Warsaw - Past and Present

Today, our delegation explored the turbulent history experienced by the Polish capital city of Warsaw. Warsaw history has been marked by conquest, destruction and perseverance. Our focus for the tour today was primarily visiting the old Jewish settlements and the area known as the "Jewish Ghetto" during the World War II occupation by Nazi Germany.

Our terrific guide, Anna, provided us with a wealth of information regarding Warsaw, but specifically, the plight of the Jews. The day began at the main square of the Jewish Ghetto, marked by a monument depicting the Jewish Uprising, an attempt to overthrow the Nazi control of Warsaw in 1943. Following our visit to the square, we spent time at the Jewish Institute. We watched a video depicting the invasion of the Nazis and the phasing out of civil liberties and rights for the Jewish living in Poland. Warsaw, for example, once was the home for the second largest population of Jewish citizens in the World, second only to New York City. Nearly 400,000 Jews lived in Warsaw at the start of World War II. Today, less than 150 are officially registered at the one remaining synagogue in town. The video we watched was quite graphic and depicted the horrible conditions they were expected to endure in the Ghetto. The video went into depth about how they were forced out of their homes and became victims of hunger, thirst and eventually, death. The time spent at the Jewish Institute left many of us breathless and disgusted by the actions taken against the Jews. Some students are worried that our upcoming visit to Auschwitz will be even more overwhelming. Luckily, we will have each other to lean on.

We visited the oldest synagogue and only one to survive World War II. The delegation also traveled to the only remaining portion of the wall that enclosed the Jewish Ghetto. The Jews were expected to pay for the construction of the wall and also made to build the wall themselves, segregating them from the rest of Warsaw. The wall was easily four times the height of an average person. We concluded our lessons on Jewish history by going to the Jewish Cemetery that was located inside the Ghetto and was partially destroyed because Hitler wanted to use the headstones from the graves to lay as the ground for a square bearing his name.

The morning was a moving experience and required us to relax a little bit. What better way to do this, than by going to lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe! After dining on a HUGE meal, we got some free time to do some shopping in the local mall. Some student delegates found bargains, while others were content just window shopping.

The favorite part of the day for many of the delegates was our dinner interaction with several Polish students. We drove into the countryside to a small restaurant/lodge where we were welcomed by a group of Polish students from around the Warsaw area. They offered us a traditional drink and fresh-baked bread, which was to be dipped in a salt. The lodge also served as an example of how a traditional farm would have operated. The group got a horse-drawn carriage ride around the grounds to a cookery area where we each cooked our own piece of Polish sausage over an open flame. This was then followed by a series of sporting competitions involving the American and Polish students. The games included milking a goat, churning butter, a 4-person ski relay, keg rolling with one foot and a tug-o-war. We then enjoyed a barbecue of meat and chicken, with Polish traditional foods such as potato pancakes. Throughout the evening, American and Polish students talked about popular television shows, music and hopes for their future. We learned that our lives are not that different, even though we are on different parts of the globe. The day concluded with the exchange of email addresses and warm goodbyes. We were all appreciative that the Polish students shared their culture and history with us.

By Monica Colon