Jerusalem

Colorado Agency for Jewish Education

June 22:
June 23:	June 23, 2000 – 12:33 AM in Poland – flight delayed over an hour – but the good news is that the Israeli army is traveling with us and we have been treated to an incredible Kum Sitz for the last hour and a half – our students and their soldiers singing and clapping together. Out students have never felt more proud to be Jewish and are truly in awe of the soldiers – not because they are cute Israelis (and right now they’re not even in uniform) but because they are the people responsible for making Poland a little bit bearable and they represent the place that we all want to be right now – Eretz Yisrael. This has been an incredible, magical and totally unexpected bonus to this trip to Poland. Thank G-d for Israel and thank G-d for these soldiers who have kept us happy and entertained and made our extended stay in Poland a little easier to take. Thoughts of the day… We walked from Auschwitz I to Birkaneau – in between the two – a 20 minute walk – there were cute little houses. Who would choose to live there? Who would wanted to be surrounded by such death? In the camps today we saw a group of senior citizens – I am not sure what nationality they are but most of them were alive during WWII. WHERE WERE THEY? I just wanted to turn and stare them down and ask them this question. Are they at these camps simply an educational and historical visit – or do they see this as part of the sea of guilt they should be feeling. We will most likely never know.
	Jennie Kantrowitz – June 23, 2000 As the Israeli soldiers sang Hatikvah with their right arms in salute mode everything impacted me right then. I joined in and suddenly when the last line of Hatikvah (“Leyot am-chofshi bearzenu Eretz Zion, Yerushalim) I found myself crying. Two hours after we originally arrived I found myself finally shedding tears. The mention of Israel had a powerful impact on me because now more than anything I want to be in Israel. Poland represents death in my eyes and although today the weather was scorching the atmosphere is still chilling. I find myself with this immense desire to be in Israel, to be home. Andrea Englander – June 23, 2000 Poland was a bittersweet experience for me. I am very proud of myself for gathering up the courage to endure this experience; though I feel a profound sense of sadness for all that has taken place there. There are no words to describe what I saw and felt but I know that for the rest of my life I will always remember the pain that I felt while I was I Poland.

June 24:

June 25:	Nikki Feldman – June 25, 2000 I would have to say the most amazing thing I have experienced so far were done with my eyes closed. The first night we were in Jerusalem - I went with the group to the Kotel. Along the way we stopped at several locations, each time moving closer and closer to the Kotel. Then we were told to hold hands and close our eyes. As I was blindly led up and down steps, and though twists and turns, I grew more and more excited. Finally we were told to sit. I could hear a man praying and singing and the sweet melody of a flute. When I opened my eyes, I saw the Kotel for the first time.