Reflections From a Trip to Auschwitz

From the Desk of Lori Shepherd - Executive Director

The full presentation can be seen here.

In January, I traveled with thirty-five of my colleagues in Holocaust education to Poland for the 80th Anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. This trip was arranged for members of the Association of Holocaust Organizations and led by renowned Holocaust scholar and professor, Rabbi Michael Berenbaum.

This was a bucket list trip. Not only would we be attending the 80th Anniversary Commemoration Ceremonies, but we would travel across Poland to tour six different memorialized concentration camps and many other historically significant sites: the wall from the Warsaw Ghetto, Schindler’s factory, and the Ghetto Heroes Memorial. We would also have the opportunity to explore The Oneg Shabbat Archives at the Jewish Heritage Institute and to tour the Remah Synagogue and Cemetery.

This trip would be a chance for me to see and experience first-hand so many of the places that I teach about every day. But on my first flight, I was already crying.

I was casually flipping through Rick Steves Travel Guide to Krakow, Warsaw, & Gdansk when I read these words:

“In the Early 1600s, an estimated eighty percent of all Jews lived in Poland (then the largest country in Europe). …Between the two world wars, Jewish Culture flourished here.”

These simple historical facts stopped me cold. I realized that in the days and weeks leading up to this trip, I had focused on all that I would see from a Holocaust education perspective. But now I understood that I would also come face-to-face with the stark reality of all that had been lost and all that I would not see. Suddenly, the many centuries of Jewish life in Eastern Europe that were so brutally ripped away came into sharper focus. It was a truly humbling way to begin my journey.

During the journey, I was grateful that Dr. Berenbaum created a balance between our focus on Holocaust history, Jewish life and history in Eastern Europe and Jewish life in Poland today. Our trip included tours of the Polin Museum, the Galicia Museum, and the Jewish Museum of Lublin, as well as visits to the Jewish Quarter in Krakow, where we walked these once again vibrant streets and toured the Old Synagogue in Kazimierz.

On Monday, January 27th, we traveled to Auschwitz to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the liberation. There, 3,200 of us had the honor of joining 49 survivors and a very small handful of dignitaries to solemnly mark this auspicious anniversary – knowing that it will be one of the last with survivors present.  The commemoration was the centerpiece of the trip and it was special for many reasons. The most poignant was that during the ceremony, we only heard from survivors. After a few opening remarks, four amazing stories were shared by those who lived this history. No dignitaries or politicians spoke.  

The next day, we spent a full day touring Auschwitz and Birkenau. Because we were traveling with Dr. Berenbaum, we were able to see several sites and galleries that are not currently open to the public. Of all the spaces that we saw, I am haunted by the sound of the gravel under our feet. There we were in snow boots and comfortable shoes, yet I kept imagining it traversed by prisoners in wooden clogs or no shoes at all.

The next day was our longest. We started the morning driving to Majdanek, just outside of Lublin. Majdanek was personally very emotional. The camp is well preserved and features a huge mausoleum that was built to hold more than 15 separate piles of victims’ ashes found on the site. Admittedly, I cried a lot during that tour.

Next, we traveled to Belzec, where Dr. Berenbaum led the team that designed the museum. It was amazing to view this space with him and learn of the many thoughts and rationales that led to the design and creation.

There were only two survivors from Belzec. Two. And only one recorded testimony. Listening to this testimony was truly devastating.

Finally, we headed to Sobibor, three hours away. Because we arrived so late, we were only able to spend a short amount of time at this site, but we all agreed that it was the most well-done of the modern museums and memorials that we toured. The creators of Sobibor were able to blend the memorial of the site and the physical history with powerful testimony to create a deeply engaging place of education and memory.

It was this final visit to Sobibor, which was so balanced, that brought me to a personal epiphany: there are deep divides in the Polish and American approaches to Holocaust education and memorial. In the U.S., we teach Holocaust education and memory through a “first-person” narrative. What I saw in Poland, at the sites of the greatest atrocities, was more of a “first-place” narrative. In the United States, we do not have places to memorialize. We cannot take students to the sites of atrocities or where heroes died. Instead, we offer Intimate Histories from those who were there. Every memorial story is taught through survivor testimony and eye-witness accounts. We hold dear the stories shared by local Holocaust survivors, those who immigrated and made this place their home. Like with the precious few heirlooms in their possession, they brought their stories with them.

We are all facing a painful truth, that we are quickly losing our beloved survivors to time. Without those survivors here to share their first-person narrative, what will this work look like going forward? Can we ensure that these legacies are not lost? Is teaching the Holocaust still relevant 80 years after liberation?

I would argue that it has never been more relevant.

You might think that I am going to cite the huge rise in antisemitism since October 7th as the reason for that relevance, and you’d be right. There has been a marked increase in the reporting of antisemitic acts and behaviors since Hamas attacked Israel in October of 2023. So, what we know as educators is that we must teach the lessons of the Holocaust the right way. Teaching the Holocaust is about so much more than a history lesson that just asks students to memorize dates, maps, and facts.

Studying the Holocaust the right way raises awareness about the dangers of antisemitism, enabling individuals to actively challenge discriminatory attitudes against Jews and others. It uplifts the voices of Holocaust survivors and helps students develop empathy. And it exposes students to the complexities of individual actions during the Holocaust to help them understand human behaviors in both the positive and negative.

This work will change and evolve. With fewer survivors to tell their stories, we sometimes have to rely on their recorded testimonies, and even look to new technologies. And we will have to empower 2nd and 3rd generation survivors to find their own voices and use them to share their families’ stories from their own perspectives. 

Finally, we need to engage a new generation of educators around the importance of this work. At TJMHC, we will keep providing these opportunities and being the go-to resource for choosing curricula and connecting students with this complex topic.

I came home exhausted from seven very intense days in Poland. But being there for the 80th Anniversary of the Liberation of Auschwitz, seeing what so many others are doing and how they are doing it, left me deeply energized for what the future of Holocaust education holds for all of us.