Poland

Tonight, the AJC group met with Rabbi Andrew Baker. He just recently worked in Cairo with the Egyptian Jewish community. But tonight he talked about the antisemitism situation in Europe, particularly in France. We had a lively discussion relating to Israel, France, and Poland. Three of the girls in the group had gone on the AJC trip to Poland last spring and another girl went on the March of the Living. We ended up talking quite a bit about Poland.

There was a point from a journalist who told the girls on the AJC trip that he felt that the March was suggesting that people were marching from the past into the future. And it's just not right for people to perceive Poland in that way, something to be forgotten and move on. I actually...agree with this statement. Then it hit me, when I had that "discourse" with Dane last spring, I was contradicting myself.

For some reason, since applying for Germany, I'm starting to see Eastern/Central Europe in a different way than when I was in Israel. Dane really did make a very good point that the Holocaust should not be a big part of its history but what it did for modern Jewish history, particularly Haskalah. When I was writing my essay for Germany, I couldn't figure out what to write because if Terezin didn't touch me as I expected, then what? I don't think I'll ever forget that little chilling moment I had when I stood in front of Prague's Jewish cemetery, seeing the history in right front of me.

Interestingly, I have this yearn to go to FSU to see the Jewish communities there. I've always wanted to go to Russia but now that I'm learning and growing more, I see a greater purpose in visiting FSU, to understand the modern Jewish diaspora. How has the combination of the Holocaust and rebuilding Europe's Jewry affected the Jews' perception of their Jewish identities? Look at Poland, a bunch of gentiles created this Jewish music festival in Krakow that took place every summer and still does. They wanted to bring back the Jewish culture that Poland was so famous for. Andrew Baker said it's a positive thing but is not sure of its impact on the long-run. It's what I'm saying. With so many Jews gone to God, Israel, and America, what can the Jews in those countries do to rebuild their communities that was completely wiped out sixty five years ago? What does being Jewish mean to them?

Especially Poland.

It's part of the reason why I'm so ambivalent about how to go about visiting Auschwitz. Should I go alone? Should I go with a program? What kind? When should I go? When the Israelis are there? Ceci, who's half-Israeli, told me that she had never experienced so many emotions at once at Auschwitz. She felt very sad.... very joyful with the Israelis but then very angry when she really saw the Israeli propaganda ("it was beyond disgusting"). I'm scared because now I know and understand more about the complexities of the Jewish diaspora and Israel in terms of identities and how to relate to the Holocaust. I want to travel around Poland so badly but I just don't know how I'm going to be able to deal with the feelings that I will experience.