Our tours of three of the seven synagogues in Krakow, our lecture with Jonathan Ornstein, and our walk around the Krakow Ghetto serves as a reminder to do something rather than just simply observe.
Jonathan told us that around 90% of the Jews in Krakow died during the Holocaust. This fact will probably remain with us for the rest of our lives as it represents the such large scale of atrocities during World War II. But he also told us that those who died do not make up the entire story. There were many people that were lost, in a sense where their Jewish identity and their next generations of Jewish identity were erased. This could be because of fear of telling anyone that you are Jewish, promises to family (as seen in the story Jonathan told us about the woman who discovered her Jewish heritage), etc. He encouraged us to remember both those who “died” and those who were “lost.”
Jonathan also told us about his work helping Ukrainian refugees and how he was provided homes, food, and support for them. His lecture and seeing what Jewish life in Krakow used to look like was a very impactful part of my trip and an important step in taking action.
