenhausen, Track 17, and the Wannsee Conference. After seeing the Nuremberg…
This week has shown why studying history or at least knowing history is important. History should never be about dates or names of Kings/Queens/Leaders. History is a narrative of everyone’s story woven together throughout time. But it is world events caused by…
Today was our Shabbat – our Day of Rest. Each member of the team approached today differently. Everyone has unique ways to relax, and everyone had a chance to relax. Some of us woke up early to get an early start on…
When I think of my trip to Germany, I think of a quilt of many colors. I think of Shalom Rav sung to the tune of Leonard Cohen’s ‘Hallelujah’; sung by a German-speaking service celebrating Pride in the remaining wing of a…
As I was preparing to leave for Germany, there were a few places I knew I wanted to visit and experience, one of them was The Jewish Museum Berlin. With it’s incredible and meaningful architecture to the mesmerizing physical and visual exhibitions, it…
Time. That’s the word that keeps sticking out to me since I arrived in Germany on Monday. Tsipy Gur said during our orientation meeting, “This trip will feel like 6 weeks and 48 hours all at the same time.” She’s right —…
Thursday, July 20th- Remembrance & Beyond Today we toured the Memorial and Museum at the former concentration Camp Sachsenhausen. Going into the day I felt uneasy, and unsure of what to expect. This was the first time that I had visited a…
“My family has a history of bystanders and perpetrators.” It was our first day of programming for Germany Close Up (GCU). Our guides, young historians who would lead us through 9 days in Germany, shared this part of their background as we…