As Xavier students embark on the second official Holocaust Studies Trip to Poland, I would like to reflect on the inaugural trip that I am so grateful to have been a part of, and share insights from students who have been on the trip.
The experiences I had in Poland were truly eye-opening, I saw the effect of the atrocities committed by the Nazis on our Jewish brothers and sisters from their perspective. I was able to see the bravery of Jan Karski when he smuggled himself into Auschwitz to see the destruction first hand, and how, when he told powerful leaders about what he saw, they were indifferent. I saw the effects of dehumanization through the storage room at Auschwitz, which contained tons and tons of human hair that was used to make socks, and human skin that was used to make fabric. I saw the gas chambers, crematoriums, death walls, and papers that stated which Jews were “undesirable” and “returned [shot].”
Seeing the places where numerous atrocities happened gave me a deeper understanding of the history behind the Holocaust. When I read about Auschwitz in the book Night by Elie Wiesel, I was moved by the scene he painted with his words, his description of the smell of smoke coming from the bodies burning in the crematorium, and his detailing of what the camps looked like. When I was in Auschwitz I saw what he saw. I was able to connect what I had read in the book to what it actually looked like. Seeing the site where so many atrocities were committed was an experience I wish all to have. I was able to connect on a more personal level with all those who were victims of the holocaust by seeing what they saw and understanding what they may have experienced on a deeper level. At Birkenau our tour guide informed us that former prisoners of the concentration camp advocated for the camp to be preserved and even came back and protected it from people who were tearing them down for materials so that they could become sites of education.
Before the trip, sophomore Ian Wahl, a member of Poland trip 2, remarked, “I am very grateful to Mr. Maher for the opportunity to travel to Poland and see places I’ve learned about and to expand my understanding of the Holocaust, and the events that led up to it. I expect that this will be a lifelong bonding experience with my fellow Xavier classmates who also will be participating in this journey.”
Senior Owen Cahill, a part of Poland trip 1, reflected, “This is important when trying to educate people, because it is hard to force someone to pay attention to something they care nothing about. Instead of trying to get people to share a certain opinion, it is more important that I am able to inform people just a little bit and maybe inspire them to take up their own interest in the fight against antisemitism.”