May 2: Visiting Majdanek and Belzec

Shalom on Tuesday, May 2, the wonderful class of 2017 has continued its journey.

I got a note from Dr. Lasson which said: Today we began by waking up early which is always a thrill for teenagers! (Think he was being sarcastic?) We davened Shacharit at the hotel and headed off for Majdanek. (Having been there I can tell you that it is indeed a very, very difficult place to be. It does require a good amount of strength and provides an incredibly powerful experience for our kids.)

Our kids read poetry arranged by one of our guides. They went through rooms of many different exhibitions of things that belonged to our brothers and sisters who perished, who were murdered. As it is for many, the room with the shoes was exceptionally powerful. There is so much to say about this experience, said Dr. Lasson, and he will be debriefing with our students tonight and we will hear more from their perspective.

They then drove to a place that many have never been to, but is perhaps one of the most important places of remembrance, Belzec. Belzec was built solely and completely for killing Jews — 500,000 Jews were killed here. Additional poems were read by our students. Dr. Lasson describes it as a surreal experience, a surreal site. Pictures that he sent from both camps are attached. Please take a look at them and pause for a moment of silence in memory of our perished brothers and sisters but channel some energy to our children because they are going through an experience that is difficult, powerful and meaningful.

Zipora Schorr