Between 13.7.16 and 22.7.16 I participated in the tour “Poland, then and now”.
The general reaction among my friends and acquaintances was – “What? You want to see Auschwitz?”
True. We’ve already seen Auschwitz and also Majdanek. But visiting the concentration camps was only one aspect of the journey. As the name “Poland, then and now” suggests, the only or even the main goal of the tour was not the Holocaust but rather the encounter with the forgotten splendor of Polish Jewry as well as its present resurgence. Naturally, we did experience the vibrant life of Polish cities, we visited beautiful palaces, we learnt of Polish history, we heard about Poland’s political and economical situation, and we met Polish people interested in meeting Israelis. All in all it was a “usual” sightseeing trip and, at the same time, utterly unusual.
What was the “usual” aspect? Like any tourist we met a new country, we visited tourist attractions and went shopping. And what was the unusual side? I believe that the unusual side of the tour was its very “center of gravity”, which included various aspects. We’ve heard of the great importance of the Polish yeshivas, but actually seeing the magnificent structure of the Lublin yeshiva is in itself an unforgettable experience. Or standing at the Rameh synagogue in – named after Rabbi Moses Isserles – which was also a very emotional experience.
Another highlight of the tour was the encounter with Polish Jews. Many years ago, a teacher at the Hebrew language instruction center asked me if I think that all the Jews of the world should move to Israel. Similar thoughts arose also among our group. We saw Jews who are somewhat different from us Israelis, at least as much as their clothing and non-formality goes.
This brings me to another aspect of the trip. Many fundamental questions arose during the tour, as well as discussions about quite complex issues. The stories of Jews in the Holocaust gave place to serious ethical dilemmas, which remained unanswered.
Was the trip worth it? The answer is a unequivocal yes. On the one hand, thanks to the trip, relations among community members were strengthened and new relations were also established. On the other hand, traveling abroad to meet other Jewish communities is a very important thing. Such encounters provide an opportunity to get acquainted with an embedded element of our identity- the history of the Jewish Diaspora– and allow us to see a little beyond our Israeli Judaism.
With warm regards,
Orit Zudman
