Poland Prep

February 15th to 17th was our Second Poland Prep Seminar. This seminar focused on establishing a shared foundation of understanding regarding the historical progression of the Second World War and the Holocaust. The seminar also opened up some of the central dilemmas of our upcoming journey: What was Jewish life in Europe before the war? Why did the Holocaust occur? Who was responsible for perpetrating it? How did the Jewish people respond? What was the role of the youth movements, including our movement Dror, in the ghetto rebellions? What is our role in remembering the Holocaust and shaping its legacy?

The seminar took place at the Ghetto Fighters' House Museum on Kibbutz Lochmei Hagitaot. Established by the survivors of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, the museum tells the story of the Holocaust and the uprisings in exhibits designed for groups and group discussion. You can read more about the museum and it's mission here. In addition to exploring the exhibits, the chanichim also read plays and poetry about the Holocaust, watched a movie about the Hitler Youth, and learned more about the journey itself.

One of the unique aspects of Habonim Dror's Journey to Poland is the chanichim's chance to shape different parts of the journey. The Workshoppers each take on planning one tekkes (memorial ceremony) along the journey. We will be having tekkesim at Auschwitz, Treblinka, Lupochova, and Majdanek and the closing tekkes of the trip at the Rappaport Monument to the Warsaw Ghetto. The Workshoppers have also split into groups to research a topic that interests them, and to prepare a 5 minute hadracha (lesson/presentation) that their guide will fit into a relevant point in the trip.

Look for an email with a detailed outline of the trip from Noah later this week!

Josh, one of the Poland guides. The Workshoppers are split into two groups for Poland.

Acting out scenes from the play "Ghetto" by Yehoshua Sobel.

Enjoying some Acco humus for a lunch break.