March of the Living - Blog 2

March of the Living 2017

Dana Lipson

"GOOD SHABBOS!! 

Last night, we began our first March of the Living Shabbat by walking through the streets of Krakow to a Jewish museum where we held our beautiful Kabbalat Shabbat service. The service was led by Rabbi Plotkin and Rabbi Brodie who both encouraged great amounts of student involvement. We shared stories, sang songs, danced, and overall had an incredible experience. The ruach (spirit) was so evident among the entire region, it was truly palpable. 

Following the service, we walked to dinner which was shared with a number of other regions on the march, including: Switzerland, Dallas, Miami-Dade, and BBYO. Throughout the night we continued to sing and dance with both our new friends and old friends, even though after seeing Auschwitz-Birkenau together, we all feel like family. 

This morning we had a number of different options for Tefilah that we could choose from. Of those options, there was one that involved traveling to the nearby Polish synagogue where services were being held for members of the community. About 25 students went with Rabbi Plotkin and Rabbi Broide to Isaac Synagogue, the Chabad of Krakow. Isaac Synagogue is a surviving synagogue from the Holocaust, with faded writing on the wall. We learned that the writings were actually the Tefilah prayers that the people used because they didn't all have siddurim, that we are so blessed to have today. 

The rest of the day consisted of our walking all around the old city of Krakow. We saw the remnants of the Krakow ghetto, seeing Schindler's factory, and then visited the Jewish quarter. All in all, it was an inspiring day. We got to feel what life was like in Krakow before and during the war. Seeing these sites in Krakow showed us how these innocent people, who were ripped from their familiar surroundings, separated from their loved ones, and systematically murdered, were real people. It personalized everything we've learned thus far about the Holocaust. This opportunity has made us feel proud of our heritage and has given us even more of a responsibility to ensure that we, and all of the world, never forget."