My Trip to Poland

October 1997

I joined the delegation to Poland for two reasons. First of all to return to the place where my grandparents' families were killed in the death camps and also to know more about what happened to our people in Poland.

When I stood near the graves of those massacred, it was difficult for me to identify with the six million Jews. My strongest impression came from our visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau. Walking along the railway track I could actually feel the hatred and what happened there fifty years ago suddenly hit home. The camp was so big and only by being there could I see and feel what I had so often heard. As I looked out into the distance, I saw the barbed wire fences, the guard towers and some of the remaining wooden huts. Everywhere I looked I saw death and torture.

I think it is very important to go on such a trip and I hope that many more delegations will follow. Young Israelis will see, and perhaps understand, what actually happened to our people massacred in that awful war.

Eran Zaharoni

Kfar Yechezkel

I think that the most important experience of the trip was at the Bet Midrash where we searched for the remains of books. It was like looking for people. I suddenly realized that this was once a live community, now dead and gone.

Limor Tamim

Carcum

It was the first time in my life I was proud to sing Hatikvah.

Rotem Cohen

Kibbutz Yiftach

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