I snapped a photo of an exhibit that shows Simon Wiesenthal in his tweed jacket, his thick framed glasses on his desk table in front of him. The exhibit on the ground floor of the Wiesenthal Institute displays Mr. Wiesenthal surrounded by…
In foreign lands, where shadows did creep,Hitler’s presence cast a chilling sleep.His Eagle’s Nest, perched on high,A symbol of oppression against the sky. From its vantage point, the eagle surveyed,A nation gripped by fear, lives betrayed.Blinded by hate, Hitler’s heart aflame,He sought…
It has certainly been an intense day as we left Vienna to make our way towards Salzburg. Our first stop was at Hartheim Castle (Lern und Gedenkort Schloss Hartheim) one of the six euthanasia centers and the only one in Austria. Until…
Such an amazing day! We got to see the beauty of Austrian architecture and art while visiting Schonbrunn and Belvedere palaces. Walter was an especially knowledgeable and humorous guide. The Ampang train station memorial was another somber reminder of the atrocities that…
 The City Temple is the only surviving synagogue from pre 1938 Vienna. At one time there were 50 synagogues. This particular one sits in the heart of the city and was the center of the Jewish community. It is more than…
As we began our morning entering the only surviving synagogue of Kristallnacht, I heard our guide mention the word ‘community.’ A community, defined by Oxford Languages, is a group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in…
We have just completed our third day in Vienna with Classrooms without Borders. Today on July 5th what stood out to me the most was our visit to the Memorial to the Jewish Victims of the Shoah at Ostarrichi Park. Guided by…
Today we spent the day touring the Leopoldstadt, the Jewish museum and the Jewish cemetery. We learned the history of the Jews in Vienna. My key takeaway is that the treatment of Jews was very cyclical with ongoing acceptance and expulsion. There…
Walter, our knowledgeable and passionate guide in Vienna, tells us that where we see a synagogue, we will also see a gray police box. It is a security measure necessitated by anti-semitism past and present. Throughout the day, Walter points out to…
Our flight was slightly delayed due to lightening but we made up the time. Josh has been extremely helpful retracing his steps from four days ago leading the group through terminal charges and gates. Several people are meeting each other and getting…
I’m here a few days early in Vienna. A friend wanted to ride the huge Ferris wheel, so we did. Like a ferris wheel, my mind had been going ROUND and ROUND about the places we will visit, the tidbits we will…
This past week, I had the pleasure of accompanying approximately 75 educators and students on a Classrooms Without Borders tour of Poland. Now that I’ve had some time to decompress (both physically and mentally), I’d like to offer a few thoughts on my…