It’s hard to believe that it’s already been a week in Poland. It’s hard to believe the things we have seen this week. It’s hard to believe that in the morning, we will be in Israel.
This week has been very hard for most of us, especially myself. From the pits at Lupochowo to the ashes at Majdanek. From the chambers at Birkenau to the monuments at Treblinka. It is hard to fathom that these things happened to real people. The fact that the Nazis had the power and the means to kill 6 million of our Jewish family.
I know that we as a group will never forget the experiences we have had in this country. Yes, the food may not have been the best. Yes, the bus rides may have been long. And Yes, we may have cried a lot. But the memories we have made, both happy and sad, will be with us for the rest of our lives. The ceremonies that we had as a group will be the moments that we remember. Coming together to sing Hatikva and say the Mourners Kadish. Lighting candles and singing songs around an Israeli flag. It’s been such an amazing journey and we still have a whole week left.
The week to come will be a totally different experience but we must NEVER forget the reason for the Jewish state. We must be resilient through Antisemitism and stand strong to ensure such atrocities are not repeated.
We each have gained so much from this journey and seen so many hard things. We must not forget the countless lessons we have learned about humanity. From being appreciative for what we have to respecting others and so many more. Everyone has a take-away from this week.
Never again. Never.
– Tyler Miller, Sycamore High School
