By Ali Koenig, NFTY in Israel Participant, Bus 8
I spent my sweet sixteen in a cemetery.
On Sunday, July 1, we explored Warsaw’s Jewish community. We visited the wall of the Warsaw Ghetto, walked along the Route of Heroism, and paid our respects at the Jewish cemetery. But I also ate a chocolate cake, blew out a pink candle, and carried around a unicorn-shaped balloon. We observed death, but we also celebrated life.
Warsaw introduced me to heroes and role models, to people who cared about more than themselves, to people who were willing to sacrifice themselves for the good of others.
Though birthdays are days of celebrating time moving forward, our travels in Warsaw allowed me to appreciate the heroic people who no longer have birthdays to look forward to. Thanks to these people, I will be sure to make good use of the time that I still have.
