As I run through the city of Munich I am first struck by the architectural beauty and food stands serving what us Americans consider “traditional” German cuisine in the market square. After a moment or two my focus shifts back to the podcast playing in my headphones. The podcast is titled “Surviving The Angel of Death” and the speaker is Eva Kor, a Holocaust survivor.
A completely indescribable feeling washes over me as I realize her and many other victims walked the same exact path, on those very same stones. Those who were fortunate enough to walk it again, and those who met their unfortunate end in Nazi death camps. I immediately begin to reflect on the incredible and eye opening experiences of this trip. 70 years after the Holocaust, I visited the same train station that German Jews were sent to before being taken to one of many labor camps. I sat in the same courtroom that Nazi perpetrators sat during the infamous Nuremberg trials. I walked through the gates of the Sachsenhausen concentration camps where inmates were tortured and brutally murdered.
As I sit here writing this blog post I can feel tears forming in my eyes. Pictures of the beautiful synagogues in Munich and Berlin flash before my eyes. I can feel the infectious energy and sense of unity that filled the room this past Friday night at the Fraenkelufer congregation. I remember being speechless after seeing the gorgeous interior of the synagogue in Munich. I feel an overwhelming sense of pride and appreciation for the millions of Jews who never gave up their hope and fought against all odds to keep our amazing faith and community alive. I mourn for the millions who perished in inhumane and horrendous ways while I sit here today with a Kippah on my head. I am also reminded of how far we still have to go. I believe that every Jew should revisit such a crucial element of our history, and be reminded of how resilient and strong our people are. I also believe that every Jew should be exposed to a trip like Germany Close Up to learn that although the world has come a long way in terms of combating anti-antisemitism, the fight is not close to being over. I am returning to the United States with an incredible appreciation for my religion and a robust desire to help educate so that the German Jews do not even have to contemplate if they have to one day flee to Israel for their safety.
Joshua Shirazi lives in Maryland.