We arrive is this beautiful and sweet town that is having a wonderful festival. They have street vendors, good, singing, kids running around playing. We spread out and get amazing food and drinks. We have been told before coming into Kielce of the atrocities that happened but as you enter the festival how do you think that could happen? We are walking back to the bus and that’s went we see the posters on the side of a building and plaques in the side walk. The laughter of the festival is quieted as we are brought back to why we came.
Planty 7 was the site of violent anti-Semitic pogrom on July 4, 1946, where 42 Jewish people were murdered. The large portraits of victims from the Jewish community are shown on the windows of the building to honor their memory.
The worst part of this is that this happened after the war was over. People were still afraid and treating Jews with such hate that they would murder them over something that didn’t happen. Coming to this memorial and Synagogue was for me the hardest because you would think that once the war is over it’s done and people would stop, move on, and help those persecuted by the war, but that’s just not the case.
