By Lynn K Cronin, NFTY in Israel Participant, Bus 7
Our first day in Prague was great. We went to the Old Town Square where we broke up into groups of four and explored for two hours. We had some amazing food and were able to get a taste of the local flavor. Later in the day, we went to the Jewish quarter where we visited the Spanish Synagogue and learned about what life was like for Jews before the Holocaust. We also took breaks along the way to hear ancient stories, such as the Golem. On our last day in Prague, we went to Terezín, which was a combination of both a ghetto and concentration camp. Terezín is also where the famous poem, “The Butterfly,” was written. “The Butterfly” is a poem that I have known for most of my life and have come to love. It is written by a boy living in Terezín who recalls seeing the last butterfly living in the camp fly away. It was so nice to see that the butterflies returned to Terezín, because to me, this means that every life that tragically ended is resting in peace. While we were visiting Terezín, we visited a barrack and learned that the city was built for only about 7,000 people and when the Jews were forced to moved there, it became the home to ten times that number of people. We also visited the secret synagogue that Jews risked their lives to pray in. While in the synagogue, we said the Shema for everyone who couldn’t say it while they were imprisoned. So far, this has been the most meaningful moment for me because the Shema is a prayer that is very close to my heart. Reciting the Shema felt very empowering and made me feel a deep connection to every Jew that prayed in the synagogue or was in Terezín. and was in Terezín. We also watched a Nazi propaganda film that was not used because it painted the Jews in “too good of a light.” The video depicted Jewish people as ordinary citizens who were very similar to the Germans and didn’t fit the Nazis’ agenda of dehumanizing the Jewish people.
Our next stop is Poland and I can’t wait to see where this adventure takes me.
