Today we visited Terezin, also known as Theresienstadt. This marks the first time our school has ever taken a group of students to a concentration camp, as it is typically a trip for high school students. Terezin was not just any concentration camp; it served a dual purpose as a propaganda tool for the Nazis, showcasing a façade of cultural and social life to deceive the outside world about the true nature of the Holocaust. 

We would like to share a few experiences, reflections, and insights about visiting this site. We hope that you will ask us more when we get home. 

Eli: On our way to Berlin, we had the opportunity to visit Terezin and the memorial within it. We were able to see and hear many different stories of what happened around the camp. We first saw a tiny, hidden prayer space where many people prayed and wrote different phrases on the walls in Hebrew. We were able to read the text and understand why they wrote them. We then went to see the barracks where families could live together, and where people of different ages slept. We also got the chance to see the square in the center of the town. Jewish people were not able to enter this square except for when filming propaganda films that hid what was really going on there. The last thing that we saw was the Jewish cemetery and the crematorium right next to it. Some of us were able to light candles in memory of those who died as we went through the crematorium. Because today is also Yom HaZikaron, Ms. Bernstein led a tekes (ceremony) for both those who were murdered in the Holocaust, and those who have died risking their lives for Israel. By commemorating both the Holocaust and the soldiers at the same time, it allowed us to realize the change over time that although we were not able to defend ourselves then, we now have the opportunity to protect our people and our country.

Sadie: Visiting the Terezin concentration camp, or for many of us, any concentration camp, for the first time provoked many sad feelings. As I walked through the camp and memorialized the tens of thousands of people who perished within its walls, I felt conflicted. The camp was used as a form of propaganda in order for concentration and labor camps to appear nicer, to the outside world. Surrounding me was picture perfect architecture and beautiful landscaping, coupled with memorials and places where I knew my innocent ancestors were killed. Then towards the end of our experience, we entered the crematorium which in the 1990s was converted into a museum. Standing inside the crematorium, for the first time in all of my holocaust learning I was truly able to envision each individual life that was lost, not just a statistic. Having the knowledge that so many innocent people died but it being shielded by the setting of a beautiful town was unsettling. In today's world, visiting a camp was even more surreal. It felt especially alarming with the rising rate of antisemitism our Jewish community is currently facing, to be in a place where I was able to see the repercussions of such behavior. 

As we wrapped up our time in Terezin, it was nice to experience a change of scenery. We took a short walk in the Bohemian Switzerland National Park in some beautiful weather. It was great to stretch our legs before our drive into Berlin. Stay tuned and we will continue to keep you updated on all of our learning and adventures!