The infamous Auschwitz. When people think of Auschwetz, they think of the “Work will set you free” sign. This is part of Auschwetz camp one, but in fact the general term Auschwitz was given to entire complex of camps which covers 20k. Visiting Auschweitz one was hard, because my great grandfather Adolf David died from pneumonia there. We had a Polish guide who was from the area, and was very informative. It wasn’t a big camp, but they really tortured the prisoners there. It was originally built to house Soviet POWs, and was then expanded for Jewish prisoners. I felt somehow connected to the place, because of my great grandfather. We also saw a picture of a young girl named Marta being liberated, who we had the privilege of hearing from a few months ago in Jerusalem.
Berkanau was the biggest concentration camp in the world. It was a death factory. It was simply terrible and terrifying. It was hard to stay both emotionally and physically focused on the tour, because it was a three-hour walk. The conditions there were inhumane. They killed 1.5 million people, and for those who weren’t sent right away to the gas chambers were selected to work for a few months until their eventual murder. Ellie Weisel was a survivor from this camp. I don’t think there is a more evil place in the world. The prisoners were stripped entirely of their identities, and were reduced to a single number tattooed to their arms. History has never seen anything so cruel, and unfortunately this plight was towards my people. As much I would like to believe the Nazis weren’t humans, they were. It was their decision. Yes they were brainwashed, but the Holocaust was still a series of decisions made by individuals. I have seen the worst and leaned a lot, so what do I do now with all this information?
I am a Jewish nineteen-year young adult, who this week walked into four concentration camps. This week I also walked out of four concentration camps. In 1942 who would of ever thought that this could be possible. But when I left, I took people’s memories with me. Memories of amazing people, who were killed for the incredible religion they lived by. That is my responsibility after seeing the aftermath of inhumanity, to take their stories with me, and to live the rest of my life as humanly as possible.
We will be having Shabbas in the old Jewish quarter of Krakow. I will shower, shave, and put on much nicer than the ones I have been wearing this past week. After so much sadness it is time to rejoice. Isn’t that what Shabbas is for? Isn’t that what being Jewish is all about?
The infamous "Work will set you free" gate.
Thousands of Shoes were stolen.
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