Hey all reading this out on the interweb. So I have received a few questions in regards to the blog. First to address “certain parties” complaining about blog titles, future titles will be less kitschy and alliterative. On a more important note, readers have asked about why this blog is being written on a delay. Well, you will understand by the end of this entry. I will recap our time in Israel so far and illustrate how insanely busy we have been. Not all of us get to go on field trips and have fun everyday, huh Zack. There is serious work to be done and we have been tasked to tackle the serious challenges facing the Jewish people. Leadership has its price and perks. I will tend to focus on the overall awesomeness of this trip but it is important to note that our schedule is quite grueling (read: overwhelmingly full of positive experiences).
To give you an overview of an average day, you can follow this outline. Guys wake up at their accommodations, which are literally at Zion Gate of the old city and then proceed to take morning classes. First we have a 1-on-1 session with a chevrusa (learning partner) followed by two group lectures by 2 of 3 Rabbi’s Berger, Cowland, or Resnik. Girls have a similar schedule at Jewel in Ramat Eshkol. The group then convenes in the old city for the afternoon classes on leadership and responsibility. We then either have a free evening or dinner at a restaurant to relax after a stressful day.
When we first arrived in Israel, we were brought to a beautiful resort hotel outside of Jerusalem. This is where we would remain for a much needed lazy shabbos. We ate 3 incredible meals and got to spend some time socializing with the outgoing Hasbara fellowship group. The wine flowed freely Friday night leading to an incredible evening of singing, dancing, and a whole lotta group bonding. We had the chance to go swimming on Friday before shabbos and even more time to veg. outside on Saturday. On Saturday afternoon we had a group “debriefing” from Poland with everyone going around and sharing their thoughts. By the end of Shabbos, Poland felt like a lifetime ago and we were ready to take on the challenges facing us in the coming weeks.
Sunday was an important day in that in addition to our learning schedule, we were introduced to the main reason we were brought to Israel. We have been deemed capable Jewish leaders on campus and because of our previous accomplishments with minimal assistance; they want to see what we can accomplish with a great deal of support. We were asked to design ideas and projects to bring back to campus. We have to prepare to present our ideas to a donor. If our ideas are considered practical and exciting, we will be given a budget and become responsible for carrying them out. This will be the focus of the next two weeks and we will spend a great deal of time perfecting this.
Our learning has been focused on what it means to be responsible as well as what it means to be a leader. These classes have covered subjects such as how to hold events, use media, attract supporters, and take charge of an issue. We had a seminar on answering the difficult questions about Israel and how to fight back against anti Israel activists without losing. We even had a mock debate in order to try out our skills in approaching and challenging an anti Israel activist we might encounter on campus.
Much of our time is spent meeting with impressive organizations who are taking proactive measures to ensure Israel’s safety and protect its reputation in the media. We met with Michael Dickson of Stand With Us who discussed with us how they are educating students and protesting against anti Israel sentiment such as with the Durban 2 conference in Geneva. We visited Media Central, a non-profit that provides resources
(phones, food, computers, access to research) to journalists who come to Israel and assist them in setting the record straight when it comes to Israel in the press. They also arrange for journalists to meet with Israeli officials and experts so they can get the story straight. A highlight of the trip by far was meeting with the founder Shurat HaDin, a legal organization that goes after the bank accounts of terrorist organizations and has been successful in freezing and seizing hundreds of millions of dollars that would have been funneled to pay for terrorist activities.
We went to visit a number of places as well. On one day we took a trip visiting Holon, Sderot, and Tel Aviv. In Holon we visted a non governmental organization called Save a Childs Heart. They bring poor children, who are from Africa and the Middle East and suffering from rare heart diseases to Israel from treatment. The group got to play with recovering children and fun was had by all. Everyone was so moved by the work done by this organization that the group collected a donation and we bought ourselves a place on the wall of hearts. Our next stop of the day was Sderot, an Israeli town on the edge of the Gaza strip. Sderot has been facing constant attacks by Kassam rockets from Gaza over the past 8 years. They are always in danger and only have 15 seconds to get to a bomb shelter when a rocket is detected in range. The damage has ruined homes, shops, schools and has destroyed any sense of security these people have. Bomb shelters have been made out of bus stops, restaurants, schools, and even playgrounds. We got a tour of the city and met with members of Sderot Media Center who work to raise awareness about the city.
Our last stop was Tel Aviv and the Aish branch there. We sat down with the people who are running Aish Tel Aviv and learned about starting a movement. They are attempting to begin a movement towards a religious Tel Aviv. We then had a free night in Tel Aviv. I went off with the guys to do some shopping and get ready to out to dinner. I discovered that Chris Cornell (Soundgarden, Audioslave, Temple of the Dog) was playing Tel Aviv THAT NIGHT! Sadly I found out too late and missed the show but it was alright as we had a great night anyway. The NY crew (and June) went out to celebrate Karen’s 21st birthday. We then reunited with our Canadian brethren to relax at a nargila bar on the beach before returning to Jerusalem in the wee hours of the morning.
It was time for Shabbos and I had not made any plans. See this weekend was a free Shabbat which meant we could go anywhere. After flirting with the idea of going to Tzfat during the week, I decided to join two Canadians, Jay and Wesley, and go to Haifa. We had no place to stay, no place to eat, no idea what to expect. On Friday morning we arrived in Haifa and went straight to the beach from which point everything seemed to work out. We got free place to stay and eat at a Chabad that was literally less than a 10 minute walk to the beach. We got to keep Shabbos in the sun for two days and even got to share the experience of all going to the mikvah for the first time (no, not at the same time).
We reunited as a group on Sunday excited to hear each other’s Shabbat adventures and get back to some stability. Sunday night we went bowling as a group after which point began one of the best nights of the trip. It began with combination of Canadians and cheap supermarket wine. We all got bottles and the L’Chaims ensued on the back of the bus. We were dropped off near the Sultan’s Pool and walked to town singing and dancing the whole way even stopping to perform for an audience of ourselves at a stage on Jaffa. The party continued to crack square where the singing continued with so much enthusiasm that we were yelled at. Which is crazy because anyone whose ever been to crack square knows how loud it is. The fun continued through all hours of the night and by the end of which I received the title of Honorary Canadian.
Monday and Wednesday were regular learning days. Tuesday was the one day dedicated solely to fun. We began with ATVing in the desert. It was incredible looking at our surroundings but you cannot help but feel teased since they do not let you push these vehicles to full speed. We then visit a kibbutz in the Negev desert that has been among the fast growing in Israel. Finally, we got to spend time at the Dead Sea, the lowest place in the world. Unfortunately the Dead Sea is an unforgiving mistress who will attack you and beat you mentally and physically if you have any cuts on your body. Congratulations Dead Sea, you win again.

It’s Tuesday and I am thrilled to be in the old city of Jerusalem. Five days have passed since Poland and I have used that time to process my experience and churn out some cohesive thoughts.
I will begin however on a lighter note with our tour of Krakow. We spent Wednesday exploring the Jewish quarter in the center of Krakow. Most of the original sites in the ghetto have been preserved such as the Ramah’s Shul and its adjacent cemetery that serves as the final resting place of many of Poland’s most prominent Rebbe’s. This shul was headed by the uber-impressive Reb Moshe Isilis, who obtained ordination at his Bar Mitzvah and by age 20 was the chief Rabbi of Krakow. We learned that at its height before the war, Krakow had 65,000 Jews and over 17 shuls in the span of what would be the equivalent of 4 or 5 blocks in Manhattan. We visited a beautiful synagogue known only as “the temple” that is actually the sister shul to the Spanish Synagogue in Prague. The Krakow ghetto has not only been well preserved but it has been turned into a tribute to Polish Jewery and a major tourist destination in Europe for people to learn about Jewish history and culture. The restaurants and hotels are Jewish themed with creative names such as “Jewish Restaurant Café” or our residence for the night, “Hotel David.” Ignorant travelers beware! These places are NOT kosher despite Hebrew lettering and weak attempts to pass themselves off as such. For those off the righteous path though, the restaurants provide tourists with the opportunity to try “authentic” Jewish food such as schnitzel or cholent.
Krakow was a great first chance for the group to socialize. Our evening began with a quaint dinner at Chabad and an incredible talk by a woman who was awarded the honor of Righteous Amongst the Nations for saving 6 Jews from capture by the Nazi’s. Paulina, who was just a young girl during the Holocaust, told us her incredible story, about how herself and her family hid and protected 6 Jews, including children, some of which are alive today. After dinner we went as a group to a polish pub and we finally found ourselves with some time to just sit back, relax, and rest up for a big day tomorrow. After about an hour with the whole group we decided to go out on the town and explore Krakow’s nightlife. Under the assumption that I would never be in Krakow again, I decided to make the most of it so I got a group of guys together and off we went. Krakow has a beautiful square in the middle of the city with town hall in the center and all the nightlife on the outskirts. Over the course of the next few hours, Jay, Ryan, Wesley, and I went to a variety of places including a jazz fusion club and a rock bar with a polish band playing classic rock/pop and featuring a lead singer with a ridiculous accent. We walked back to our hotel through downtown Krakow amidst ancient churches and castles before calling it a night.
On Thursday morning we get up and make the one hour drive to Auschwitz. The town itself was the sight of over 50 work camps that housed Jews, Poles, and Gypsies. With the exception of two camps, these facilities were used to house people that would be forcd into slave labor during the day. Companies, some of which are around today (such as Phillips), would pay for this cheap labor. Our focus was on one camp, although we visited two. The less important camp is Auschwitz 1, home of one of five gas chambers. This camp saw few Jews and is actually not much bigger than a couple football fields. It contains brick buildings and grassy areas that make it look almost like a college campus. This disturbing “innocent” look is further comprised by the fact that the facility has been turned into a museum. The original structures have been maintained but the inside is not much different then any other holocaust museum with its display of artifacts such as shoes, clothing, luggage, and even human hair. While this museum is a relevant tribute to the horrors and evils that were committed by humanity, this is not our story. As our guide Tzvi put it “Birkenau is our story”
We approached the camp along the train tracks and stopped along the way to visit cattle cars that brought our people to the camp. Hundreds of people would be packed into these cars for days among excrement, filth, and disease. Needless to say many did not survive the journey. Those that did would be taken from the station to the camp; we followed in their footsteps and entered Birkenau. The camp has been preserved almost completely to the way it was left after the war. Even the rubble of the barracks and gas chambers has remained as it was.
Being at the camp does not put you in the mind frame of having been imprisoned there. What it does do is put into perspective for you a picture of what it was like to be captive there and make you think about how you would feel if it were you. We have all heard the stories but this experience makes them real, tangible, facts that you cannot hide from. When you see the living conditions, the gas chambers, the crematoriums and you realize how helpless these people were then empathy can set in. What really perturbed me was how well organized the Nazi’s were in taking advantage of our people in every which way. Not only did they murder over 1.1 million Jews at Birkenau, but they found every way to exploit us for profit. All material items people came to the camp with was confiscated. Those who could work would be sold as cheap labor. The Nazi’s would create products out of human beings such as hair and soap to be sold retail. Even in our death they could profit. Under German law, people who had life insurance policies that died as prisoners of the state would forfeit the life insurance policy to the state. This means the Nazi’s LITERALLY PROFITED FINANCIALLY FROM MURDERING JEWS!
We spent five hours in Birkenau. Over those five hours we were taken on an emotional journey the likes of which you could only understand by being there. We heard all the stories, all the tragedy breaking our heart again and again. Tzvi advised us all to take a stone from Auschwitz. He told us that when we were upset, when we thought we had it bad, to take it out. The stone serves as a reminder of the suffering that our people endured and reassures us about how good we really have it. I look at my stone now and appreciate all the luxuries I am privileged to enjoy when 70 years ago my life would be in danger solely because of the circumstances of my birth. We did an amazing thing! We walked into Auschwitz and walked out 5 hours later! On top of all that we left Auschwitz with knowledge that we would be in Israel in just a matter of hours and that is exactly what we did. We made it back to Warsaw in record time of less than four hours. We had a roadside dinner thanks to Chabad after which we were off to the Airport. In just a few short hours, at 3 am we did the impossible. We accomplished the dreams of our ancestors and lived for their sacrifice. We had made it to the Holy Land.

We have just finished our second day in Poland and I finally find myself with some time to write out some thoughts on all the astonishing things I have learned and seen in the past 36 hours. I figure the easiest way to share our experiences with you is to take you through it chronologically. We arrived in Warsaw at 10 am local time and our tour guide, Tzvi, felt no need to ease us into what we would experience in Poland. Our first stop, a Jewish cemetery in Warsaw that serves as the final resting place of Jews that were killed in the Warsaw ghetto. We then proceeded to tour the Ghetto and visit sights such as where the rebellion took place and where Jews were rounded up for transport 130 kilometers away to the Treblinka death camp. The thing about Warsaw is that it has grown tremendously as a city, especially over the last 30 years. The location of the Ghetto was in the center of town and due to its prime location, its preservation has been severely limited. All that is there now to commemorate what occurred is one small wall from the original ghetto and a few memorials located at important spots in the area. The rest of the Ghetto has been transformed into a residential area featuring apartment buildings, shops, and even a restaurant un-ironically named “American Chinese Food.”
After leaving the Warsaw Ghetto we followed the same path as the rail cars that would carry Jews from the ghetto to the Treblinka death camp where they would be shaved and suffocated. The Treblinka camp was hidden away in the trees and disguised as a safe haven for Jews even going so far as having a fake shop “selling” tickets to Palestine. It was one of the most productive Nazi camps in that it took the lives of 870,000 Polish Jews in just 13 short months. The camp had been destroyed before the end of the war in an attempt by the Nazi’s to hide the crimes that had occurred there. All that is there today is a memorial to those who perished and thousands of gravestones with the names of villages and communities in Poland that were destroyed by Nazi occupation and their peoples killed at Treblinka. As I said in my last post, it would take unity as a group to get us through this experience. We had this first real connection at Triblenka in which as a group we lit yartzeit candles, recited kaddish, and joined together to sing the niggun of Rebbe Eli Melech as our brethren did so passionately in their final hours. We continued to sing as we left Treblinka and headed to the hotel after an incredible first day.
6:30 am wake up, ugh. When we arrived in Poland we were given two warnings; first, we did not come here to sleep and two, do not look for logic in the holocaust because we will not find it. Today would focus on the latter of these warnings. Our first destination was a yeshiva in Lublin that was the most premier in the world prior to its involuntary closure in 1939. We then continued to Majdanek a concentration camp which existed before the war whose purpose was to “reeducate” enemies of the state. In 1939 it became a place in which Jews were held and often killed. The guards of Majdanek prided themselves on cruelty. and often committed actions that would further increase the level of indecency and inhumanity even going as far as forcing a 10 year old boy to hang his own parents. One of the most despicable acts committed here was a competition to see who could kill Jews the fastest, in which 18,000 Jews were killed in a day while local people actually BOUGHT TICKETS TO WATCH! Much of Majdanek remains preserved and what has not survived has been recreated to provide visitors with an authentic representation of the physical structures present before the camp was liberated by Soviet forces. The impending arrival of enemy troops caused the Nazi’s to eliminate our people as fast as they could without regard for disposing of the bodies. Upon arrival at Majdanek the Russians found a seven ton pile of human remains which today sits in a giant bowl built around it by the Russians as a tribute to all those who perished.
We were not alone in our visit to Majdanek. In fact, we were joined by a few hundred IDF soldiers in full uniform who are touring Poland as well. As defenders of the Jewish people it is important for members of the IDF to understand what it is they are fighting for and thus Poland has become a required destination for any person training to be an officer. In turn, it is good of Poland to allow foreign troops on their soil to learn about matters of such importance. Majdanek was an extremely important place to visit and having seen it with IDF provided for a very unique experience.
Our next stop brought us to a field in Izbica, where a train station formerly stood. Izbica was once a thriving community boasting a whopping 98% Jewish population. What looked like an ordinary field was once the site that saw the death of 50,000 Jews who were packed into a train and burned alive with a limestone and water mix. The train was then cleared out and the bodies were buried in mass graves in preparation of the next train load. Our final stop of the day brought us to the Grave of Rebbe Noam Elimelech, founder of Chassidut in Poland. His gravesite is considered a very holy place to pray and that exactly what we did. Following our individual prayer we had the unusual yet awesome experience of dancing at the grave. We sang and danced to a rousing version of the Rebbe’s niggun, to pay tribute to him and celebrate spirituality in the group. Following the dancing we brought our day to an end with a tisch and L’Chaim before heading to our hotel in Rzeszow.

-Keith

I am leaving for Poland in 6 hours. My thoughts are on the journey ahead which I realize I will be able to go on if I don’t pack. Though I am excited for the opportunity to travel and take advantage of a trip I could never attend without Aish, I have persistent concerns over the destination. I prefaced previous trips with the thought that “Amsterdam will be fun and amazing” or “Prague will be incredible” but this trip is different. This trip will be educational, impactful, emotional, spiritual, and influential, but not fun. This trip will serve as a rite of passage to really connecting to the plight of my people in the not so distant past. To attempt to experience firsthand the horrors endured during the holocaust and understand their significance in the present. Going to Terezin last year was scary and unsettling on its own, but as awful as that place was it does not compare to the tragedies and crimes that occurred in Poland.
Empathy will be key on this trip. It helps that I have personal relationships with many of the people that will be on this trip, many of whom I have traveled and bonded with before. There will also be plenty of new people to meet; the Canadian’s who will be joining us and rounding out the group. Where we come from is unimportant, the only relevant matter is that everyone on the trip is Jewish and can experience our victimization together. Empathy will unite the group and give us a shared experience that we can take with us to what will for sure be an unmatched emotional journey to Israel.

-Keith