We started our day with a walking tour of the limited remains of the Warsaw Ghetto. Among the bustling capital city of Poland are fragments of the ghetto wall, unobtrusive memorials to denote where the wall once stood, and others to honor the members of the Jewish community who lived within its confines. But, there were also businesses, apartments, and public spaces that were built atop the rubble and remains of the destroyed ghetto with only small mounds and hills under each structure as reminders of what once stood on this ground. Totally unmarked, often ignored.
The expert historian who has graciously served as our tour guide shared that as a university student, she attended physical education classes in the same building that previously served as the headquarters for German SS officers in the Warsaw Ghetto. She did not know until years later. Hidden, but in plain sight.
The second part of our day was spent at Treblinka, an extermination camp located in the forests northeast of Warsaw. Driving here, we passed beautiful countrysides, picture perfect forests, quaint villages, and wildflower lined roads. It was like a picture book. But hiding within, one of the most solemn places I’ve ever experienced.
Nestled in the forrest, Treblinka was completely surrounded by a tall fence. The top of the fence met the branches of trees. Hidden merely a few miles from the nearest town. Train cars would not be pushed through the entrance gate until each could be cleared fully and quickly, hiding the reality of this final destination to its innocent victims until the last minute. Even upon the entrance of the camp was a facade of normalcy in the soldiers’ barracks – a zoo for entertainment, a barber, a bakery. Trees separated the perpetrators from their victims. A “hiding” place for the inhumane.
Treblinka was destroyed as a way for the Germans to attempt to conceal the truth, but efforts continue to this day to ensure those actions were done in vain. We encountered a team of geologists working on an excavation project; they found a pair of scissors and a button. Proof that what happened cannot be hidden forever.
Our group is fortunate to travel and learn from Holocaust survivor, Howard Chandler. We spent time in Treblinka commemorating him, his family, and his community. Some other visitors approached our memorial service, but quickly turned around. A survivor, hidden to these people in plain sight.
Our job along this journey is to ensure that the places we’ve seen, stories we’ve heard, and emotions we’ve felt are shared. While challenging to discuss, the words don’t always have to be “right,” they just have to come from a place of truth and justice. We serve as witnesses and bear the responsibility to ensure that nothing we’ve learned will ever again be hidden in plain sight.
(Thank you to Classrooms Without Borders and the Seneca Valley Foundation for making this experience possible.)