By Tim Smith
Today we visited the Polin Museum of the History of Polish Jews. In the past, when thinking about Jews in Europe, specifically Poland, my mind has always and ignorantly began during the time period of the early 1900’s in the lead up to the World Wars. However, there is a thousand years of history that I simply did not know, and it was humbling to learn so much about the history and culture of Jewish Poles in just those 2 hours. It makes me wonder and sometimes despair about how much I don’t know. It also further instills in me a desire to learn more. After leaving the museum we visited the Jewish Cemetery in Warsaw and quite honestly it is hard to articulate the thoughts and feelings of being there. Perhaps later in this trip the words will come to me. I am truly blessed to be here, visiting these important places, and truly honored to be in the company of such intelligent and academically curious people.
