Reflections from Cincinnati Delegates Jonah Goldwasser & Josh Rosen…
Jonah:
The little shtetl of Tykocin was an eye opener for me. People can tell stories of their experiences in the holocaust and you can learn all about it in history books. But, once you’re actually there it’s a whole different perspective. I went into this shtetl not expecting much from it. Only to learn that the entire 1400 person Jewish population was wiped out in one day, it was the first shtetl taken by Nazi forces in Soviet territory. The forest of Lupachwa was heart wrenching. I didn’t have to walk into the forest to know that this was no ordinary forest. That a tragedy had happened there, that there was constant sadness and remembrance within the forest. As soon as I set foot off the bus, with the knowledge of the fact that we are on the same trail as these 1400 Jews from Tykocin and knowing that these were their last steps of life, I instantly felt overwhelmed. I began to tear up before we even took 10 steps into the forest. Once actually seeing the ditches which the Jews were executed like animals in, it became more surreal, and astonishing that a person, a human being was capable of this. It’s very hard to wrap my head around. When our guide, Peppi, read an excerpt from a Nazi soldier the words were chilling. “I thought of my two infants as I shot these infants.” And the fact that he said “I was nervous about the idea at first but after doing it a few times you become used to it.” There’s just nothing right about that, and the fact that he thought he was in the right is astounding.
-Jonah Goldwasser, Loveland HS
Josh:
It is surreal for something as picturesque as Lupachwa to be forever tainted by the horrific acts that occurred there in 1941. Seeing the 3 different areas in which the 1,400 Jews of Tykocin were buried was devastating, as the Nazis ruthlessly murdered entire families in these 3 pre-dug pits. This breathtaking forest, where these same families would enjoy many activities such as picnics, is now a place of sorrow. The most emotional portion of this experience, in my eyes, was lighting a candle with a name of a family that was brutally murdered in Lupachwa. I think I speak for the whole group when I say that the names that were on our respective candles will be names that will stick with us for a long time, if not our whole life. After the candles were lit, we came together as a group and recited the Mourner’s Kaddish, in order to honor the lives of the 1,400 buried in Lupachwa, as no one in their family was able to do so. To conclude, even though we were all exhausted, I wouldn’t want out first day to have gone any different, as Tykocin and Lupachwa have already taught us so much and brought us closer together as a group.
-Josh Rosen, Sycamore HS
A quote that came to Jonah, in reflecting on this day and this trip:
“Hard times build determination and inner strength. Through them we can also come to appreciate the uselessness of anger. Instead of getting angry, nature a deep caring and respect for troublemakers, because by creating such trying circumstances they provide us with invaluable opportunities to practice tolerance and patience.” ~ Dalai Lama
Our words around the closing circle tonight:
introspective
heavy
in awe
angry
speechless
sad
breathtaking
surreal
overwhelming
ridiculous
perspective
connecting
During our journey, we’re sharing a few highlight photos per day in our daily blog posts, yet to see ALL of our photos (many per day), go to our shared album here. https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B0SJqstnBJ10BQS
