*FROM 11/13*
Today was a pretty relaxed day. We (Yael, Sydney, Larissa and I) got up 15 min. before breakfast ended. We ate and then got ready for services. After services we had an hour break and then lunch. After lunch there was an optional tiyul to the castle but I wasn’t allowed to go b/c I had been sick. So I read a little and took a nap. When everyone got back we had havdalah in front of the old synagogue. A bunch of people stood around and watched us (it was awkward). Then we went back to the “big square” for dinner. I was really excited b/c D Sol gave me his camera to use until the end of Poland. For dinner we went back to the Ice cream place (they also had real food). I had a chicken and bree cheese sandwich. It took forever to get our food! But we kept giving mean looks to the waiters and they eventually brought our food. Since they didn’t write down our orders my sandwich didn’t come without cucumber and with corn but it was ok (I took of the cucumber and it was all good). Then we had ice cream and walked around the square for a while. It is very odd and a little sickening to see signs everywhere for tours of Auschwitz. This country makes a profit off of Jewish tragedy, it’s disgusting. Then we went back to the Hotel and Sydney, Larissa, and I played go-fish we 2 decks and sets of 8 instead of 2 or 4 (it was pretty intense).
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Finally! Mexican Food!
*FROM 11/12*
We got to sleep in again this morning but I swear breakfast keeps getting worse. This morning when I got to breakfast there was barely any food and I had to wait 25 minutes for eggs and to toast a piece of bread! It was ridiculous! After breakfast we started class on foot. We went on a “Synagogue Scavenger Hunt” aka we went around visiting 5 Synagogues. In each synagogue David Alon told us stories. One was about a man who everyone thought was selfish. But when he died people stopped getting challah, milk, and other things on their doorsteps. They then realized that he had been the one giving all a long. Another story was that every morning the people of the town would get knocks on their door. Three knocks meant that everything was good and that the men should prepare for morning t’fillah. 2 knocks meant that someone had died and they should prepare for a funeral. The 3rd story was about a man who insisted on closing his store at noon every Friday, even one day when a man came in and was willing to spend more money than the storeowner could have imagined. When he went home and told his wife she was extremely proud. Long story short they conceived a son that night who became an extremely famous rabbi. After our tour we went to the “big square” for lunch. It was the best lunch I have had in a while. Sydney, Larissa, and I found a Mexican restaurant. We had 60 zlotys total and spent exactly that. I got a chicken and cheese quesadilla and Sydney and larissa had a vegetarian quesadilla and nachos with guac. They were all appetizers (aka the quesadillas were like ½ of an actual quesadilla) so we decided that it was ok to then go have ice cream. We found a really good ice cream place that basically did gourmet ice cream dishes. Sydney and I shared a banana split and it was absolutely amazing. After lunch we went back to the hotel and had 3 hours of free time and Shabbat prep time. So Sydney, Larissa and I played cards and I e-mailed mom about my camera dilemma. Then we had services, dinner, and oneg.
We got to sleep in again this morning but I swear breakfast keeps getting worse. This morning when I got to breakfast there was barely any food and I had to wait 25 minutes for eggs and to toast a piece of bread! It was ridiculous! After breakfast we started class on foot. We went on a “Synagogue Scavenger Hunt” aka we went around visiting 5 Synagogues. In each synagogue David Alon told us stories. One was about a man who everyone thought was selfish. But when he died people stopped getting challah, milk, and other things on their doorsteps. They then realized that he had been the one giving all a long. Another story was that every morning the people of the town would get knocks on their door. Three knocks meant that everything was good and that the men should prepare for morning t’fillah. 2 knocks meant that someone had died and they should prepare for a funeral. The 3rd story was about a man who insisted on closing his store at noon every Friday, even one day when a man came in and was willing to spend more money than the storeowner could have imagined. When he went home and told his wife she was extremely proud. Long story short they conceived a son that night who became an extremely famous rabbi. After our tour we went to the “big square” for lunch. It was the best lunch I have had in a while. Sydney, Larissa, and I found a Mexican restaurant. We had 60 zlotys total and spent exactly that. I got a chicken and cheese quesadilla and Sydney and larissa had a vegetarian quesadilla and nachos with guac. They were all appetizers (aka the quesadillas were like ½ of an actual quesadilla) so we decided that it was ok to then go have ice cream. We found a really good ice cream place that basically did gourmet ice cream dishes. Sydney and I shared a banana split and it was absolutely amazing. After lunch we went back to the hotel and had 3 hours of free time and Shabbat prep time. So Sydney, Larissa and I played cards and I e-mailed mom about my camera dilemma. Then we had services, dinner, and oneg.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Memories
*FROM 11/11*
The reason we came on this trip to Poland and the reason we study the Holocaust is to remember. We remembered in the woods of the shtel, at the cemetery, at Majdanex, and today at the Warsaw Ghetto. This morning after a disappointing breakfast (there were no dried fruits this time ☹) and one that was not in a separate kosher dinning room (we weren’t allowed to eat the meat), we got on the bus and learned about the Warsaw Ghetto. The first thing we did was visit a small portion of the wall that is still standing today. The ghetto itself was only 2% of Warsaw and originally had to fit 386000 Jews (then the ghetto was shrunk and had to fit even more people). Next we went on a memorial tour. At each memorial we heard a story of resistance. We learned that the people found out what was happening in the camps by sending little kids, hidden under the train to the camps and back. Girls were sent as spies/helpers traveling to different cities b/c they couldn’t be identified as Jews as easily as men could (b/c of circumcision). At the memorial of the Jewish hospital (which had bee right next to the train station) we were informed that nurses would poison children right before the Nazis would come to take them, so that they would not have to bare the pain of a gas chamber or cattle car. We saw the sight that Mila 18 (a book by Leon Uris) was based on and learned about youth movements started in resistance. We saw the sewage pipes that people would travel through for safety. We also learned that it took the Nazis 3 weeks to take over all of Poland but a month to take over the small Warsaw Ghetto after the uprising. After that we lunch. They brought it about 18 boxes of pizza for the 44 students and 7 staff members. We demolished all of it in about 8 minutes. However, after lunch things hit a rough patch. All my memories were taken from me. Upon entering the bus after lunch I recall putting my camera in my hat and putting in on the seat but once I sat down my camera was no longer in my hat. All 200 pictures I had taken on the trip so far were gone. By then end of the day I had searched the entire bus, my bag, and had no luck. Our first stop after lunch was the airport to drop Ariella and Shira off b/c they have little kids and had not leave us for the rest of the trip. Then we picked up David Alon (who was teaching our class) and started our 5+ hour bus ride to Krakow. Our final movie of the trip was Schindler’s list. Having never seen the movie I was extremely impressed. While his original attempt was to make money he ended up saving 6000 people to date (1100 at the time but 6000 as a result of reproduction), which is more Jews than are currently live in Poland. Around 7:30ish we stopped for dinner, it wasn’t very good. When we got to Krakow I stayed behind to search the bus, still no luck. Then we had to try and find the hotel. None of the staff who had stayed behind knew where we were going. So Jake, Jon, Larissa, Izzy, Sydney, Preston, Mandy, Hadas, Yoni, Lior and I were lost for about 15 minutes until we found D Sol. When we finally arrived we got our rooms and had class discussions. Conveniently Yael and I’s room had a connecting door to Sydney and Larissa’s. Which was wonderful, especially b/c we are in the hotel for 4 nights.
The reason we came on this trip to Poland and the reason we study the Holocaust is to remember. We remembered in the woods of the shtel, at the cemetery, at Majdanex, and today at the Warsaw Ghetto. This morning after a disappointing breakfast (there were no dried fruits this time ☹) and one that was not in a separate kosher dinning room (we weren’t allowed to eat the meat), we got on the bus and learned about the Warsaw Ghetto. The first thing we did was visit a small portion of the wall that is still standing today. The ghetto itself was only 2% of Warsaw and originally had to fit 386000 Jews (then the ghetto was shrunk and had to fit even more people). Next we went on a memorial tour. At each memorial we heard a story of resistance. We learned that the people found out what was happening in the camps by sending little kids, hidden under the train to the camps and back. Girls were sent as spies/helpers traveling to different cities b/c they couldn’t be identified as Jews as easily as men could (b/c of circumcision). At the memorial of the Jewish hospital (which had bee right next to the train station) we were informed that nurses would poison children right before the Nazis would come to take them, so that they would not have to bare the pain of a gas chamber or cattle car. We saw the sight that Mila 18 (a book by Leon Uris) was based on and learned about youth movements started in resistance. We saw the sewage pipes that people would travel through for safety. We also learned that it took the Nazis 3 weeks to take over all of Poland but a month to take over the small Warsaw Ghetto after the uprising. After that we lunch. They brought it about 18 boxes of pizza for the 44 students and 7 staff members. We demolished all of it in about 8 minutes. However, after lunch things hit a rough patch. All my memories were taken from me. Upon entering the bus after lunch I recall putting my camera in my hat and putting in on the seat but once I sat down my camera was no longer in my hat. All 200 pictures I had taken on the trip so far were gone. By then end of the day I had searched the entire bus, my bag, and had no luck. Our first stop after lunch was the airport to drop Ariella and Shira off b/c they have little kids and had not leave us for the rest of the trip. Then we picked up David Alon (who was teaching our class) and started our 5+ hour bus ride to Krakow. Our final movie of the trip was Schindler’s list. Having never seen the movie I was extremely impressed. While his original attempt was to make money he ended up saving 6000 people to date (1100 at the time but 6000 as a result of reproduction), which is more Jews than are currently live in Poland. Around 7:30ish we stopped for dinner, it wasn’t very good. When we got to Krakow I stayed behind to search the bus, still no luck. Then we had to try and find the hotel. None of the staff who had stayed behind knew where we were going. So Jake, Jon, Larissa, Izzy, Sydney, Preston, Mandy, Hadas, Yoni, Lior and I were lost for about 15 minutes until we found D Sol. When we finally arrived we got our rooms and had class discussions. Conveniently Yael and I’s room had a connecting door to Sydney and Larissa’s. Which was wonderful, especially b/c we are in the hotel for 4 nights.
Hope is the Last to Die
*FROM 11/10*
We woke up this morning at 7 am in Lublin. We had a decent breakfast and then went to Old Town Lublin. Before we entered the actual town we had quick class meetings on what we should look for while walking around. We came up with 4 things: a castle, a church, a water source, and Jewish symbols. We then had an hour to walk around, take pictures, and get to know the town. Sydney, Larissa, and I walked around and had a mini photo shot. After class wrap-ups we got on the bus for a 3 min drive to Yeshivat Chacemi Lublin (aka the Harvard of Yeshivot). The boys accepted had to memorize 400 pages of Talmud just to be accepted. Before we finished we did a torah study activity. Then we had our box lunches and made our way to the Majdanek death camp (it was originally a Labor camp). When we arrived I was shocked to find that the camp wasn’t in the middle of nowhere but rather next to neighborhoods and office buildings. There is even a path going through the SS part of camp connecting the offices to the homes. It was uncomforting. It was also odd b/c people drive past this place everyday and probably don’t even note its importance. Our tour of the “German Killing Factory” was lead by Halina Birenbaum and her story “Hope is the last to Die”. Ariella read excerpts as took everything in. Below are some of my impressions:
-Gas Chambers: it’s amazing how much thought and deception the Nazis put inot the Final Solution. Giving the people who were about to die soap and towels and the gas chambers saying bathhouse.
-Room of shoes: every shoe is this room stands for a soul. Someone who unconsciously walked in those shoes to their death. I felt some of the shoes, they were dusty and dirty. Part of me wanted to take off my shoes and add them to the pile.
-Barracks: we questioned where it would be better to sleep; the top close to the cold, the middle where the Capo could easily reach you, or the bottom where all the feces and other bodily issues would fall on you. I can’t believe that 1000 people fit in one of these huts.
-Crematory: they had to add another crematory and gas chamber just to fill their killing needs.
- Sitting at the pile of ashes you can see the entire death camp. Back then all the grass I see was barracks or other horrifying German contraptions. The camp is not what I expected; the barracks are bigger, the gas chambers more or less the same, and the sorrow for the Jewish people and hatred towards the Nazis, higher.
Our tour ended at the Memorial of the Pile of Ashes. This location was also where my Tekes (ceremony) was held. Our ceremony went well and I didn’t mess up my song! Then after our sad, depressing, heart wrenching and disturbing tours we got on the bus and headed back to Warsaw. Within a few minutes of being on the bus, Hadas, said she had something for us. It was letters from our families. I got one from Grammy and poppy and one from mommy (along with a copy of my bat-mitzvah speech) [I might have possibly cried after reading the letters]. Then we watched movie number 3, the pianist. Around 8 we finally got to the hotel (the one we stayed at the first night), put our bags down, and went to a buffet dinner. At 9 we had class discussions followed by Larissa, Sydney and I eating my graham crackers with nutella and bananas as a nighttime snack. Then I went back to my room and went to bed.
We woke up this morning at 7 am in Lublin. We had a decent breakfast and then went to Old Town Lublin. Before we entered the actual town we had quick class meetings on what we should look for while walking around. We came up with 4 things: a castle, a church, a water source, and Jewish symbols. We then had an hour to walk around, take pictures, and get to know the town. Sydney, Larissa, and I walked around and had a mini photo shot. After class wrap-ups we got on the bus for a 3 min drive to Yeshivat Chacemi Lublin (aka the Harvard of Yeshivot). The boys accepted had to memorize 400 pages of Talmud just to be accepted. Before we finished we did a torah study activity. Then we had our box lunches and made our way to the Majdanek death camp (it was originally a Labor camp). When we arrived I was shocked to find that the camp wasn’t in the middle of nowhere but rather next to neighborhoods and office buildings. There is even a path going through the SS part of camp connecting the offices to the homes. It was uncomforting. It was also odd b/c people drive past this place everyday and probably don’t even note its importance. Our tour of the “German Killing Factory” was lead by Halina Birenbaum and her story “Hope is the last to Die”. Ariella read excerpts as took everything in. Below are some of my impressions:
-Gas Chambers: it’s amazing how much thought and deception the Nazis put inot the Final Solution. Giving the people who were about to die soap and towels and the gas chambers saying bathhouse.
-Room of shoes: every shoe is this room stands for a soul. Someone who unconsciously walked in those shoes to their death. I felt some of the shoes, they were dusty and dirty. Part of me wanted to take off my shoes and add them to the pile.
-Barracks: we questioned where it would be better to sleep; the top close to the cold, the middle where the Capo could easily reach you, or the bottom where all the feces and other bodily issues would fall on you. I can’t believe that 1000 people fit in one of these huts.
-Crematory: they had to add another crematory and gas chamber just to fill their killing needs.
- Sitting at the pile of ashes you can see the entire death camp. Back then all the grass I see was barracks or other horrifying German contraptions. The camp is not what I expected; the barracks are bigger, the gas chambers more or less the same, and the sorrow for the Jewish people and hatred towards the Nazis, higher.
Our tour ended at the Memorial of the Pile of Ashes. This location was also where my Tekes (ceremony) was held. Our ceremony went well and I didn’t mess up my song! Then after our sad, depressing, heart wrenching and disturbing tours we got on the bus and headed back to Warsaw. Within a few minutes of being on the bus, Hadas, said she had something for us. It was letters from our families. I got one from Grammy and poppy and one from mommy (along with a copy of my bat-mitzvah speech) [I might have possibly cried after reading the letters]. Then we watched movie number 3, the pianist. Around 8 we finally got to the hotel (the one we stayed at the first night), put our bags down, and went to a buffet dinner. At 9 we had class discussions followed by Larissa, Sydney and I eating my graham crackers with nutella and bananas as a nighttime snack. Then I went back to my room and went to bed.
Life to Death Just Like that
*FROM 11/9*
While we landed in Poland yesterday, today felt like we were here for a reason. We woke up, I spent 10 min getting Yael up, packed our bag, and went to breakfast. We had to eat in a separate kosher dinning room but as we were walking there we passed the regular dinning area and could smell bacon and other meats we were not permitted to have. But breakfast was good, even without the meat. For the first time since we left America there was actual fruit at breakfast (it was wonderful!). After breakfast we had a 3-hour bus ride to a shtel Tikocyn. We watched our first of 4 movies during the ride (Fiddler on the Roof- after all it was about shtel life). When we arrived we split up into classes and walked around getting to know shtel life and culture. Eventually our tour took us to the cemetery from when the town was a flourishing Jewish community. Unlike the cemetery in Warsaw, this one had not been taken care off. Many of the headstones were covered with dirt and leaves and were very challenging to find. Then we had a box lunched followed and went into the synagogue. The synagogue had been restored to look like it did during the s shtels’ time. The most interesting part of the synagogue was that the prayers were written on the walls. We assumed it was b/c originally the synagogue probably did not have enough siddurim for the congregation. After we learned a little about the synagogue we had t’fillah but it turned into more of a song session. When we were done we were told we had to be silent and get on the bus. We had a 3 min drive following the path that the Jews if the shtel took right before they were killed. We arrived at the Lepochova Forest were when the jews arrived they found 3 large holes. Today they are 3 memorials. Before we walked up all the way to the mass graves we heard a story of a women who had survived only after seeing watching her parents, sister, and daughter being shot. She too was shot at but was only injured and was able to climb out of the pit. The first time her story was made public was during the Eichmann trial in the 60s. We then had time to walk around and look at the graves as we pleased. I felt sickened. I could picture everything that had happened there. Then we had our first ceremony of the trip. This one was short and was led by our Madrachim and Yahir (a Jewish History teacher). Right before we said kaddish we went around the circle and said the names of our family members who were killed in the Holocaust. After we sang Hatikvah D Sol said “and now we are going to do something the people here never got to do, we are going to walk out”. A line we would here many more times this trip. When we got back on the bus everyone was silent for a while. Then we finished Fiddler. At one of our bathroom stops I somehow got locked in a men’s bathroom (in Poland), it was a little frightening (don’t worry there were no guys in there- we converted it into a girls bathroom). After Fiddler, we watched Defiance. I liked the movie but some scenes were scary to watch while driving through the middle of a dark forest. 5 hours later we finally ended up at our hotel in Lublin. We quickly put our stuff down and went to dinner. Then we had class time were we discussed the day, our feelings, and reactions. After that I had ceremony prep b/c my ceremony is tomorrow. Then I went to bed.
While we landed in Poland yesterday, today felt like we were here for a reason. We woke up, I spent 10 min getting Yael up, packed our bag, and went to breakfast. We had to eat in a separate kosher dinning room but as we were walking there we passed the regular dinning area and could smell bacon and other meats we were not permitted to have. But breakfast was good, even without the meat. For the first time since we left America there was actual fruit at breakfast (it was wonderful!). After breakfast we had a 3-hour bus ride to a shtel Tikocyn. We watched our first of 4 movies during the ride (Fiddler on the Roof- after all it was about shtel life). When we arrived we split up into classes and walked around getting to know shtel life and culture. Eventually our tour took us to the cemetery from when the town was a flourishing Jewish community. Unlike the cemetery in Warsaw, this one had not been taken care off. Many of the headstones were covered with dirt and leaves and were very challenging to find. Then we had a box lunched followed and went into the synagogue. The synagogue had been restored to look like it did during the s shtels’ time. The most interesting part of the synagogue was that the prayers were written on the walls. We assumed it was b/c originally the synagogue probably did not have enough siddurim for the congregation. After we learned a little about the synagogue we had t’fillah but it turned into more of a song session. When we were done we were told we had to be silent and get on the bus. We had a 3 min drive following the path that the Jews if the shtel took right before they were killed. We arrived at the Lepochova Forest were when the jews arrived they found 3 large holes. Today they are 3 memorials. Before we walked up all the way to the mass graves we heard a story of a women who had survived only after seeing watching her parents, sister, and daughter being shot. She too was shot at but was only injured and was able to climb out of the pit. The first time her story was made public was during the Eichmann trial in the 60s. We then had time to walk around and look at the graves as we pleased. I felt sickened. I could picture everything that had happened there. Then we had our first ceremony of the trip. This one was short and was led by our Madrachim and Yahir (a Jewish History teacher). Right before we said kaddish we went around the circle and said the names of our family members who were killed in the Holocaust. After we sang Hatikvah D Sol said “and now we are going to do something the people here never got to do, we are going to walk out”. A line we would here many more times this trip. When we got back on the bus everyone was silent for a while. Then we finished Fiddler. At one of our bathroom stops I somehow got locked in a men’s bathroom (in Poland), it was a little frightening (don’t worry there were no guys in there- we converted it into a girls bathroom). After Fiddler, we watched Defiance. I liked the movie but some scenes were scary to watch while driving through the middle of a dark forest. 5 hours later we finally ended up at our hotel in Lublin. We quickly put our stuff down and went to dinner. Then we had class time were we discussed the day, our feelings, and reactions. After that I had ceremony prep b/c my ceremony is tomorrow. Then I went to bed.
Wait were in Poland? When did that Happen?
*FROM 11/8*
So last night after I finished packing up all my belongings, my roommates and I spent our last night together watching the European Music Awards and eating ice cream. The awards ended around 12:15 and we decided it might be a good idea to get a little sleep. Passing out wasn’t much of an issue, however 1:15 am wake up was. By 2 we were on the bus and ready to go to the airport. When we got to the airport we were given our passports, questioned by security, checked our bags, got out tickets, went through passport control, and lastly went through security. Then we had free time until 5:20. The majority of us went to the food court and had “breakfast”. But was we discovered breakfast isn’t served until 6 am (or at least according to McDonalds). So I had more of a late dinner, which was penne with pesto (it was ok- too much olive oil). Then Mikah and I decided to go walk around the toy store for fun. They had Polly pockets, barbies, play mobile, legos, and even scrabble but with Hebrew letters! (Don’t worry we didn’t buy anything). Then we went to the gate and played cards until it was time to board. The flight wasn’t bad at all ( I slept through it) and passport control and baggage claim were easy. When we got to the bus we were greeted with breakfast (a cheese sandwich, banana, and orange juice), which was my 2nd “breakfast” and some people’s 3rd (if they had had the breakfast passed out on the plain). Then we got on the bus and headed for the Warsaw Jewish Cemetery. We walked around for about 2 and half hours learning what certain symbols meant and about important figures that were buried there. One of the graves we saw was Mirek Edelman’s and everyone thought that it was a relative of mine but I have no idea if that is true. After we finished at the cemetery we went to a mall for lunch. We were given 40 zloty for both lunch and dinner (20 per meal). I walked around with Sydney and Larissa. We decided to all try and spend less than 20 on lunch so we would have more for dinner b/c D Sol had told us there were nicer restaurants where we were going. There was a Mexican place but the food looked kind of gross and we couldn’t read the menu so we decided not to eat there. Instead we had McDonalds. After we ate we went to the super farm (like cvs) to find hand warmers but were unsuccessful. So we decided to try ice cream flavors to waste our remaining time. But the ice cream place didn’t like the idea of tasting before buying so we ended up not getting ice cream there, rather we shared a McFlurry. After lunch we went to the hotel to rest. Then at 5 we went to the only synagogue in Warsaw to survive WWII. Then we went to the Old Town Center for dinner. Luckily we were able to stick to the idea of a cheaper lunch and were able to go to a nice restaurant for dinner. Asher, Sydney, and Larissa, and I had a nice sit down dinner at a restaurant were the employees spoke English (unlike the employees at McDonalds). I had a delicious chicken ceaser salad and left over spinach from Larissa’s pasta. When we finished eating we had about a half hour left before meeting time so we walked around in an attempt to find everyone else (it worked). After everyone was accounted for we got on the bus and went back to the hotel.
So last night after I finished packing up all my belongings, my roommates and I spent our last night together watching the European Music Awards and eating ice cream. The awards ended around 12:15 and we decided it might be a good idea to get a little sleep. Passing out wasn’t much of an issue, however 1:15 am wake up was. By 2 we were on the bus and ready to go to the airport. When we got to the airport we were given our passports, questioned by security, checked our bags, got out tickets, went through passport control, and lastly went through security. Then we had free time until 5:20. The majority of us went to the food court and had “breakfast”. But was we discovered breakfast isn’t served until 6 am (or at least according to McDonalds). So I had more of a late dinner, which was penne with pesto (it was ok- too much olive oil). Then Mikah and I decided to go walk around the toy store for fun. They had Polly pockets, barbies, play mobile, legos, and even scrabble but with Hebrew letters! (Don’t worry we didn’t buy anything). Then we went to the gate and played cards until it was time to board. The flight wasn’t bad at all ( I slept through it) and passport control and baggage claim were easy. When we got to the bus we were greeted with breakfast (a cheese sandwich, banana, and orange juice), which was my 2nd “breakfast” and some people’s 3rd (if they had had the breakfast passed out on the plain). Then we got on the bus and headed for the Warsaw Jewish Cemetery. We walked around for about 2 and half hours learning what certain symbols meant and about important figures that were buried there. One of the graves we saw was Mirek Edelman’s and everyone thought that it was a relative of mine but I have no idea if that is true. After we finished at the cemetery we went to a mall for lunch. We were given 40 zloty for both lunch and dinner (20 per meal). I walked around with Sydney and Larissa. We decided to all try and spend less than 20 on lunch so we would have more for dinner b/c D Sol had told us there were nicer restaurants where we were going. There was a Mexican place but the food looked kind of gross and we couldn’t read the menu so we decided not to eat there. Instead we had McDonalds. After we ate we went to the super farm (like cvs) to find hand warmers but were unsuccessful. So we decided to try ice cream flavors to waste our remaining time. But the ice cream place didn’t like the idea of tasting before buying so we ended up not getting ice cream there, rather we shared a McFlurry. After lunch we went to the hotel to rest. Then at 5 we went to the only synagogue in Warsaw to survive WWII. Then we went to the Old Town Center for dinner. Luckily we were able to stick to the idea of a cheaper lunch and were able to go to a nice restaurant for dinner. Asher, Sydney, and Larissa, and I had a nice sit down dinner at a restaurant were the employees spoke English (unlike the employees at McDonalds). I had a delicious chicken ceaser salad and left over spinach from Larissa’s pasta. When we finished eating we had about a half hour left before meeting time so we walked around in an attempt to find everyone else (it worked). After everyone was accounted for we got on the bus and went back to the hotel.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Packing, College Board, and Doctors
This morning I got up and took the SAT2s in Math level 2 and U.S. history. They were ok, I just hope I raised my scores. Right after I finished my 2nd test I was told to get in a cab b/c I had a doctor’s appt. I wasn’t really aware I was sick but it ended up being a good thing. When I got back there really wasn’t a point to go to Jewish history b/c there was only 15 min. left. So I just waited til 1:15, got my report card, and went to lunch. Then I had all my general studies. I didn’t really want to go to my general studies b/c I was tired and didn’t feel well but I went and they weren’t too bad. Then I spent my free period packing. Then I had dinner and we had announcements. Along with announcements we listened to our principals story about the holocaust and his life. It was really interesting but now we only have an hour to finish packing up our rooms, pack for Poland, and get all of our stuff into storage. So I am sorry this is short. I will make sure to write while I am in Poland and will post it when I get back.
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