We will never forget..

It is with this blog post that I congratulate a fellow MRH participant, and thank all of you!

First of all, I have surpassed 7,000 blog views! Thank you all so much for supporting me and following me on this journey - I'm so thankful for my readers and for having an audience to write to and share information with.

I also want to congratulate Geraldine King, fellow MRHer, on winning the Alan M. Schwartz March of Remembrance and Hope Reflection Prize for 2011. Leading up to our August retreat (which you can read about here), we were invited to put together some sort of reflection on our MRH journey. Four participants pursued this - there were three essays, and one (amazing) video. I've included Geraldine's essay below:

The Blood Remembers

In my First Nation language, my son’s name means “One Who Brings Light into Darkness”.  His name was passed on to him by an Elder after my son fasted, alone, for two days in the forest. This name is incredibly fitting as he has brought indelible light to my life which before him had seen intense periods of darkness. In my culture, ones’ traditional name is given to us by our spiritual ancestors – those who have gone on to the “happy hunting grounds”, as some might say. The single most important aspect of a traditional name is that it tells us who we are and what our purpose is on Earth. My son received his name at the young age of ten; I waited thirty-one years for mine – the same year that I was chosen to participate in the March of Remembrance and Hope (MRH).

In essence, the names given to us are meant to act as an inspiration to our own lives. These names instill a sense of purpose, hope and recognition in us and our communities. In other words, we are expected to live up to our names to honour our ancestors, our families, our communities and most importantly, ourselves. This cultural belief resonated with me throughout the MRH and influenced my interactions with staff, other participants, survivors, educators and guides. As a result, throughout the journey I felt incredible and deep sorrow whenever I encountered stories of Jewish identities and names being stripped from people throughout, and as a result of, the Holocaust. Those who died; those who were torn away from their families; and those who were forced to change their names in order to avoid persecution lost their identities, which is an enormous tragedy in and of itself.

At Auschwitz, there is a wall adorned with photos that were taken of Holocaust victims upon their arrivals at the concentration camp(s).  I took the time to read as many names as possible, wondering why their parents (or perhaps grandparents, other family members, religious leaders, and so on) gave them that particular name. Was it after a great-uncle who used to make everyone laugh? Or perhaps they were given a name that had immense religious or cultural importance.  What meaning did ones’ name have to his or her identity? Why did they choose certain names for their own children?  These thoughts circled my mind as I grappled with the intense grief that overcame me after having stepped foot in the first building at Auschwitz.  A huge part of me wanted to recite each name aloud so these peoples’ spirits would be heard on this Earth once more and further memorialized – so that their identities were not drowned in a sea of statistical oblivion.

Many years ago, I was an understudy in a theatrical production entitled “The Blood Remembers”. The story was based on the lives of seven generations of First Nations daughters; starting with a woman living in pre-colonial times, and ending with a woman struggling in modern-day, post-colonial society.  My own mother played the role of a woman living at the infancy of the Indian residential school era. Her role was spoken in Ojibwe, and there was a point when her characters’ children were forcefully taken away by ‘Indian agents’. At that moment in the play, my mother cried hysterically and displayed such gripping emotion that despite speaking in a language that most did not understand, her mourning made me sob as well as most audience and cast members. Afterwards, I was struck with awe - in part due to her brilliant performance, but also because she genuinely and clearly felt the pain and sorrow of her ancestors. Although she was not born during the era that she portrayed, her grandparents were alive then and their children were likely stolen from them based on a perceived racial superiority. My mother’s blood and by proxy my blood was passed down from generation to generation. What this means is that despite never having experienced firsthand the pain, injustice and horrors of another, we are the descendants of human atrocities and therefore inherit the multi-faceted impacts of our ancestors’ experiences. The MRH has inspired me to ensure that future generations remember and avoid injustices, but more importantly, to infuse new memories of hope, inspiration and justice.

I was forever transformed within moments of being at Auschwitz. My spirit will never be the same – it had felt emotions and depths of sorrow that surpassed what I could have previously imagined and experienced. What my eyes have seen cannot be unseen. What my soul has felt cannot be unfelt. What my ears have heard cannot be unheard. At the same time, the atrocity of the Holocaust cannot be taken back; however, the memories of survivors, and those who perished, will live on. I will ensure that I never forget what happened during the Holocaust; that the world never forgets; and most importantly, that my son is able to create new memories for future generations of this world’s inhabitants.

My traditional name is “Rhythm of the Water Woman”. My Elder told me that I was given this name by my ancestors because my spirit inhabits the tumultuous space between the water and the horizon, and that it dances with the tempo of the waves. I interpret this to mean that my purpose on this Earth is to withstand adversity – regardless of whether that adversity stems from ideological and systemic oppression, or is entrenched in ignorance and intolerance. Consequently, The March of Remembrance of Hope helps me to honour my own destiny on Earth. I will always remember what I have learned throughout this journey; the people I have met; the stories I have heard; the tears I have cried. My blood does not forget.  

Pride in my Hometown

Tonight, I am very proud of my hometown of Fredericton, and even more so of two grade six classes at Ecole St Anne - the francophone school in the city.

Without giving away any details, it has been brought to my attention that several members of the community and Frederictonians have offered to help out in the funding efforts of these classes. I am thrilled to hear this - what a fantastic sense of community and pride in our youth and education!

The article speaks for itself, and I strongly urge you to take the time to read it. I will be speaking to these classes on my experiences traveling overseas to sites such as Auschwitz, upon returning home at Christmas time.

"Grade 6 class takes on racism and religious persecution" 

In other news, I strongly urge you to seek out the film - and book - entitled "Hana's Suitcase". I have not had the opportunity to get my hands on a copy of either, but have had heard fantastic things from many people.

"You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the whole ocean does not become dirty." - Mohandas Ghandi

Additional Materials

I have recently signed up for "Google Alerts", under the keyword "Holocaust".

I just thought I would share a few interesting links with you, should you be interested in any further reading.

"The preservation of Auschwitz-Birkenau keeps WWII legacy"
I'm interested in hearing your thoughts on this "debate" - should Birkenau be left to turn to "nothingness" ? Leave me a comment below with your opinions.

"Holocaust survivor gets the diploma Nazis denied him"

"MetaMaus: Art Speigelman revisits his astonishing graphic novel about the Holocaust"

"The Ultimate Survivor"

Honoured, and excited

As promised, I'm writing a quick blog post to update you all with my most recent project - which is very exciting!

However, first, I wanted to do a quick plug for MRH itself...the 2012 trip is scheduled for 13-21 May 2012. Applications can be found on the Centre for Diversity website (here) and should be available this coming week.

One of my favourite photos I took on MRH.
Survivor Pinchas Gutter [from Lodz, Poland]
walking with MRH participants.

I have been offered the opportunity [and graciously accepted!] to write a memoir for a Holocaust survivor living here, in Halifax. Steven Markus, originally from Hungary, has so politely shared his experiences of WWII, anti-Semitism and the Holocaust with me, and will continue to do so as we proceed with this project together.

Markus currently has 27 pages of his memoir completed, which I have been reviewing and editing, and he still has plenty of stories and much of his story left to go. I am so thrilled I am able to help him with this, as well as learn his story - more lessons to carry with me and use to educate others.

Markus' story is unbelievable - he and his brother survived, while his mother, father and sister perished in Auschwitz. Markus' story is one of miracles - many miracles, and continuous faith. It truly is a remarkable story and different than all other survivor stories I have heard thus far.

Please stay tuned over the coming weeks for more stories and posts about Mr Markus and my work with his memoir.

An update..

My friend Emily, who I have been urging to apply to MRH [I'm so excited for her to do so!], found this little comic in her Internet cruise today, and passed it along to me.

A fantastic little comic with a wonderful lesson and something that so many survivors have in common - the incentive to teach younger generations. I am so thankful for the survivors and those who have decided to do this; I know Faigie and Pinchas - the survivors I traveled with in Germany and Poland this summer - made a huge impact on my life. As did Philip Riteman, a survivor living in Halifax that I had the honor of meeting last spring.

Stay tuned in the next day or two for a blog post about my recent activity: a class talk and a new, exciting adventure and project that I've taken on which has led me to meet another survivor in the Halifax area - Steven Markus!

"Silence never helps the victim"

The title of this blog post, a quote from Dr. Susanna Kokkonen relates greatly to some of the teachings of the March of Remembrance and Hope and the quote we wore proudly on our MRH t-shirts that has become such a huge motivator and explanation of our vision:

"Be not a victim,
Be not a perpetrator,
But above all - be not a bystander"
- inspired by Yehuda Bauer

Birkenau (Auschwitz II) and the 'famous' gate.

This idea, that by refraining from continuing to teach Holocaust education and continue the stories of survivors is really no different than turning a shoulder to what was going on during WWII. I have heard the question posed several times: "why should we continue to study the Holocaust", especially since there have been genocides and mass murders since?

While this is an important question, and the controversy regarding the Canadian Museum of Human Rights [set for completion in 2013] and their specific Holocaust 'zone' comes in to play and raises valid points, I think it is important that the Holocaust be studied as more than simply a genocide or mass murder. There were many implications regarding the Holocaust that must be studied to fully understand it and the evil of the Nazi Party: the anti-semitism and it's roots, the economy of Germany and Europe as a whole, the use of concentration and extermination camps, etc. While there have been since genocides, which yes, we should study, the scale of the Holocaust itself proves its importance and the need to study it in 2011, some 70 years later. (You can read more about the controversy regarding the anticipated Winnipeg museum, here).

Another issue that should be noted is the use of "German" when studying the Holocaust and the definition of "Nazi". I know my friend Camille pointed this out to me when my blog was just starting last winter/spring, and I think it is important to draw attention to. While it's often just a slip or generalization, we often target the Germans as the perpetrators of the Holocaust. This, however, is not the case. It was the Nazi party and their followers - mostly Germans, however, not all Germans who were involved in the dehumanization and attacks on the Jewish peoples. I know I spoke of the national guilt in a previous blog post, and I think that being specific in the group to which we are speaking, and the group held responsible for the Holocaust, is important in eliminating this feeling. Without specification, how are we any better than those who discriminate? It is mere generalization and feelings of dislike towards a group that should not be held responsible.

There was another Holocaust Education Week event this evening that I had hoped to make it to, but did not. I won't be able to attend any other events, but I urge you to check out the schedule if you are in Halifax, and attend any and everything you can!

My apologies for any format problems with this blogpost; Blogger was not cooperating this evening.

"Saviours in the Night" - film

Beautiful Berlin - I'm unsure what
building is to the left, but I have
several photos of it in my collection.

In promising that this post will be shorter than my previous one, I want to tell you a little bit about the second Holocaust Education Week event that I attended, which was a screening of the film "Saviours in the Night".

First, however, I should make note that Dr. Susanna Kokkonen, who I heard speak earlier this week is doing several talks across the country - I'm unsure how long she is here for and where exactly she will be - but I'm sure a quick Google search will answer your questions, should you feel the incentive to attend.

The film is based on the memoirs of Marta Spiegel, a German Jew who was taken in, with her daughter, by the Aschoff family during WWII. The Spiegels take on "new names" and are immersed in the Aschoff farming life, accepted as part of their own family as they pull their own weight. This, of course, puts the Aschoff's at risk as they are faithful Germans and sympathize with the Nazis, noted through their daughters loyalty to the Nazi Youth girls division.

This film, although made with actors in a "Hollywood" style opposed to documentary, is a fantastic depiction of the fear, suspense and heroism that took place during WWII. I was, admittedly, a bit skeptical of a film on such a crucial topic done in the mainstream style of filming, but I was very impressed. The actors emotions, facial expressions and body language seemed perfect and very realistic. It is an excellent film that I recommend to anyone interested in these often untold stories of the Holocaust.

For more information on the film and a few video clips, you can visit the more "official" website, here.

Dr. Kokkonen's H.E.W. Talk

Synagogue in Berlin, Germany.

This week (and next), Halifax is "celebrating" Holocaust Education Week.

Thus far, I've attended two events - and am very glad I squeezed the time into my schedule, despite papers, Girl Guides and what precious nap time I can find.

On Monday, I attended an event that was put on in conjunction with the Russian Department at Dalhousie U., which hosted Dr. Susanna Kokkonen.

Dr. Kokkonen is a fantastic speaker - originally from Finland, now living in Israel. Dr. Kokkonen works with the Christian Friends of Yad Vashem - an organization with Yad Vashem that lectures and educates, as well as runs programs about how Christians can teach, learn about, and react to the Holocaust.

This talk included much thought - do Germans carry a national guilt? Do Canadians carry a national guilt for not allowing Jews to flee here as a haven following the war (I say "yes", personally)? Why do we need to study the stories of survivors? Why is it important for the younger generation to be interested and engaged with the Holocaust?

What I found most interesting during this lecture was the elderly couple who were in attendance. She, a German, born in 1938, does carry the national guilt and still cannot believe that the war and Holocaust was not taught - from any perspective - during her schooling, until she moved to Canada for the last year of high school. He, a Jew, born in 1943 (I believe) is touched that there were so many youth in attendance, but did not speak much on the topic of the Holocaust itself.

They told the story of their visit to Dachau Concentration Camp in 1997. The man told us that the bus was full of "children" - people in their teens and twenties, who he assumed would be getting off at a stop prior to Dachau - no doubt a shopping mall. He was touched and amazed that they were all going to Dachau, on their own (not with a study group/class) and their seriousness and attentiveness, and the emotions that they displayed. He touched on the fact that "us old people don't like you young people" - an issue (and stereotype) that bothers me as I feel I have swayed from the norm - I'm not loud, reckless, and out partying every night. I'm interested in the lives of others - no matter the age, and I'm compassionate, if I may say so myself. This man, whose name slips my mind, not only put an emphasis on the younger generations learning about history, but also spoke the same lessons that Faigie did during our retreat weekend in Ontario this past August. By learning the stories, we are carrying on the legacy of so many who cannot share their lives, or who will not be able to forever.

A book that our tour guide in Europe, Michael Bauer, referenced
and used for testimonies, poems, etc. It is my understanding that
this can only be purchased at Yad Vashem. If, however, anyone
finds it in North America - this would be a fantastic Christmas
gift. 

I am so glad that this discussion topic came up - the importance of learning the Holocaust - and we were able to discuss it through this gentleman's eyes as well as through ours - the younger generation.

This event included two short films - both focusing, to some extent, on Yad Vashem and the work and education they offer outside the main exhibits of their museum. Although Israel has never been on my list of travel destinations, it has recently been added as I would love to visit Yad Vashem and spend some time studying there. Who knows where the future will take me.......

I was very impressed with Dr. Kokkonen's vast knowledge on the Holocaust and her ability to connect and get students involved and engaged in the subject. I may be wrong, but part of the students in attendance were there for a class, and therefore, not on their own accord or interest. I even managed to learn a few things and take note of several aspects of the Holocaust and what lead up to it that I was not aware of before.

One thing that I had never thought of before that Dr. Kokkonen made note of is the question "why did people go along with?". I have asked myself this question before, don't get me wrong, and this is a huge issue that I'm sure troubles many - as it has, me. This is something that, I imagine, no amount of research will ever be able to answer. However, Dr. Kokkonen had us think of societal norms and "following trends" in our lifetimes. Then, it made sense.

Wall of "Prisoners of War" who were
sent to Auchwitz. Their identification #s,
and photographs lined many of the
corridors, here.

As much as we like to think that we have our own moral codes, the ability to say "no" or sway from the norm, society effects and shapes us all in same way or another. This is, then, simply, what happened during the Nazi Regime and in Europe with so many locals turning their shoulder to what was going on - right in their own backyards, often times, literally.

Dr. Kokkonen told us a story - although I cannot remember which Camp it referred to. A woman, a  civilian not affiliated with the Nazis, but a non-Jew, who could see a camp from her backyard (I could not help think of how close the fence at Majdanek was to the town of Lublin and the absolutely sick feeling I had, here). She was bothered by what she could see from her window everyday, and wrote a letter to the authorities asking (get this!) for something to be done so she could no longer see what was going on - for the camp to be moved or for a brick wall to surround it. She was, however, not concerned that this was happening, just that it affected HER life in that she no longer had a pleasant backyard view. Absolutely disgusting.

I will leave you with a few "did you know" facts that I picked up from this event:

-- The Star of David that Jews were forced to wear was yellow as it was recognized as the color of shame during the Middle Ages
-- The 1929 collapse of Wall Street was blamed on the Jews
-- The name "Yad Vashem" is taken from the Bible, and, in short, means "memory"


"Silence never helps the victims" - Dr. S. Kokkonen

Holocaust Education Week

Hi everyone,

I realize that in my last post - just over a month ago - I said my blog has gone to bed. I lied. This week is Holocaust Education Week and Halifax, through the Atlantic Jewish Council, has a fantastic line-up of presentations, talks, and short films.

I hope to attend several of these events, and do a bit more with my blog, recapping these stories for those who cannot attend, as well as (once again) stressing the importance of Holocaust education.

I, unfortunately, have not yet planned an event here in Halifax similar to An Evening of Education and Inspiration, but continue to search out recent articles relating to the Holocaust and have several discussions with other passionate friends on numerous topics. If nothing else, I am furthering my education.

My full feature in The Watch

For now, I just wanted to post a few quick articles, including one that I wrote for the King's College student magazine - The Watch.

My article (page 16)

Art Spiegelman on his Maus books

A controversial ad campaign that sparked much discussion within our MRH group

"Auschwitz jacket donated to Montreal museum"

Missions and Visions

MRH friends in Orangeville

It is with this post that I'm bringing my blog Pilgrimage to Poland to an end. From time to time, I may update, which will be advertised on my Facebook page (as my friends have so patiently put up with all spring and summer)...I am unsure about whether I will host another event similar to the Evening of Education and Inspiration held last month, but if so, you will read about it here. I cannot, however, share every memory, every fact, every story and piece of interest that I have learned over the last few months with you. Sadly, I cannot write a book to express the emotions, and gather every detail. It is something - going to Germany and Poland, and meeting with a survivor - that one must do for him(her)self.

That being said, I am ending this blog - and this chapter in my personal and educational history - with an important aspect to the weekend retreat held in Orangeville, last week: the mission and vision of not only the Canadian Centre for Diversity, but each one of the MRH 2011 participants, individually.

We spent a lot of time during the retreat discussing missions and visions: what are they? What is their purpose? Are they followed? What should our individual mission / vision be? What about the collective, for our MRH group?

While I have blogged all summer and took quite a bit of time to plan the event in Fredericton in August it wasn't until we started discussing having a mission and a vision that I really started reflecting on the trip, my purpose for attending the program, and what I got out of it.

Our fearless leaders, receiving a token of our appreciation.
You are all such inspiration.

I wrote in my journal, while in Orangeville, the following:

"A vision statement: what the ideal is / a goal, what you aspire to get to.
But what do I want my post MRH project / life to accomplish in the world? I don't have my own words, so I'll have to borrow them...
'If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself, and then make a change' - MJ"


We were asked such a broad question - what do we want to accomplish in the world? I have no idea where to begin to answer that; even today, weeks after returning home from Ontario. In short, I want to change myself - I want to be an honest, good person. And if I can do that, maybe someone else will see it, and change, as well.

After a full weekend of planning projects, sorting out what our purpose was, reconnecting, and getting excited about the future, we finally came up with our a vision, and a mission, for the MRH 2011 group.

Vision: "The participants of the MRH, who bore witness to the lessons of the Holocaust, envision a Canadian society in which each individual takes responsibility to act against hatred and positively engage with the diversity of the people of our country."

Mission: "The mission of the MRH project is to provide engaging, inspirational, accessible and educational resources to young Canadians that will foster an understanding of the connection between the lessons of the Holocaust and the importance of responding to hatred in Canadian society."

The end of the tracks, at Birkenau.

...I couldn't have worded it any better than our group did. I couldn't have wanted to say any more. That is my hope for the future: for not only Canada, but for the world. And for each one of my followers, in your own lives, communities, and stories.

Thank you for following, supporting, and taking interest in my journey. I now have a purpose through this strength, these narratives, and my own personal story and connection with the Holocaust. A connection I did not have a few months ago.


(I am using an online program / website "Blog2Print" to turn this blog into a tangible book; something I can keep forever. Future blog posts will not be included in this.)

"Blogging through Death Camps"

I recently had an article published in the Dalhousie student newspaper, The Gazette, called "Blogging through Death Camps: a student's journey through the Holocaust".

I'm really pleased with this article, and although I can't find a copy of it online to link here, I thought I'd attach a photo of the clipping.

Reflections

All 2011 MRH participants were given the opportunity to put their reflections on paper, or in video / photo form and share this with the remainder of the group, through a contest in which there is a prize.

With few entries this year, we had the opportunity to see / hear these four, which included a beautiful film by Dmitri Panfilenko.

The film creates such emotion, and is a wonderful example of the program and the sites we visited while in Europe. 

Please turn on your speakers, and spend the next few moments watching the film, so you can continue to pass this around and reach a wider audience: to help us in our mission of educating.

To view the video, click here.

"We have a hereafter because of you" - Faigie Libman.

Inspiration: Liberation Stories

Our retreat was held in
Orangeville, Ontario at the
Ecology Retreat Centre.

This past weekend, I had the honour of sitting in and listening to more stories of survival, hope, and love as told by Pinchas Gutter and Faigie Libman: the survivors who travel with the March.

Pinchas, a survivor of Majdanek Extermination Camp, and Faigie, of Birkenau, continue to offer inspiration and love to all - especially those who take the time to carry on their stories; those eager to listen and learn, and return home to share, as we were, this weekend.

Three weeks prior to Pinchas' liberation from a camp in the Russian area of Germany near the Czech border, he was sent on a death march with approximately 1500 others. Only half survived and were liberated by the Russians.

On the 8 of May, 1945, Pinchas was 13 years old and "heard the fantastic noise" of tanks coming into the camp. He was liberated by the Red Army, and then sent to Britain where he was happy, blocking the horrors of his past. After liberation, there was no support - other than for physical ailments. Unlike many liberation stories, though, few died from overeating as the Russians were organized and rationed the food to build up strength, and increase weight.

Faigie, speaking to us at the retreat.

Pinchas has lived in every corner of the world: first in Poland, the England, Israel (where he met his wife, at 18), Brazil, South Africa, and now, Canada.

Faigie was liberated in 1944, at the age of 10 and a half, from Stutthof concentration camp, with her mother. Faigie remembers arriving at a large castle, and being allowed to sleep inside for the night. The following morning, the silence was frightening, until a man with a white horse rode up to the castle - a member of the Red Army - who was pulled from his horse and hugged and kissed by the women, as he was offering them freedom; they were liberated. Faigie remembers this moment - but was unclear and doubted her memory, almost. Was the horse white?

Faigie shared a special moment with us this weekend, when she read a journal entry by her mother for the first time. The horse was white. The women did kiss and hugg the soldier, pulling him off his horse. Faigie was thrilled, and we all recognized the special moment in which she relived her history: an important, beautiful moment of history - both then, and as we made it together.

Faigie's mother was only 33 years old at liberation, and wrote in her journal (about their liberation day) that "it seems as if the sun is shining today".

The group at this weekend's retreat, including Faigie and
Pinchas.

Faigie, weighing 50-60lbs at liberation, remembers most the feeling of clean clothes - especially since she had never changed her underwear in fear that someone may notice she was not an adult, but a child. I can't imagine...

Upon liberation, Faigie and her mother decided to not return to Lithuania, but had hope that if they had survived, someone else may have, too. Her father did not, but died in Dachau shortly before she was liberated.

Faigies will to live, even now, and her love for humanity continues to amaze me, as she told us these stories and said "you pull yourself up and say 'I shall go on'".

And with this, I return to the moment we arrived at the retreat on Friday, where we shared our original reason for attending / applying for MRH, and what we really understand to be our reason, looking back. I believe that originally, I had planned to go on MRH to really expand my knowledge of the Holocaust and to complete myself in that way, of understanding history. Looking back, I realize that I not only received so much more from this program, but I really wanted to participate to experience love, so I will never hate, and so I can end hate. And I received that from every other participant, from Faigie, and from Pinchas, and I truly love them back for having the courage to make this happen: for sharing their story and optimism. For inspiring. For educating. And for their hope.

I thank both Pinchas and Faigie for allowing us to share this personal connection with them, for allowing us in to their religion and lives to try and understand their past. Here, you can see a video from the trip (in Tykocin) of the two opening their hearts to us, and sharing all.

"You all have homework to do, for the rest of your lives, as you have become our ambassadors" - Faigie Libman.

Between Shades of Gray: Book Review

I just finished Ruta Sepetys' fictional novel Between Shades of Gray, and I recommend it to all of you. As the above link tells you, the novel is about Lina, and her family / friends who are deported from Lithuania and sent to Siberia in 1941.

This was different than the other Holocaust materials I have read, to date, as it didn't focus on Nazi Germany and the Holocaust / Death camps, but rather labour camps in Soviet Russia, at the time of Stalin.

With many parallels between what was happening in Nazi Germany and Stalin's Russia, it was hard to believe that Sepetys' novel was indeed fiction, opposed to a memoir, similar to those I have been reading since being accepted on this trip, and returning home.

A very well written piece; realistic, emotional, heartbreaking and educational, I leave with you an excerpt from the author's note:

"Some wars are about bombing. For the people of the Baltics, this war was about believing. In 1991, after fifty years of brutal occupation, the three Baltic countries regained their independence, peacefully and with dignity. They chose hope over hate and showed the world that even through the darkest night, there is light. Please research it. Tell someone. These three tiny nations have taught us that love is the most powerful army. Whether love of friend, love of country, love of God, or even love of enemy - love reveals to us the truly miraculous nature of the human spirit.'" - Ruta Sepetys

The calm before the storm...

MRH Participants 2011 who attended the reunion in
Orangeville, Ontario. 

I managed to make it home from Orangeville, Ontario this evening despite Hurricane Irene who is paying us a visit. It seems I made it just in time as the wind has now picked up and I imagine flights are delayed / cancelled coming into New Brunswick. That being said, I also feel as if this weekend is the calm before the storm...

Our weekend was spent in intense planning sessions, mapping our events, organizing and hearing more stories from survivors Pinchas and Faigie and from second generation survivors. A busy, emotional and inspirational weekend; just the start to our chaotic lives and welcoming MRH / Holocaust educational teachings into our schedules. This is only the beginning; the calm before the storm.

Please stay tuned over the next few days as I took many notes this weekend, did a lot of planning, and have lots to share with you.

Leadership Retreat Weekend

Really looking forward to seeing these boys! L-R: Riley (
from Vancouver), Dan (Calgary), myself, Kevin (Ottawa).

I'm just about ready to head to Orangeville, Ontario for the MRH leadership retreat weekend.

This weekend, not only will I be reunited with many that took the trip overseas with me, but I will have the opportunity to spend time putting projects in place, and working on how to be a leader / how to teach Holocaust education. I'm really looking forward to this.

As a treat, both Faigie and Pinchas will be joining us and we will be able to learn more of their own stories.

I'm unsure of the Internet availability while I'm away, so if I can't blog over the weekend, I will upon my return to Fredericton.

"A good objective of leadership is to help those who are doing poorly to do well, and to help those who are doing well to do even better" - Jim Rohn

Day 7 Journal: Tykocin and Treblinka

22 May 2011: Warsaw, town of Tykocin, Treblinka and Closing Ceremonies

The Tykocin Synagogue
is now a museum, depicting
Jewish life in Europe
pre-war. A beautiful exhibit.

This post has been a long time coming, I know. My apologies. However, with just a day until I will be reunited with the 2011 MRH participants and leaders, I decided to sit down, review my notes and my journal entries, my thoughts, my emotions, and the vast knowledge I received several months ago, in Europe.

I'm struggling to grasp what these places looked like before, during and directly after the war, as we visit these areas so rich in history. The black and white photos I've seen don't seem real in a way; the cities are bigger than I imagined, they're so built up and modern, economical...it's hard to picture things as they were, especially since I only know whats what and the orientation of WWII Krakow, for example, from Michael's knowledge.

The exception to this is the small village of Tykocin, in North-East Poland. It's a gorgeous and traditional looking old farming town: many houses are still made of wood, surrounded by large fields, and nearby barns. The synagogue, built in the mid 1600s (and now a museum) was the centre of the town - right next to the market square. A sad story of deporting and executing these Jews, I found this village a solemn place. The cars didn't drive as wild as elsewhere, families were out in the yard and there was still life at the synagogue, as hundreds of swallows had made nests under the eaves.

With this, after seeing the exhibit of Jewish life in Poland pre-war, came the eerie feeling that no one survived from this town.

The Tykocin Synagogue

Respectfully and solemnly, we drove the route those Jews marched to the forest - where 3 grave sites now stand - where they were executed: watching each group before them. The bus was silent, and traditional hasidic music played softly in the background, through the bus speakers. The area was gorgeous - the walk would have been long. We didn't need to speak, we all had the same shivers running down our spine, the same horrid images in our mind.

Israeli flags, and numerous Star of David
symbols were located around the three
grave sites: attached to fences and trees.

It was almost peaceful in the forest - a beautiful spot, out of the hot summer sun. New sounds of life - birds were singing and the trees were whistling in the breeze, and Pinchas' prayer in Hebrew echoed throughout the woods. I could not see him, but his voice, his beautiful song, found me. I stopped walking, I stood in silence, goosebumps took over my body. The whole path into the woods was lined with students, heads down, listening. A beautiful, breath-taking commemoration; a special moment we shared at this site - one of many.

These spot raised so many questions for me - did these Jews die proud of their faith? Was it a beautiful spot they were marched to; did the birds sing?

I saw the same beauty in the Okapowa Street Cemetery, another site we visited today. This cemetery is located on the border of the Warsaw ghetto: part of the cemetery is within the ghetto walls, the other on the Aryan side. Here, we heard stories of the Warsaw ghetto - sadly, I was on information overload and cannot retell them here for lack of memory, but I spent some time at the back of the group, admiring the beautiful tombstones, and amazed at the stories of escape Michael told us. This cemetery was freedom, for many. Michael told us a story about a school group or a tour of some sort several years ago visiting this cemetery, where the teacher/guide lifted a sewer cover, asking the students to smell. And what did they smell? It was the smell of freedom for many Jews in the Warsaw ghetto, as food was smuggled in this way, and many Jews escaped through this area.

Michael showing us the
sewer used to escape the Warsaw
ghetto, on to the Aryan side.

Not only do I find it hard to imagine sneaking through the sewers to freedom, but the image of a student learning the smell of a sewer - no doubt awful in the heat of the summer - learning that this was freedom, really touched me. There were so many beautiful aspects of the trip that made everything make sense; made it real, and made me understand more than a textbook can educate.

Finally, today we travelled several hours to visit Treblinka extermination camp, in North-Eastern / central Poland. The bus ride was long, we were hot and tired, and I'll admit, I didn't see the point in a 3 hour bus ride for an hour at a site without a museum. I regret ever having those feelings, as Treblinka was so powerful. The ride was long, the weather was warm, and my eyes were heavy, but Treblinka is a place everyone should visit when doing a Holocaust trip through Poland.

Solely an extermination camp, we followed the old cement planks on the ground leading up to the platform people were let out at. Large stones of country names - where these people were deported from - were located here. The sheer size of the stones affected me; I felt tiny and insignificant, and the stones had such power to them.

The main memorial at Treblinka

Treblinka had 13 gas chambers, meaning 2000 people could be killed at a time. The time between arriving at Treblinka and emptying the crematorium of bodies was only 2 hours - the perfect extermination camp, the Nazis thought.

The memorial at Treblinka is all in stone - including almost 2000 small stones of community names; representing a cemetery for the 900,000 people killed at Treblinka. Only one stone commemorates an individual - I believe his name was Janusz Korcaz. Korcaz worked at an orphanage, and refused to leave the children - accompanying them to Treblinka, where they all perished.

I repeat, Treblinka was powerful - its empty area, its stones and mock cemeterys, and it was here that Pinchas sung a song of the Warsaw Ghetto that he wrote, in memory of his sister. Pinchas' twin sister perished during the Holocaust, and he only remembers her long braid down her neck. Click here to hear / see him sing the song.

Our fearless leaders / the MRH staff

This evening was our closing ceremonies; a nice restaurant, a beautiful commemoration to all that perished, and all who have the strength to stand up and make an effort to change the world.

"Whoever is happy will make others happy, too" - Anne Frank

An Evening of Education and Inspiration ... and success!

Victoria Clowater (MRH 2011), Erin Legare (MRH 06), myself,
Mayor Brad Woodside, Holocaust survivor Dr. Israel Unger,
and UNB professor on German history Dr. Lisa Todd.

Thank you everyone who was able to attend my event, held at the Legion, this past Thursday: "An Evening of Education and Inspiration".

While I was a bit disappointed in the numbers, I was thrilled with the way things went. I know that it being summer had a role in the numbers. I tried my best to advertise but was away from home the week prior and I didn't get as many posters around Fredericton as I had hoped. Alas, ~32 is better than none.

We did, however, raise a decent amount of money to be donated to the Canadian Centre for Diversity for future MRH trips. This was really important to me as there were so many donors this year that made it possible for all 59 of us to travel together and form such a special bond, I felt like I had to do a part in this, too.

The presentations went really well - we split up the evening with poems and testimonies for an emotional aspect, and shared the song of the Warsaw Ghetto that Pinchas wrote / sang for us at Treblinka. Victoria spoke about her reactions to the trip, as well as the major points that she shall always remember - including the memorial for the gay victims of the Holocaust. Erin spoke about the emotional response to the March; she hasn't done any presentations like this in the 5 years since her trip, so it was really exciting to have her with us, sharing her knowledge and experiences. I spoke about Philip Riteman, the role of those we marched for, and the importance of "passing the torch", as Faigie told us she does each year on the March, and something we did on Thursday, to our audience.

Our guest speakers were also fantastic - Dr. Lisa Todd provided a wonderful background of the Holocaust and the atrocities we learned about while overseas, while Mayor Woodside spoke of the importance of Holocaust education, how moving it is to see these places, and made special note how proud he is of myself, Victoria, and Erin for hosting and holding this evening, and for devoting the remainder of our lives to standing up against prejudice and discrimination. Finally, Israel Unger, a Holocaust survivor, spoke about his experiences. He was 7, if my memory serves me, when the war ended.

I am pleased with how things went, and the responses have been wonderful. A friend of my mom's described it best: "we have lived such sheltered and uncomplicated lives in comparison.."

For my mom's post on this event, click here.

And thank you to everyone who came out on Thursday, and to everyone who continues to follow my blog. You have allowed me to pass the torch.

On the 25 of August, I'll be leaving for Toronto for several days for the March reunion - getting together with the majority of this year's participants and leaders to discuss things since the trip, and put plans into action for further education. Stay tuned for more on that ...

Resources

Pinchas teaching us his
story, so we learn first hand
at Plashov.

How can one teach without resources? They can't. And what is the best resource? One's own education, so I have several links etc to pass on to you, again. Educate yourself, know your surroundings, and educate others.


First, a poem, written by a past MRH participant which I hope to incorporate and use in the Evening of Education and Inspiration, as it is a fantastic look into the thought process that went into building these camps as well as someone trying to grasp this, after visiting.

Majdanek

                by Elizabeth Spalding

 What did the people of Lublin think as they saw

the road being built to Majdanek?

The barracks go up

The watchtowers rise

The barbed wire fence with a sign bearing death’s head declare, “Achtung!”

If not residents of Lublin,

then who won the contract on

The rubber seals for the gas chambers

The bricks for the crematoria

and the coke that fired them?

Who delivered seven thousand hundred kilograms of Zyclon B?

What did they think as three hundred thousand people, dazed,

disembarked from cattle cars and marched through their town

Clinging to a single suitcase of all their workdly possessions

And the delusion of resettlement

that made the inevitable bearable?

Did music blaring from two loudspeakers really mask the sound of

Twelve solid hours of machine gun fire it took

To kill eighteen thousand in a single day?

Who served the executioners their meals

When they took their breaks in town?

What did they think was burning in Majdanek

As two hundred thirty-five thousand corpses went up in smoke?

And the the camp was liberated

What math did they use to calculate

How many square acres thirteen hundred cubic meters

of compost rich in ash and bone could fertilize?

How fifteen hundred living inmates could wear

Eight hundred thousand pairs of shoes?

I wandered through those shoes.

They filled three prison barracks at Majdanek.

Floor to ceiling, rows on rows.

I could not comprehend this crime.

The numbers were too huge.

But when I saw a pair of red high-heeled sandals

Still bright among the piles of rotting shoes

I stopped.

What kind of woman would wear

High-heeled sandals to a death camp?

I realized: my mother.

And then I understood and wept.

Posted with permission of the author

Also, feel free to visit the following links, and share them with your friends and family to put a stop to hatred and anti-Semitism, and to stand up.

"Teen gets probation for painting anti-Semitic graffiti on synagogues, Holocaust memorial" as told by the Calgary Herald.

"Top Nazi Rudolf Hess exhumed from 'pilgrimage' grave" as told by the BBC.

"Debate: Anti-Semitism remains a problem on Canadian campuses" as told by the National Post.

"German Concentration Camp Criticized for Charging Entrance Fee" as told by Spiegel Online.

"Holocaust Survivor forms bonds with Indian residential school survivors" as told by APTN National News.

"Poland asks Jews for forgiveness on 70th anniversary of Yedvabne massacre" as told by Haaretz.com.