We started off the day in Lomza where we learned about Operation Barbarossa and the brutal fighting between the Russians and Germans during WWII. We also discussed the relationship between the Poles and Jews living in Jedwabne and the way in which it drastically changed as the war progressed. What started as a mutually reliant, friendly village, quickly turned into a site of inhumane torture and mass murder. After the Germans passed through the small town during Operation Barbarossa, they ordered the Poles to kill the Jews. Organized by the mayor, the Poles gathered the Jews in the center of town and brought them to a barn where they were tortured and then burned. The tragedy that occurred in this town is unfortunately very similar to the many pogroms that Jews have experienced throughout our history.
We then continued to Tikocyn where we visited the Jewish quarter and davened in the Tiktin shul that is 400 years old. We walked around the Shtetl and stood on the bridge that overlooked the river which Jews in the community used as their water source and even skated on in the winter. We even got the privilege of hearing from the granddaughter of the last rabbi of the Shtetl, Ada, who is one of our Lindenbaum faculty members and has been leading us throughout this meaningful trip. To conclude our visit to Tikocyn, a town with unfortunately 3000 victims, we walked along the path of those who were driven out of their homes, listening to Hatikvah- the same music the victims were forced to listen to by the Germans. We were led to Lupochowa forest where the Jews from Tikocyn met their sudden deaths. We learned they were taken to the forest, forced to undress, and then were shot- many were desperately clinging onto their loved ones until their very end. We read the testimony of a survivor, Rivka Yosselevska, where she revealed the unimaginable evil she experienced and witnessed. In addition, Ada read her eulogy for her great grandfather who was murdered in the forest- given the personal aspect, it was especially moving and overwhelming. What appeared as a quiet and serene forest, is quite the opposite, and within the grounds lay thousands of innocent corpses.
Next, we traveled to Treblinka where around 900,000 people were killed and we learned about the horrors that occurred in the death camp. Although most of the camp was destroyed by the Germans in 1943 as they sought to eradicate evidence of their evil, we were shown miniature models of the camp. As we walked, we listened to the testimony of a survivor, who had worked in the camp. He explained the evil inner workings of the camp and the emotions of the victims moments before their deaths, which was powerful. To honor those who perished, we were each given a name of a victim and said the tefillah for עילוי נשמות and lit candles in the valley of the destroyed communities. We all gathered at the monument of Janusz Korchak who was a leader before and during the war. He had built an orphanage and throughout the war he was dedicated to remaining with the children throughout the war, despite many opportunities to escape. He was a man who displayed true heroism. At his grave we sang אני מאמין together.
We then returned to Warsaw and visited Heroism street where we learned about the Ghetto uprising and the bravery of those who opposed their Nazi perpetrators. We started at the deportation station where Jews were sent from the Ghetto to Treblinka, a true nightmare which planted the seeds and provided an incentive for the uprising. As we walked, we spoke about key leaders of the uprising and stopped to recount moments in detail. We visited Mila 18 which was the command bunker of the revolt. We finished by having a tekes where we read the accounts of those who participated- their courage and resilience were both profound and inspiring.
Ariella Susman
