Poland Pictures Part 2

Shosh and Maya checking out exhibits at Tadeusz Pankiewicz's Pharmacy. The Pharmacy was situated at the edge of the Krakow Ghetto, and Tadeusz, a Polish national, was able to use his pharmacy's location to help the inhabitants of the ghetto, with medicine and information from the outside world, as well as helping members of the resistance. The Pharmacy was recently turned into an interactive museum. We visited on Tuesday, as part of our walking tour of the ghetto. 

One of the Workshop kvutzot, at the site of the former Akiba movement commune. The Akiba movement was another Labour Zionist movement, close to Dror, in the interwar period. The movement members were active in establishing the Krakow resistance, and led the bombing of the Zyganeria Cafe, popular Nazi hangout. 

The other Workshop kvutza. 

At the monument at the entrance to Majdanek, build by the Soviets after liberation.

At the statue to Janush Korzak in the Jewish cemetery of Warsaw. The cemetery itself is very large, and we were only able to visit a few graves, but it was a fascinating insight into Jewish life in Poland before the war. We visited the graves of Marek Edelman, Bund leader, and Dr. Zamenhof, inventor of Esparanzo. Korzak was a very important educator and pioneer in the field of democratic education, who ran an orphanage before and during the war. He was murdered at Treblinka, along with the children of his orphanage.  

Elana, Ari and Netanya in the synagogue in Tykotchin, a shtetl near Bialystock that we visited on Friday of the journey. The Jewish population ranged between 60-85% of the village population from the 17th century onward, and coexistence was generally peaceful until the onset of WWII. You can read more about the village history here.

At Grochow, the former hachshara (training) farm of the movements before and during the war. Standing behind us is the only wall left from the farm. The movement was allowed to continue training members in the early stages of the war, and the farm was an important respite from the ghetto. Zivia Lubetkin, a leader of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising and Dror member, says that the training farms and communes of the movement were the nucleus of the rebellion.

At the memorial to Mila 18, the bunker where Mordecai Anielewicz and other fighters of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising died. On Saturday, the chanichim walked the Path of Heroism, learning the story of the Uprising and role of Dror movement. 

The final tekkes, planned by Patty and Rayna with two members of the British kvutza. The tekkesim were an important way for the chanichim to shape their experiences. At the final tekkes, the chanichim sang Od Lo Gamarnu, Patty played the Partisan's Song, Micaela read an excerpt from Hannah Senesh's diary, Rayna sang "Eretz eretz eretz", and Alex read reflections of his on the uprising and the movement's role before we all sang Hatikva. 

We finished the journey with some classic Polish folk dancing and singing.

Needless to say they were all excited to join in.

Poland Pictures - Part 1

On Sunday, the Workshoppers returned from our Journey to Poland. It was a challenging, but also inspiring week learning about the Holocaust and our youth movement's role in the rebellions against the Nazis.

Micaela has agreed to share with us a photo-journal from her week in Poland. Please check back soon for more pictures and reflections from the week.

One of the few remaining pieces of the Warsaw Ghetto Wall.

Entering the memorial site where Treblinka once stood.

Auschwitz - Birkenau.

The destroyed former crematorium at Birkenau. 

Examining the pictures taken from the belongings of the victims of Auschwitz. 

Memorial at Treblinka. 

Barracks at Birkenau. 

Entering Majdanek, a concentration camp on the outskirts of Lublin.

The memorial at Treblinka. 

Stone at Treblinka commemorating the rebels of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.

The first memorial to the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, established by Antek Zuckerman in 1946. 

Auschwitz I (the main camp of the complex of 30+ camps that comprised Auschwitz).

Majdanek Concentration Camp. 

Purimon

Before we left for Poland, the Workshoppers participated in "Purimon" in their messimot (a Purim-themed day camp).

Below, pictures from a "Frozen" themed Purimon.

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. 

World Veida

After a couple of false starts due to the weather, the workshoppers eventually made it to World Veida late in the afternoon on Friday the 20th. Although it probably seems like a joke compared to what's happening in the US right now, it was more than enough snow for Israel.

Leadership from around the world the morning before the Workshoppers arrived. 

This year was the 8th Veida Olamit (World Council) of Habonim Dror Olami. The Veida is the decision making body of Habonim Dror, and a chance for the Workshoppers, along with participants from Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Mexico, Belgium, the Netherlands, the UK, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, to shape the ideology and future of Habonim Dror Olami. Veida convenes once every four years, and this year the participants voted on ten different proposals. The workshoppers themselves were active in shaping one of the proposals, relating to the centrality of equality in our educational programming. (Their proposal passed unanimously!) 

Getting a chance to reunite with Sarah Zebovitz, HDNA Mazkira, over Shabbat. 

The Veida also included a Saturday evening celebration of Habonim, with guests from the Jewish Agency, the JNF, the World Zionist Union and olim from Habonim Dror. The choir of Hanoar Haoved, our sister youth movement, performed, as well as a Brazilian samba band. 

In serious debate over the proposals!

Singing Hatikvah altogether before the voting. 

All the gap-year participants from Habonim Dror around the world.