Heller High Poland Pilgrimage:  Warsaw

by Lila Herzig,      11^th grade,         Cincinnati

Our class touring the Warsaw Jewish cemetery

Let me preface this blog by saying that Warsaw is not a pretty city. It is block and hostile and grey. Even in nice weather, it was unpleasant to look at. I bet it was pretty before it was decimated by the Germans, but we must not dwell on the past (as if that isn’t the focus of the whole trip). Sorry if this blog is rather dry. We did so much in one day and because of that, I’m trying to stick to facts.

It’s day one in Poland.  We were up and on the bus at 1:15 AM. We were at our first stop of the day, the Warsaw Jewish Cemetery by 10:00 AM. Needless to say, we should have been exhausted. But strangely, we all seemed energetic at the cemetery. 

One thing to understand is that the Poland trip was not full of numbers, statistics, timelines, and names. We did that all in the week before the trip. During the trip, we focused on culture, personal stories, hands-on experiences, etc. to truly understand the scope of what was lost in Poland. 

We had been told constantly that we were going to the cemetery to celebrate life, not death. The recognition of death in Poland would come in the following days, when we delve into the Holocaust. But on this first day, the locations are all about the massive Jewish community in Poland. We had to learn about what we lost before we could understand the tragedy of the Holocaust in Poland.

Grave of Ludwig Zamenhoff, the creator of the Esparanto language

Monument to the heroic Janusz Korczak in the Warsaw jewish cemetery

In the cemetery, our teacher David led us around to different gravestones of significant Polish Jews, as well as a few memorials and statues. There was a strange mix of Polish and Jewish culture there: there were wreaths and colorful glass lanterns that were very Polish/Christian, as well as Jewish memorial symbols like stones and yahrzeit candles; some of the graves were very assimilated (the tombstones were decorated with carved vases and pillars and the writing was in Polish) and others were more traditional (Jewish symbolism on gravestones and the writing was in Yiddish or Hebrew). Some graves had Hebrew and Polish text, showing assimilation and connection to Judaism. The cemetery goes for farther than the eye can see--it’s massive. It was beautiful, though: the graves near the front were elaborate and well-kept, but the farther back we went, the more eroded and overgrown the graves were. 

A sewer grate inside the the Warsaw Jewish cemetery

The people David introduced us to at the cemetery varied widely in everything except for the fact that they were Jewish. We met Berek Sonnenberg, a philanthropist; Adam Czerniakow, the leader of the Judenrat (Jewish police) in the Warsaw Ghetto; Esther Kaminska, a Yiddish actress and producer; Y.L. Peretz, a famous Yiddish author (Warsaw was the capital of Yiddishkeit before WWII); Ludwig L. Zamenhof, the inventor of the Esperanto language and an avid pacifist. 

There was a memorial for child smugglers made of bricks from the ghetto wall, one for The Bund (the Jewish socialist organization), and for Janusz Korczak (child psychologist and author--he chose not to escape in order to stay with the children from his orphanage until they were killed in Treblinka). 

memorial to the Bund Jewish socialist organization that fought in the Warsaw Ghetto uprising

Our class saw a couple of mass graves, outlined by painted rocks, of victims in the Warsaw Ghetto. During the war, the cemetery, which was far too large for the Nazis to destroy, was used as a meeting space where they could sneak through the cemetery grates or pose fake funerals as a cover for clandestine activities of the resistance. 

We also learned about Yizroel Szpielman, a Polish Jew currently working to archive the entire cemetery so that Poles can find their Jewish ancestors (a massive undertaking).

In the afternoon, we visited the last remaining piece of the Warsaw ghetto wall. There, we spoke about the horrible conditions of the ghetto: food rations that were impossible to survive on, awful diseases, and overcrowding. One third of Warsaw’s population was relegated to an area making up 3% of Warsaw’s land. We also saw photographs from the ghetto--it was well-documented by Nazis and Jews alike. Unfortunately, that section is in a residential area, and a Polish man who lives in the building yelled at us to get out of his window, despite the fact that many Jewish groups surely go there every day. But if we let that stuff get to us all the time, we would be miserable, so we moved on.

A remaining fragment of the former Warsaw Ghetto wall in a residential neighborhood

We made our way to the infamous Umschlagplatz (the gathering place where the Jews waited to be shipped off to the Treblinka extermination camp in 1942). Many Jews were killed at this platform before they even boarded the train. There we spoke about iberleben, a Yiddish term meaning “living above.” It refers to spiritual resistance during the Holocaust, as opposed to physical/violent resistance.

The Warsaw Umschlagplatz memorial marking the site of deportations to Treblinka

We then went on a “memorial walk” full of information plaques about different Polish-Jewish WWII/Holocaust heroes in Warsaw. I’m not going to bore you guys too much, so I’ll just make a quick list. I encourage you to look up whoever you’re interested in. 

• Warsaw Ghetto Uprising’s ripple effect throughout Europe--inspired many resistance forces against Nazi occupation.
• Yitzhak Katznelson--author
• Janusz Korczak--child psychologist, author, and orphanage operator
• Icchak Nyssenbaum--Rabbi, religious Zionist, encouraged community structure in ghetto
• Frumka Płotnicka--one of many couriers who pretended to be gentiles and brought intelligence back to the ghetto
• Pawel Frankel--Beitar (revisionist Zionist youth group) member and leader in Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
• Meir Majerowicz--commander of the Jewish fighting organization called the ŻOB, also leader in Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
• Miła 18 Memorial--site commemorating final headquarters of ŻOB during ghetto uprising (Teens took charge because of the leadership structure already in place in youth groups, as well as their general adaptability in comparison to more adjusted adults who were suddenly forced from their jobs.)
• Mordecai Anielewicz--leader of youth group HaShomer HaTzair (Zionist youth group) and of the ghetto uprising
• Shmuel Zygelboim--Jewish politician in Polish government in exile (in England during WWII) and representative of The Bund, who took his own life in solidarity with the Jews slaughtered in Poland
• Emmanuel Ringelblum--Jewish historian who meticulously archived the Warsaw Ghetto through photos, diaries, official documents, etc. which was hidden in milk jars buried throughout the ghetto (nicknamed the “oneg shabbat” archives)

Warsaw is an interesting and multi-layered city that still has many homages to the Jewish community that once thrived there. However, no memorials were erected to Polish Jewry until the end of the Soviet occupation of Poland in the 1990s. It is a tragedy in which there was so much Polish and Jewish life and culture that was all destroyed. The Poles were able to rebuild. The Jews were not. But no culture was left unscathed.

Inside Scoop On Islam

by Gavin Norman, 11th grade, Potomac MD

Everyone, get down on all fours… It’s praying time in Ein Rafa! Recently, we took a trip to the neighboring Muslim Arab village and learned about the religion of Islam from someone who actually practices it. Islam can be translated to submission to God which also means that God must be placed ahead of oneself. Women, put a head-scarf on and everyone take your shoes off. IT’S TIME TO ENTER THE MOSQUE!

Inside of the Ein Rafa mosque.  The niche in the wall is the 'Mikhrab'  where the imam leads prayer

The mosque doesn’t look much different than your average synagogue except that there aren’t any seats. This mosque has an exception because they let us in for a discussion with members of the community. One fact that really surprised me is that Muslims do not use the Torah to pray. They use an equivalent text called the Quran. Yasmin, who is a resident of Ein Rafa giving us the tour, taught us a lot about the five pillars of Islam and also the six articles of peace which are the foundations of the religion. We learned about the similarities and differences between Muslims and Jews which hopefully helped everyone understand more about Islam, aside from the stereotypes we hear on the news. Yasmin explained to us that radical Muslim extremists aren’t even considered to be Muslim by the peaceful majority and that they have the wrong idea about the important parts of the religion. Islam is supposed to be based on peace and submission to God, but extremists give Muslims a bad reputation. Everyone had fun on this tiyul, and most of the information was new to everyone. The girls even got to wear a hijab (headscarf). It was a really good learning experience because if you’re like me and had no idea what Islam is about, this explained everything you need to know. If I enjoyed the tiyul and was able to focus, then you know it was good!

our meeting with Yasmin inside the Ein Rafa mosque

Three Speakers for Three Modern Streams of Judaism

by Mikayla Snead, 10th grade, Dallas

As everybody knows, there are different parts, or streams, of Judaism. Recently, we had a few speakers come to talk about their part of Judaism: Ultra-Orthodox (haredi), Conservative, and Reform. 

The Weinbergers were our first speakers and talked about their community.

As everybody knows, Ultra-Orthodox Judaism is the most religiously observant stream of Judaism. While there are many, many sects in the Ultra-Orthodox stream, our specific speakers were a part of a Hassidic sect. This group can also be known as the Hassidic Movement. Our speakers were originally from New York City in the burrow of Brooklyn, so they knew English as well as Hebrew and Yiddish. They pray 3 times a day (not to be confused with the Islamic culture which prays 5 times a day), in the morning, afternoon, and night. Men are required to go to synagogue, but women are not (but are allowed to if they want). This is because of Jewish laws of purity and impurity. (This mostly goes for after a woman has a child, or is on her menstrual cycle.) Boys and girls are separated in schools from a very young age. Because of this, one might ask “how do they meet and start dating?” The answer is simple: a matchmaker. These people will come with zero experience in dating around 17 or 18 years old. A matchmaker will take two people whose interests and expectations, and then see who they line up with the best. Of course, we know the Orthodox keep kosher. This not only includes food, but the electronics and objects as well. For example, most households do not have a TV, and will have two microwaves and fridges for dairy and meat products. This is the same for sinks, as well. 

Rabbi Noa Sattat, head of the Israel Religious Action Center, represented Reform Judaism

Reform Judaism is what we identify as today, more secularized than the other streams of Judaism. The Reform movement tends to see the Torah as a holy document, rather than historical. A reason for this would be because of the questionable things that happen and just don't make sense in our Bible. Our style of prayer and architecture in our synagogues are based off of Christian traditions in their churches with a bima at the front and having sermons.  

The Conservative movement is like a healthy middle between Orthodox and Reform Judaism. They try to be traditional, but progressive at the same time, meaning they stay traditional but adapt to the modern world around them. More observant than the Reform movement, but less religious than the Orthodox movement. In the US, it is easy to mistake a Conservative Jew for a modern Orthodox jew because of how they dress and their traditions, which is why they are pushed more onto the modern Orthodox side of the spectrum in the states. In Israel, they are completely different from haredi (ultra-orthodox) and Reform Judaism.

This activity was interesting having all three streams of Judaism back to back. This helped us better compare the streams of Judaism to each other simply because the information was fresher in our minds. This activity definitely helped me clear some things up about what I always knew, or thought I knew about each part of Judaism. I also learned about how similar, yet different the Reform, Conservative, and Ultra-Orthadox movements are to each other. I now have a better understanding about the roles each stream plays in the modern world, and how I can relate and compare to each of them.

Era of the Rabbis - Tiyul to the North: Oral Law

by Lindsay Benedek,     12^th grade,     San Diego

This Tiyul to the north was all about following the Sanhedrin and understanding more about their daily life and their importance. Alongside this motive, we also traveled up north to learn about Oral Law. Throughout the article you will understand how these two topics actually go hand in hand. 

Before you can understand that though, you need some background information. The Sanhedrin were an esteemed group of Rabbis who originated from the Pharisees back in the time of Roman rule of Israel. Flash Forward, the Second Temple was destroyed and the Jewish people are in a state of confusion and sadness. The Sanhedrin steps and, in short, teaches, judges and legislates. They are made up of 70 rabbis and one Nasi, head rabbi.  Apart from them, there are Batei Din, local synagogues and rabbinical courts around Eretz Yisrael. Think of the Sanhedrin as the top authority or the supreme court.

What does any of this have to do with the Tiyul to the north? Well, if you look through Jewish history you’ll notice that the Sanhedrin is always moving around. This is from, “Im Ein Kemach, Ain Torah,” אם אין קמח אין תורה.  The direct translation is, "If there is no flour, there is no Torah", but through interpretation it means - If there is not economic prosperity, Jewish life will not thrive. Now you probably asking what does that have to do with anything? Well, it is actually very related because if you look at the topography and climate of the north of Israel which is hilly and surrounded by water, especially the Galil, it is very different than that of Jerusalem which is in the center of the country and is dryer. This is why we went to the north because the hills and water of the Galil were a much more prosperous environment for agriculture than Jerusalem and the area of Judah.

Where are the Sanhedrin in 180 CE? 

Beit She'arim (5^th out of 7 places where the Sanhedrin sat)

• Meaning “House of measurements” or “House of Gates”
• Center of commerce and trade (the local grain trade) - make profits 

How Did Jewish economic life thrive here?

• Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi 
• He consolidates power and takes all authority- easier to make decisions 
• He’s friends with Romans (he was a grain merchant) 
• Helps Jews and gentiles co-exist
• He understands that acculturation is ok if one maintains a strong Jewish identity 
• Around 200 CE he decided to codify the oral law into the Mishna because of his belief of preparing for bad times when things going well) - Claim to fame.

Yehuda HaNasi's burial site at Beit Sha'arim

            When Yehuda Ha Nasi asked to be buried at Beit Sha'arim he could have never expected the impact it would have. Many people and important figures were buried there as well, because they yearned to be close to one of the most influential rabbis of the time. 

            For this reason, Beit Sha'arim was home to a necropolis, which is a city of the dead - derived from Greek. The stone coffins that people were buried in were called sarcophagi - meaning flesh eater. Although this way of burial is not exclusively a Jewish custom, we knew the ones here were used by Jews because of the Hebrew writing. Another important Jewish element incorporated into the sarcophagi were four horns on each one, this was inferred to resemble the look of the altar of the Temple - which had been destroyed not long before.

            Contrasting with these clues that lead us to believe we were in a Jewish burial cave, there were also drawings of animals: 8 cows, pigs, lions, and in one case Nike the Greek god of victory on a sarcophagus. This was shocking because if Jewish history has taught anything it is that - avodah zarah (idolatry) is forbidden. Surprising as it was though, our class was eventually able to understand why the images were there. The Jews at the time were going through many changes and moving around - in order to have money, to be able to thrive. Because of this, the Jews had been subject to acculturation. Now be careful not to get that term mixed up with the term "assimilation" - which is the complete loss of one’s identity. The Jews acculturating just meant that they were playing an active part in society to be able to succeed.

Entrance of burial cave and necropolis at Beit Sha'arim

Images on the sarcophagi

            After Beit Sha’arim we went to the 6^th century Beit Alpha Synagogue, which was also in use during the Talmudic period. It was located in the north, at the foot of the Gilboa mountains, near Beit Shean. Beit Shean was also named Scythopolis, it was a prosperous city for the Jews as well and home to the famouse Talmudic Rabbi Yosef HaKoper.  Finally, it was a large city of the Byzantine Empire under Emperor Justin I.

            Referring back to Beit Alpha Synagogue, there were also images and art inside which we know stirs up controversy. Was it avodah zarah, acculturation, or just purely wrong? Again, the answer is acculturation. Which many people (in certain sects of Judaism) today have come to terms with because they were still keeping their Jewish identity.

            Now to bring up something very specific: the mosaic on the floor of the synagogue. It is special because, according to one theory, it is supposed to represent the Amidah prayer - which is one of the ways Jews mourned in moderation after the destruction of the Second Temple in the year 70. I think that the mosaic does a good job of representing the Amidah prayer because it shows the past on the bottom - with the binding of Isaac, the present in the middle - with the 12 zodiac signs and a Greek god for decorative purposes, and the future on top - with the image of a holy arc, lions and religious symbols such as menorah - representing the Temple. 

Picture of the mosaic in the Beit Alpha Synagogue

         To conclude this blog, I want to address the lack of teaching of the Mishnah and Oral law in some synagogues/Jewish communities in the states. After learning about the two subjects, I think they are a very important part of who the Jewish people are, and how we’ve become who we are. For this reason, I think that secular and Reform Jews should be taught about the Mishna and Oral Law with the same emphasis that is placed on other subject matter in one's Jewish education. If not for religious reasons, then just for historical sake because, personally I have learned a lot about who and what makes me Jewish through being taught about them along with the rest of Jewish history.

The Israel Museum Jewish Life in the Diaspora Exhibits

by Ben Kressbach,       12th grade,        San Antonio

main entrance to the Israel Museum in Jerusalem

For the first two months of our experience in Israel, we traveled around the country, learning about all of the biblical and historical events that happened in Israel leading up to the destruction of the Second Temple. We analyzed different events through historical and rabbinical lenses, looking at the different ways the Jewish people have changed throughout their time in Israel.

This week, for the first time, we began to look at the Jews that created their own communities outside of Israel following the Roman destruction of Jerusalem and southern Israel. With our parents in tow, we packed our bags and headed to the Israel Museum, just across the street from the Knesset. 

As soon as we got to the museum, we visited various diaspora synagogues, deconstructed from their original homes and reconstructed inside the museum into a truly unique exhibit. From India to South America, these displays brought us through more than just the Sephardic and Ashkenazic cultures that are now the majority of what most people associate with the diaspora. 

The Synagogues

The Vittorio Venetto Synagogue

Interior of the Vittorio Venetto Synagogue with its baroque style Torah ark

This wealthy Italian synagogue originated in the year 1700, not far from Venice, the main port city in Italy during the Middle Ages. Complete with intricate golden floral designs, ornate chandeliers, and detailed baroque architecture, this synagogue displayed the immense wealth the Italian Jews that built it possessed. The symbol of the crown, a common decorative image in Christian Europe during the Middle Ages, also appears in multiple places across the synagogue. These Jewish-Italian merchants clearly took on many of the common Italian customs at the time, even making their synagogue resemble the reception room in an Italian aristocrat’s palace. 

The Kadavumbagam Synagogue

The Kadavumbagam synagogue was built in the 14th century in Cochin, a town along the southwestern coast of India. It took on many of the traits of Muslim mosques and Hindu temples in the nearby areas, including the intricately carved woodwork lining the ark, the readers’ platforms, and the ceiling, and the hanging lanterns. The Kadavumbagam synagogue utilized many elements from the surrounding Indian culture to help itself fit in, while also maintaining the fundamentals that allowed its members to stay Jewish.

The Tzedek V’Shalom Synagogue

When Europe colonized the New World, Pilgrims and Protestants weren’t the only people that voyaged across the sea. A select group of Dutch Sephardic Jews immigrated to the Dutch colonies in present-day South America, settling in one of South America’s only non Spanish-speaking countries: Suriname. Founded in 1736 in Paramaribo, Suriname’s capital, the Tzedek V’Shalom synagogue decided to do away with the intricate designs and woodwork many wealthy synagogues in Europe and the Middle East possessed, favoring a more simple and pure design. Similarly to many buildings in the area, the architecture was very simple, and all white. The only parts of the synagogue that strayed from this design were the ark and the lighting, and even then the woodwork and metalwork is relatively simple in comparison. One of the most astounding parts of this synagogue is the floor - it was completely covered in sand. The exact reason for this is unknown, but it is thought that it possibly served as a symbol of how Jews in the diaspora were spread out and constantly moving. This synagogue had the most room out of any of the ones we visited, and clearly showed the values of the Dutch Sephardic Jewish population that immigrated to South America.

The Horb Synagogue

The Horb synagogue, established in Bavaria (Southern Germany) in the 18th century, really distinguished itself from the other synagogues displayed at the Diaspora Museum. In addition to picturing images of lions, birds, and griffons, among a slew of floral designs on the painted walls and ceiling, this synagogue was made entirely of wood, and set up in a very basic and small truncated cylinder. This significant difference in design is likely due to the lack of resources in the area (other than wood), and the lack of wealth in the German-Jewish community as a whole. Despite the various depictions of animals and mythical creatures, there is Hebrew lettering painted across the whole synagogue. When it was discovered, it had been re-purposed as a barn, and the only reason it was discerned as a synagogue was the Hebrew lining the arched ceiling. 

Each of these synagogues has different traits reflecting the area in which it was established, from the varying architectural styles to the size and content of the decorations. However, these synagogues still have one thing in common: their Judaism. Regardless of the acculturation that took place in each of these places, every synagogue still read from the Torah, followed the Halacha (Jewish law), and prayed in Hebrew. Even as rabbinic Judaism was adapting to every new surrounding it encountered, it stayed unified through the core values every community kept. 

Artifacts & Dress

After the destruction of the Second Temple, Jewish communities began popping up in more prominence all throughout the world. With each new community came new traditions, and over time these traditions evolved and expanded into very many distinct cultural landscapes within the realm of Judaism. Everywhere Jews went, they found a way to distinguish themselves as Jewish while at the same time taking on many traits of the local cultures.

Dress

The main way most Jews distinguished themselves during this period was the way that they dressed. In some places, more commonly under Muslim rule than Christian, all men were required to wear the same thing. For example, in a Jewish community in Morocco, all men were required to wear a hooded cape called an akhnif (pictured). In order to stand out, Jews wore this garb inside out. In other areas, Jews wore combinations of different clothing styles, ranging from traditional coastal Moroccan styles to European folk outfits. In Europe, many Jews were forced to live in separate communities from the Christians, giving them a built-in distinction from the majority.

The Jewish Life Cycle

Another major exhibit in the diaspora section of the Israel Museum contained many artifacts showing the cultural diversity involving the different life cycle events, from birth to marriage, and even death. These artifacts ranged from cultural traditions to pieces that played a part in religious ceremonies, and showcased the variety of cultures in which Judaism settled during the diaspora. 

Pictured above is a sugar bowl, traditionally given to the bride by her mother during an Afghan-Jewish wedding. This bowl, along with others like it, symbolized the mother’s blessing over the wedding and her wish for the daughter to have a sweet marriage.

Every student and parent that experienced this tiyul went in with their own ideas of Jewish life in the diaspora, but the vast exhibits at the Israel Museum helped us all delve a little deeper into the far-reaching roots of Jewish diaspora communities other than the ones in North America. From their dress to the structure of their synagogues, and everything in between, Jewish communities across the globe found their own ways to adapt, while still largely maintaining the same fundamental Jewish identity that has held Judaism together all the way through 1948 and beyond, where the separate cultures originating during the diaspora continue to flourish and evolve. This serves only as a reminder to us all that the way we practice Judaism at our home communities will have a lasting impact on Judaism as a whole, and that our traditions, those things that truly make us unique both as individuals and communities, really do matter.