Guest post - Moving forward

Ever since I found out about going on this trip with Ricky, I've been excited about finding my roots. Fortunately, that aspect of the trip was successful--things seemed to fall right into place. The one part of the trip that I truly wasn't sure about was today's visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau. Living as a child of Holocaust survivors, has made a certain indelible mark on me, that I just didn't know how I would feel to walk through what was once a nightmare for many Jews, and other people as well. Whereas Auschwitz seemed to be more of a museum than I thought it would be, I couldn't help but think of the atrocities that happened to the people living in the barracks we walked through. Each step I took, I couldn't help but think about steps other people took there, and what they must have gone through, and thought, and felt like. I found it very interesting that many of the other people going through the museum took many pictures, as though they were walking through any other history museum--for me, however, it's more than that--it's part of my makeup.

At Birkenau, my emotions were much more prevalent. Its sheer size was overwhelming. I had to keep telling myself this wasn't a movie set, this was real. Again, I was trying to comprehend the incomprehensible--how could people live like that, and more importantly, how could people do this to other people?

One meteorological note--from the moment we were picked up from the hotel this morning to ride to the former camps, it rained heavily. While walking through Auschwitz, the rain continued until we walked through what was once a gas chamber. The second we walked outside, the sun came out. I mentioned this to Ricky, and he didn't think much of it, since he felt we were going to Birkenau shortly thereafter. When we got there, the sun continued to shine, and as we began our tour with our guide, I noticed a large group of Israeli soldiers preparing to march. A trumpet player began playing, "Ay-li, Ay-li," a song often used to commemorate the Holocaust, and the soldiers marched through the gates, down to the site of the former crematoria. Once they passed, we began our tour again, and it immediately began to rain again. The whole weather situation seemed fitting.

Later, back in Krakow, we went to a concert that was part of the Jewish Festival taking place now, that was played at one of the old, beautiful synagogues in town. The music was spirited, and the audience, made up of Jews and others alike, enjoyed it very much, clapping and dancing together. It made me realized that, as Jews, we should by happy. We're still here, singing and dancing, and rejoicing in the fact that we can still live our lives with our families and contribute to society in a positive way.

Tomorrow we go exploring Krakow with our guide. It will be fun! ( I'll get some more good pictures of Ricky!)

Yes, the pigeons are eating out of her hand...oooooookayyyy

Don't tell Ricky I put this picture up!

A good way to end the day