Additional thoughts....
The trip was a very
meaningful experience. It helped me formulate my Jewish identity. I am very
happy I was able to experience this with my peers and I believe this trip
brought us closer together. It was an unforgetable experience.
Shana M.
Class of 2012
Friday, March 30, 2012
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Thank you Claire Simmons....
Claire,
I
just wanted to let you know how great of an experience I had. On our
way to Poland I had no idea what to expect. On my way back to America I had no
idea what I experienced. I do know that the trip changed me, I now hold a
new appreciation for Judaism, and Israel. There are many other
feelings I experienced and I do not know how to describe. I would like to
thank you for this great experience, it truly was a
unique experience that I would not trade for anything.
I appreciate you taking your time to teach, and tell us personal stories
from the Holocaust. Reviewing the journal I kept during the trip brought
up many emotions that I did not know I had. It will defiantly take
time to fully appreciate the trip and for me to attempt to comprehend what
we saw. In Prague I had a great time exploring
the beautiful city and I thank you for
that opportunity. Thank you again, I hope to see you soon.
With
Love,
Max
F.
Class of 2012
Thoughts....
As I look back through my high-school career I can think of no
learning experience that has completely altered the way in which I view the
world than my Eastern European Holocaust academic tour with a Jewish historian.
I was one of fourteen students. Never have I experienced a learning intensive
that has touched my heart as this trip has. I am writing this from a hotel in
the Czech Republic after spending four emotional days in Poland, touring
through Warsaw, Lublin, and Krakow. After walking the steps of my cultural
ancestors, hearing individual tales of Jewish resistance fighters (both
physically and spiritually) and witnessing the sites of pure evil, “the
basement of humanity,” my worldly view has drastically changed. I am a secular
Jew and I attend a Jewish Day school. I have taken for granted the ability to
learn about Judaism, to study from the Torah; I suppose that I have never
realized the horrors that my people went through to keep the tradition alive. I have a fire within myself to follow
the lead of my cultural protectors. The portable aspect of our religion comes
through books. No matter how many are banned or burned, books always sneak
through the cracks and can be passed down to future generations. It was once
theirs, but is now my burden to learn and continue Jewish learning and heritage
so my descendants can keep the faith.
Rav Shapira instituted into the Chasidic community the
practice of Daf Yomi, learning one
page of Talmud every day. Although I know that this is a rather large stretch
for my ability I feel it my responsibility to show kavana and make my way through the Talmud within my life. My
secular eyes have been opened and the importance of my Judaism has become more
and more clear. Evil has tried to extinguish my people yet the depths of my
ancestor’s faith and knowledge has prevailed through the indescribable trials
and tribulation. As I see the Jewish faith diminishing within the young people
of the secular world I feel I can not sit back and watch it happen. I believe
that the time has come in my life to take my Judaism seriously and intensely
study the books of my culture so that the knowledge can pass onto the
generations to come.
Slater S.
Class of 2013
Class of 2013
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