Post-Trip Reflection

It has been less than a week since our group returned to the US, and I have not stopped thinking about everything we experienced. All study abroad trips, regardless of topic, provide students with unique learning environments. However, especially while studying the Holocaust, these unique learning environments surpass any lesson that can be taught in a classroom. I have read countless articles and books, watched numerous films, and taken several classes on the Holocaust, but nothing compares to standing on site where victims and perpetrators of the Holocaust once stood. To be in the field is to be thrust into the past. After covering over 80 miles on foot (thanks @Melonie’s FitBit), and spending late nights on course preparation for the next day, I was completely exhausted by the end. But our group never complained. We knew that each opportunity we were getting was a once in the lifetime experience, and we were eager to learn as much as we possibly could.

There are still moments that I have not yet fully processed, but as with everything surrounding the Holocaust, there will always be a sense of incompleteness in my understanding. There were so many powerful moments throughout the trip it is hard to sit here and try to reflect on everything. Getting to work with the team from Yahad In Unum is still, by far, the most impactful experience I have ever had. Hearing the story of a witness’ mother hiding two Jewish men under their kitchen floor boards, and getting to see the cellar itself was surreal. I was able to climb down into the cellar where I, a 5′ 6″ woman, was crouched down with my back against the ceiling. To imagine two grown men sharing this space for hours, or days on end was just crazy to me. This is a moment I will not soon forget, and one I will continue to examine for years to come. It is another example of how diverse the memory of the Holocaust can be, and how important it is to track down and record the memories of witnesses and survivors