Photos by Hannah Rappoport
Day 2 of our incredible journey was jam-packed! After wake-up call at 7:00, we were treated to an elaborate breakfast spread and were on the bus by 8:30 sharp: truly an exciting accomplishment for our class.
We first drove past the site of the Slabodka Yeshiva and listened to inspiring stories of the Alter of Slabodka that teach us what it means to live as a Jew. This was an exciting opportunity to attain a personal connection to the school passwords that we all know so well. Next, we stopped at a memorial of the Kovno Ghetto. We observed an artsy house with shards of reflective glass. The shards remind us of the shattered past, while the mirrors encourage us to continually look within, personalize the experience, and empower ourselves for the future. After that, we stopped on a street corner outside the homes of Rav Avraham Grodzinski and the Friedman family. We heard many stories which gave us a glimpse into their greatness as well as their personalities. Sori Kotler shared some endearing personal anecdotes of her grandmother, Rebbetzin Kotler, showing us how she was just another average teenager, and yet she became such a great woman. This inspiring message coming straight from a classmate made the visit so much more personal. We also learned that Rav Elchonon Wasserman used to stay at this home as well, which is especially meaningful to us being that his son, Rav Simcha Wasserman, was a pivotal force in founding Soille Hebrew Day School which many of us attended before Torah High.
Next, we arrived at 7th Fort, an eerie site where a terrible tragedy occurred: hundreds of Jews were lined up, row by row, and machine-gunned down into the valley. We were each given a personalized paper with the name and biographical information of someone who perished in the Holocaust, each name remarkably similar if not identical to our own. This is a powerful way to make history more real for us and help us see the individual people who lie behind the unfathomable numbers. We stood at this site united, speaking, praying, singing, and taking it all in, a potent moment.
After 7th Fort, we were able to make a spontaneous stop at the Sugihara museum. Hannah Hydorn's grandmother was saved thanks to the righteous gentile, Chiune Sugihara: another personal touch making the experience that much more real to us. Finally, we took the bus to Tik'tin, where we toured the area and heard stories about the vibrant community that was. Then, we took a short bus ride to the forest where that entire Jewish community was murdered by the Nazis. This was a very impactful experience that will remain with us forever.
Overall, we had an unbelievable day full of compelling experiences, meaningful bonding, and even some birthday fun at midnight.
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