The next journey begins Poland and Rwanda 2019

The next journey begins  Poland and Rwanda 2019
2019 adventures

Wednesday, July 10, 2019

Reflections

A long ride home to NJ but uneventful. I was glad to be warm again and not having to be in borrowed clothes- although it was well appreciated and a memory we will laugh at.  I am going to add a few photos that I did not include in previous posts:

Yes I am wearing the same clothes and I apologized at each place for wearing these clothes that belonged to Kubi - because I was so cold.  It was only in the 50's and I had brought only one long sleeve shirt and a denim short jacket, so I do apologize for not being appropriately dressed in the mayor's office! He laughed at the reason why. He served us hot tea and was very gracious.
You will see me talking with Kubi"s students, a photo of me with his co worker and his head master, a photo with the kids, a photo in the office of the Mayor of  Skoki, and a moving moment with Jakub and Alicia at the site of a Jewish cemetery on the side of the road which includes one of the original headstones recovered at this site, Jakub lighting a memorial candle.

The Auschwitz International conference could not have been possible without the support of Rahway High School and Kean University HRC. So again my humble thanks to you. The conference may not have answered the questions about modern genocide but at least the questions are asked. How to relate the Holocaust in a world with no survivors remains a daunting task for us educators.
The common denominator is education.

The new friends I have made at the conference include survivors of the genocide in Rwanda and - as it is a small world- I will be seeing them when I am in Rwanda. Meeting once again with my friend Adam was also a highlight for me.

Meeting with Polish teenagers who are no different than any other teenager but with special talents and different ideas, feelings unique to them. They were kind, enthusiastic, very respectful and certainly loved their teacher Mr. Kubi!

Attending a Shabbat service when I had no clue any JEWS lived in Poland let alone the city of Poznan. Thanks to Alicia Kobus Judaism is still alive albeit not thriving, in parts of Poland. But she is a force not to be reckoned with! She seems to always get her way.

Meeting new friends who treated me like a VIP and having fun- because in the midst of this world where so much evil and hatred resides there is still fun to be had, and life to enjoy.

Most of all my good friend , mentor, fellow educator Kubi. Without him none of these experiences would have occurred, He is a wealth of knowledge  and the Yiddish dictionary definition of a "mench."  I can not wait for him to visit so I can try to show him the same kind of hospitality





but without the home cooking lol.

today I am trying to get over major jet lag and had no clue if it was day or night when I woke up.

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