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It's a cold, foggy morning. The sun is yet to rise. Around 150 weary 12th-graders climb the steps of their buses on this, the final day of their Poland mission.
“What’s the difference between Auschwitz where we were yesterday and where we’re going now, Auschwitz-Birkenau?” calls out a young man from the back of bus three.
The ever-patient Israeli guide, Ziva, explains that Auschwitz was initially meant for Polish dissidents, captured Russians and Jews, while Birkenau was created specifically as part of The Final Solution for Jews and also for gypsies.
The week-long trip is funded by Hadassah. The students are from four youth villages: Meir Shfeyah, Hadassah Neurim, Ben Shemen and Kiryat Ye’arim.
“300,000 women support you and believe in you,” says Hadassah Youth Aliyah Chair Michele Rubin at the conclusion of the joyous last-night ceremony, a thank-you to the teachers, counsellors, in-house doctor and behind-the-scenes team that make the trip run smoothly. Perhaps the loudest applause is reserved for Hadassah women — the students are now well aware of the impact of HWZOA on the birth and development of the Jewish state.
The itinerary takes in the Treblinka death camp, Majdanek concentration camp, old synagogues — ruined, restored and even one still in use in Oswiecim.
The tears roll when students and teachers tell their personal stories, as a heavy mist envelopes Auschwitz. The silence is unbearably loud as the young adults walk past piles of hair, shoes and red and blue pots, indicating that the latters’ owners separated meat from milk.
“Being here makes me stronger,” says Amit Halevy from Meir Shfeyah. His grandfather was one of the few in his family to survive the camps.
The Polish folklore evening comes as much-needed relief for the staff and their charges. By the close, the colorfully-dressed local performers are dancing arm-in-arm with their Israeli guests and the feelings of friendship are mutual.
But away from the merriment, these 150 souls now have a much better understanding of their shared recent history, and that includes the Ethiopian, Middle-Eastern and even Arab participants in the program. In a few months, many will commence their military service, while others will first commit to a year of voluntary community service before donning their army fatigues.
The trip gives them a strong sense of belonging to a people that has suffered much and now has a land of its own, which they are determined to defend, particularly after the events of the last two years. And now, they are also very aware of the importance of Hadassah to Israel, the Jewish people and their own personal growth.
Learn more about Hadassah’s Youth Villages in Israel.
