Tour of Kraków
Our first main stop today was outside Schindler’s enamelware factory. There, Jonty told us of how Oskar Schindler saved 1,100 people by putting them to work in his factory. We discussed whether or not Schindler should be a righteous among the nations. Though he saved 5% of the Kraków ghetto, He still profited from Jewish slave labor. We then met with the adult group at the Kraków Umschlagplatz where Jews were deported to various camps, the closest being Plaszow forced labor camp. At the Umschlagplatz there is now a memorial of empty chairs in lines across the square. There, we were given cards and letters From our families back home. Each of us (the students) went to different areas of the square and read them. Without each of our parents, none of us could’ve gone on this trip. Although my mom worried about this trip all year, without her and my dad‘s hard work, I could not have had this amazing experience. So I smiled when I read my card. And as I looked up and saw all of the other students around me smiling or crying, I was reminded again of just how fortunate we all are. Not only do our families care about us, but we’ll get to see them again. In a couple days after leaving this Square, we’ll get to return home. Thinking about this, I wrote a poem as we left the Umschlagplatz.
So on this square
where families
were torn apart
We are given letters
from our parents
and from the heart
We are given letters
but they are more
they are reminders
They remind us
that we are lucky
to have a family
That we have time
to grow and the chance
to love them more
Because if there was one thing
that the people on this square
wanted more than anything
It was to be with
and embrace their family
just one more time.
We then went to the Jewish part of Kraków to see the synagogues and other places for the Jewish community which, unlike most of Warsaw’s, survived the war. Inside the reformed synagogue, Jonty read to us an excerpt from a sermon of Dr. Rabbi Osjasz Thon, who had been the rabbi here until his death before the war. I will roughly paraphrase what he said. “They will come for us, and they will kill us. They will kill our children, and they will behead us. They will put us all in the fire.” This sermon was given in the 1920s. We then went for lunch at the Kraków Jewish community center. After lunch, I had my interview with Omer, our videographer, outside the JCC. it went very well. He is a great guy. After the interview, I joined the rest of the group in listening to a righteous Gentiles speak on how her family saved Jews during the war.
The students and some of the teachers then went on a tour of old town. We saw Wawel Castle and cathedral and went around other parts of old town as well. We finished in the main market Square. It is beautiful.
We then went back to the hotel and had the student reflection of the trip. He posted how the trip ahead and move them and showing them their responsibility. I said that the scariest part of the Holocaust is that it was done by people, and that it is our job to always be vigilant in our defense of what’s right not to be indifferent when evil arises.