Contiki European Experience (Part 2: Hopfgarten – Amsterdam)

As a continent, Europe never ceases to amaze. Regardless of where I was or what I was doing I always managed to experience something new, meet someone great or just generally enjoy myself, and the practical embodiment of this concept was felt no more than the second half of the Contiki tour of which I found myself a part. I pick up where I left off in my previous post titled Contiki European Experience Part One (go figure), following a wonderful time in Venice we headed for the Austrian Alps, Hopfgarten to be more specific, where I was to have what I consider the greatest day of my life to date. Picture this; waking up and following a spot of breakfast heading up the alps on a mountain bike before venturing to a beautiful lake which featured crisp waters as well as a submerged trampoline and inflatable iceberg, and then hailing a cab back up into the alps to go paragliding with a view of the entirety of Hopfgarten. As far as individual days go, it simply cannot be beaten, and I am certain that as long as I live I will hark back to that day in Austria where I did experienced things beyond my wildest dreams and enjoyed myself to a level I was unaware possible.

That night we partied in true Contiki style, with a soiree in the theme of tight, white and bright and true to form I donned my tightest pair of jeans and danced the night away surrounded by members of my Contiki family as well as some new faces. In the morning we headed off to Munich by way of Dachau Concentration Camp, a different experience for myself having previously only experienced holocaust related attractions in the company of fellow Jews. However, it was rather the museum and presentation of the camp itself which slightly upset me rather than the company. As I wandered the museum’s 15 rooms I felt conflicted as the historian in me called for a more detailed history which was better structured and less tedious whilst the Jew in me called for a less matter of fact tone and more sympathetic narration towards the victims of Nazi atrocities committed upon the ground on which I stood. I just couldn’t win. I put it to the back of my mind, thankful that Contiki actually cares enough to send its groups to such a historical site and encourages its participants to feel the meaning and acknowledge the suffering related to one of the worst episodes in human history.

Any who, Munich was all I expected it to be, a bike tour in the rain showcased the cities monuments and perks before a visit to the Hofbrauhaus, a traditional beer-hall, gave most what they came for, all the beer they could drink served litre by litre ice cold. A fairly drunk bus ride home made for a cool addition to the memory bank, before an early night was had by most as we prepared for the longish ride to Switzerland’s Lauterbrunnen nestled deep in the alps. We visited Luzern on the way through, and a Swiss army knife and watch emporium therein which sported some rather nice albeit exorbitantly expensive products. Eventually we arrived in the alps and were greeted with cottage-style rooms which were uh, cosy, yes that will do. That night featured a swiss themed party in which fun was had by all. In the morning much of the group headed up Europe’s highest accessible peak without climbing, Jungfrau via steam railway. Being somewhat short on funds in addition to my hangover I forgoed the honour in lieu of what I soon found out was roughly a 7km round trip walk to the ‘nearby’ waterfall system. It was nice, but then again my splitting headache wasn’t. Eventually I headed back to bed for four hours directly in the middle of the day. I emerged a new man and a quiet day and night followed.

In the morning we departed for Germany’s St Goar with a stopover in Heidelberg. St Goar is a city which houses literally one street of stores, albeit two or three of those stores aren’t too bad! With a roughly halfprice Birkenstock store the majority of the girls were satisfied and some of the boys… but who am I to judge! The beer stein store was also rather entertaining aside from its price tags. That night I wasn’t in the best mood as I battled an illness which would stick with me for the rest of the tour. However, it was no worse than the next morning’s departure as I felt as though someone was literally holding a lighter to my forehead. I valiantly forged on and soon enough we arrived in Amsterdam, the stoner’s city of dreams. Not being a smoker I had no expectations of a city I figured would be much like the rest of Europe’s major cities… boy was I wrong. The red light district proved that with precisely one walk up the street as prostituted one and all emerged from their small glass rooms to attempt to lure me and my friends into an hour of ‘fun’ which would no doubt shortly be followed by a long and embarrassing stint in the doctor’s office. Regardless, if that didn’t disturb me enough we were soon taken to a sex show, where the joyless faces of the show’s ‘performers’ had me edging towards the exit with a grimace on my face. Nonetheless, Amsterdam was interesting?

Our final night out in Amsterdam was spent bar hopping and the like and it was an adequate ending and farewell to the 50 people who I had grown unbelievably close to in the preceding 20 days. Contiki was an experience which I would recommend to literally anyone. If you want to explore the world and do it in a way that will make you loads of friends and new experiences then Contiki is for you. Next stop London.

Thanks for reading,

Jake

Contiki European Experience (part 1: Paris – Venice)

A 20 day whirlwind tour around Europe with 51 relative strangers played out exactly how it sounds… awesomely! Prior to beginning my premiere Contiki experience, I could only describe myself as apprehensive, and generally unaware of what to expect from the relationships and experiences I would be creating over the length of my tour. However, as I arrived at the Royal National Hotel in London prior for the briefing session the night before the commencement of the tour, fresh from a drawn out 24 hours in transit from Mykonos, my nerves were almost immediately subdued. I swiftly realised the all-round nice and easy-going attitudes of everyone I was to be sharing my Europe experience with and my mind was put at ease. The next day the coach was packed and we headed off on the way to our first stop, Paris, travelling via ferry across the English Channel between Dover and Calais. During the bus ride we became acquainted with each other via set of short introductory questions we had to answer for all to hear… hilarity ensued and first impressions were formed. Arriving in Paris it was very quickly clear who the party animals in our midst were as some opted for late nights while others struggled with jet lag and hit the hay what would soon be considered relatively early. My first night was the cliché Parisienne experience every tourist must have, dining on crepes and sipping champagne at the bottom of the world famous Eiffel Tower.

The following night we headed out to an optional Cabaret show which proved ridiculously entertaining as members of our group were thrust onto stage for audience participation in between traditional cabaret song and dance. That night more group bonding ensued as we all headed to a bar situated next door to the Moulin Rouge itself for drinks. The next day we headed off early to the France’s Beaujolais wine region where we stayed in Contiki’s very own chateau which we shared with a few other groups. Whilst there, we participated in a wine tasting including some of the finest wines from the region, we ventured off on a picnic up a mountain where we managed to get unseasonably lost and never actual find the picnic spot, and were treated to an awesome party in the chateau’s underground club known as the cave, with the theme being ‘p’ needless to say there were Parisiennes aplenty around… as with all Contiki parties numerous hilarious stories emerged the following day, but none rivalled Christian’s managing to urinate in Niqi’s bag on a routine drunken walk to the bathroom, which he missed by one door.

Next we headed for the French Riviera, and that night into the principality of Monaco and marvelled at its collection of ludicrously expensive cars as well as heading to the Monte Carlo casino where some fared better than others…. Personally I managed to lose my solitary betting capital (50 euro) in two hands of blackjack before recouping 5 euro on the slots. The next day saw us leave France and head towards the land of pizza and pasta; Italy. Initially what is perhaps the world’ most celebrated architectural mistake, the Leaning Tower of Pisa and a foray of touristy photos ensued. Next we headed to our campsite in Florence. Our first night in Florence was spent as the Red Garter, a karaoke bar which was filled by Contiki and top deck groups exclusively and as such proved unbelievably enjoyable. The following day we were left to our own devices in Florence, viewing a leather demonstration as well as surveying the various beautiful squares around the city. That night we partied at Space Electronic Disco, a decent club located in the heart of Florence, before retiring early enough thanks to our impending journey to Rome in the morning.

Arriving in Rome we began by visiting the stereotypically touristic sights, first up the colosseum followed by the old Roman ruins which surround it, needless to say cameras were not holstered for a solid period of time. The next day we departed Italy, albeit briefly, and headed into the world’s smallest sovereign state, Vatican City, home of the pope. We headed in on a particularly hot day and being a redhead with unbelievably fair skin I joked on the way there of the third degree sunburns I would be receiving come days end save for maybe one of those hilarious umbrella hats… which is exactly what I found 100m down the road and promptly purchased, and thus looked like a moron the entire rest of the day. That night another party was organised for us, with the theme “I heart Rome,” everyone was to wear an I heart Rome t shirt which was written on in texta with messages. The party was fun as per usual as the alcoholic heavyweights of the group continuing to flex their metaphorical muscles, extending their undefeated streak of drunk nights yet again. For some the streak continued to extend and lasted the entire trip, but not the fainthearted.

The next day we arrived in Venice, where we engaged in all the typical touristic Venetian activities, visiting a glass blowing demonstration and shop, cruising the canals on a traditional gondola, visiting the main square and eating Italian delicacies namely pizza and pasta. Yet again Contiki’s campsite did not disappoint as the food and lodgings were more than satisfactory.

To read about the rest of my Contiki adventures, click on the part 2 post!

Thanks for reading,

Jake

Mykonos Madness

Gapyearing is all about getting out of your comfort zone, doing things you wouldn’t do at home and basically creating all manner of whimsical stories which you will tell the kids and grandkids one day. I can honestly say my four nights in Mykonos yielded some ‘challenging’ experiences and I definitely did numerous things which I would be thought idiotic or ridiculous for doing at home…. However there is no chance my kids or grandkids will ever be hearing about the four days wherein I disregarded any thought of my health to simply party to the best of my ability - that would constitute irresponsible parenting/grand parenting. The Greek islands possess some of the most beautiful sights and opportunities for exploration anywhere in the world, and I am proud to say that I did eventually make my way into the town and managed to dote at the famed windmills of Mykonos, which slightly disappointed me thanks to their inability to actually mill wind. However for me Mykonos rather yielded an opportunity to test my partying pedigree, relax by the pool and make new friends.

Arriving at Paraga Beach Hostel, fresh from a two leg journey via Vienna (or Perth as Haim likes to joke, due to my consistently odd flight paths) I failed to take into account my ability to contact Eli, Ben and Dazz due to a lack of simcards on all our parts. Thus I sat in the designated ‘wifi area,’ (it earns inverted commas due to the lack of actual internet connection it boasts) and attempted to make contact to little avail. However, this was actually a blessing in disguise as I eventually used this as an opportunity to befriend three British staying in my room and further a larger group of people whom I remained friends with my entire stay in Mykonos. I did eventually manage to locate the boys along with a larger group of Emanuel friends most of whom I had not had the pleasure of meeting their acquaintance for upwards of 5 months. It was a beautiful reunion which was followed by predrinks and then arrival at Mykonos’ most famous club Cavo Paradiso, which did not disappoint. The club ships in internationally acclaimed DJs almost every day of the week and even contains a swimming pool and multiple bars, I ended up visiting it three times to witness performances by W & W, Benny Benassi and Alesso, in chronological order.

Days included relaxing by the pool at the hostel, numerous authentic Greek souvlakis, a visit to the ‘day’ party (we attended between 7PM and 11PM) hosted at Tropicana as well as copious amounts of alcohol. It was a beautiful thing how a morning at the pool after a big night out could have you raring to pollute your bloodstream with further alcohol in just hours. Honestly, my body took an absolute beating, however I managed to emerge with just a lost voice, a valiant tale of survival. It really was a fun time and to any of my parents/granparents/family members who may be reading, you were young once too, so try not to judge me too harshly.

One of the most amazing experiences, something which I will never forget, was going tubing with Sam, Eli, Haim and Ben. For a mere 20 euro investment we were hurled around on the waters of Mykonos at ridiculous speeds holding onto pieces of plastic for dear life, needless to say we loved every minute of it. These are the experiences which we will never forget and it was unbelievable to share it with some of my best mates!

Mykonos was an amazing experience which I am exceedingly happy I was able to undertake. On the morning of the 18^th I headed to Athens via ferry, boasting not a single minute of sleep at time of boarding due to a huge night at Cavo. When I arrived I was an absolute wreck, so much so I headed to bed rather than visiting the Acropolis (Sad I know). Following a night at an Athens hotel I made my way to London via Hamburg to begin my 20 day Contiki tour through Europe. I arrived at the airport and made my way to my hotel for the night via the London Underground which was largely halted due to enormous pro-Palestinian demonstrations (Just what I like to hear). I made it to the hotel and that night met the people who I was to spend the next 20 days with, an assortment of people from all over the globe, featuring Canadians, Americans, Brits and Aussies, who I’m sure I will become incredibly close to over the next 3 weeks.

I cannot wait to see what Contiki has in store for me!

40 days till I return to Sydney!

Thanks for reading!

Jake

Barca Boys Bonanza!

Barcelona is one of the world’s most beautiful cities and I am so thankful that I got to experience it with a group of my closest mates! The boys simply tore it up in Barcelona, we were on the go constantly, we saw the sights, sampled the delicacies and most of all created the memories! Barcelona is a city which has an unbelievably lively street culture, and I am loved living a simple 5 minute walk from La Rambla, a promenade which never fails to disappoint with an array of street performers, annoying Indian men attempting to sell you an annoying voice changing device as well as some nice restaurants and shops. The architecture is absolutely out of this world, some of it needs to be seen to be believed, notably the Sagrada Familia which is without doubt the most impressive piece of human architectural construction to which I have ever bore witness. As well as enjoying great times with mates in a wonderful city, I also managed to learn something and feel as though I have come out of my time in Barcelona with an increased knowledge of its social, cultural, economic and political climate.

Arriving in Barcelona in the middle of the world cup is usually something special…. However with Spain’s dismal group stage exit we were privy to only showings of German and Argentian national pride in Catalyunya’s capital. We often headed to various bars to watch the games, and were continually shocked by the results as well as the ability of football to spark a conversation and bring people together. At one point we headed to El Raval (a neaby suburb) with our football to have a kick around and soon found ourselves engaged in a match with some local kids, it is simply amazing what a ball can do!

As a 19 year old in Barcelona I felt an obligation to head out and sample the nightlife, and boy did it not disappoint! I managed to get to Europe’s second biggest club, known as Razmatazz, twice and saw performances by Pendulum and Lil’ Jon both which yielded nights which I will remember for a long time. I also sampled a club known as shoko, a name which harked me back to my favourite Israeli drink. In addition to this, we spent an awesome night in a bar which specialised in various interesting shots, some of which were delicious, some strong and some downright ridiculous. It was one of the most memorable nights I have had since my departure from Australia!

We simply went to too many sights in Barca for me to mention all of them in depth, so I will endeavour to pick a few in order to prevent this blog post from hitting multiple pages. We had one particularly spontaneous and memorable day spent in a country club with a membership fee of 2000 euro which we gained entry to by simply waltzing through the front gate with confidence. It truly was a gapyear triumph, we used the gym, the pool, the football pitch and dined at their magnificent restaurant. It will be a tale written in gapyear folklore forever. We took the cable car up to Montjuic and took in its remarkable views of the rest of the city, the same can be said of the summit of Parc Guell. Guy and myself visited the stunning Palau Guell, another Gaudi masterpiece which yielded even further opportunity to utilise my new camera/phone. We visited the food markets on the Rambla on numerous occasions, with Sam managing to find a new love - one euro fruit juice.

We undertook two different walking tours, the regular introduction to the Gothic Quarter as well as the alternate tour through El Raval which showcased the plethora of street art which can be found all over the city, both were hugely educational and entertaining. I headed out on a Tapas Tour with Aviv girls Lucy and Sarah where we sampled the three different ways tapas is prepared in various parts of Spain. We visited Blai Street twice, the home of our favourite pinchos establishment. There is simply not enough room to document everything we did during our time in Spain’s most famous city.

I wish to apologise to myself as well as anyone who follows my blog closely about the lack of posts as of late but I am simply too flat out! I no longer have the time to blog frequently, but I promise to do everything in my power to keep up my blogging regularity during my time in Europe!

Barcelona was amazing, and I now head to Mykonos via Vienna!

49 days till I return to Sydney!

Thanks for reading,

Jake 

Bittersweet – Goodbye Israel/Hello Barcelona!

I am legitimately lost for words. As I sit here and attempt to summarise my feelings about my 5 months in Israel on Aviv I struggle to find adequate vocabulary to quantify the number of great memories I have accrued, friendships I have made as well as positive changes in my character I have undergone. Israel is a very special place which means a lot of things to a lot of people, to me, the past 5 months have led me to believe that it represents hope for the Jewish people and without it we are significantly less rich as a people. Leaving Israel has brought me seriously mixed feelings; on one hand, I am very ready to move on, have a great time in Europe with new and old friends and eventually return home to Sydney and continue with daily life. On the other hand, Israel has been great to me and I leave behind some of my very best friends and in addition to this, I depart at an exceedingly volatile time following the discovery of the corpses of the 3 Israeli teens who were kidnapped whilst hitchhiking in the West Bank. I sincerely hope the situation does not escalate into yet another war in Israel, where there quite simply will be no victor thanks to mutual loss of life.

Aviv ended rather anti-climactically, after a final few days which included many introspective style programs as well as reflection on various relationships established, culminated in a farewell to the madrichim, a receiving of our Aviv jumpers, a slideshow of our time in Israel and a tear-jerking final goodbye session, I headed off to the airport still without a real comprehension that it had already been 5 months since I headed overseas. I sat at the airport for a full 6 hours waiting to checkin for my flight, which I passed by doing various quizzes online, before I boarded my flight from Tel Aviv to Munich, I flight which I slept the entirety of… including take-off. I then completed the final 2 legs of my poorly planned flight with a few hours spent waiting at each airport, Munich to Berlin and Berlin to Barcelona… yes I did go backwards to go forwards.

I finally arrived in Barca suitably exhausted, I collected my bags after my fears that the typically rude El Al staff had lost were thankfully not confirmed. I then attempted to head off to my accommodation only to be informed that the cab drivers were on strike today, using my newfound independence I hopped on a bus and headed for the city centre, arrived and then headed down to the metro station and hopped on a train, thinking how easy this travelling thing is and how soon I would be reclining in my accommodation. How wrong I was… soon after I realised I had boarded a train going the opposite direction that which I desired, and so promptly hopped off and headed in the correct way before missing my stop, opting to walk and getting lost in the winding labyrinth which are the streets of Barcelona. I did eventually arrive, and was shown to my quarters by the owner of the apartment; I sat down on the bed after over 12 hours in transit, let out a great sigh and thought “what have I gotten myself into?!” I was soon put at ease as I met up with Sam, Eli, Robbie, Robbie, Haim, Stevie, Ari, Jordan and Hannah, all people who I spent the much of my schooling life with, a good ol’ fashion reunion which really overwhelmed me. We soon headed off to the Park Guell, where we marvelled at a beautiful view of the entire city of Barcelona… also a dog slobbered on me. I soon retired home for a much needed rest.

The next day I awoke and ate some breakfast before heading off to the Camp Nou, home ground of the world famous FC Barcelona with Jordan, Eli and Sam. It was a truly wonderful tour, we saw the stadium inside and out, gazed at the museum and history of the club as well as some of its most captivating plays and players. I was truly able to comprehend where I was and I sure loved it! It was the perfect welcome to Europe! We soon headed back to our accommodation.

It truly was a whirlwind end to Israel and beginning to Europe, I sincerely hope I can make as many connections, new memories and cool experiences in Europe as I did in Israel. I am so excited to continue my travels for the next month and I hope that you can live the next two months vicariously through me via this blog!

Love from Barcelona!

Jake

Aviv: The Penultimate Post (Sderot, Raphsodia, ATVs and final Shabbat)

As I stared up at the kotel for a final time, I received a sudden burst of reality, an epiphany-style realisation that I would be departing the amazing country that is Israel on Monday following an unforgettable 5 months. It has been one unbelievable journey which has passed ridiculously quickly – most can still remember stepping off the plane! However, as a group, this final week has been about each other and been dedicated to the memories and friendships and more which have been realised and nurtured in a 5 months where we learnt just as much if not more about ourselves as anything else. A gap year is a special occurrence, one which most do not have the privilege of undertaking, and I believe it is important for each and every one of us to not take this experience for granted and use it as an opportunity to better ourselves, others and the world.

This week saw us visit Sderot, a town which has been ravaged by rocket fire from nearby Gaza for over a decade. It is a town where local playgrounds, schools and almost any other building you can think of also functions as a bomb shelter, a sad reality, and one which we learnt has hugely psychologically damaging effects on the population. We were guided through the area by an organisation known as ‘Kol Voice’ who work to ensure that both sides of the conflict are heard by groups and individuals both in Israel and all over the world. We were afforded the perspectives of both sides before and after viewing what like is like in Sderot, at one point we stood just a few kilometres from Gaza itself, a somewhat worrying thought. A large amount of discussion came from this, as all attempted to ingest the politics and reality of the situation with which Israel is faced, something which I found hugely positive. Sderot really gave me the reality of the situation on the ground, and that is the fact that people are being injured and for some bombs, death and destruction are the reality. Something that is unacceptable and must be stopped by any means – short of mutual death and destruction.

That night we watched the Socceroos be comprehensively beaten by Spain as Australia tumbled out of another world cup, however I wanted to document my pride in them on the internet… well done boys, you did your country proud, keep your heads high and come back stronger in 2018!

The following day we headed up north to the Kinneret where we met up with the other Australian gap year programs for the ZFA’s first annual Raphsodia, an event where we were to build a raft and sail across the Kinneret. Aviv one managed to build their raft and get it in the water with a few indiviudals doing the bulk of the work… I shan’t name names. Nevertheless, we eventually got our raft together and she was more than seaworthy, we boarded and sailed three hours across the Kinneret before arriving at Golan Beach! Raphsodia was a great opportunity for team building during the construction process as well as an amazing chance to say a final farewell to our friends, new and old, from other programs some who we won’t be seeing for a number of months if not years.

Leaving raphsodia we headed to Jerusalem, our final accommodation of Aviv, arriving late at night and heading straight to bed. The next morning we awoke bright and early, much to the derision of my roommates Jason and Toby, and headed to the Judean Desert for a spot of ATV driving. This activity was exceedingly enjoyable as everyone harked back to five months ago, the last time we had all driven anything even resembling a car! After this we were afforded a few hours in the city centre to run our final errands.

Friday night saw our final Shabbat of Aviv and we fittingly headed to the Kotel, our first and last group Shabbat there. Of course being a group of Australian teenagers, a flurry of photography ensued, but following this we headed off into the wall itself where the boys conducted our own little kabbalat Shabbat service. It was an incredibly fitting symbolic end to the program as we all sang and linked arms for a final time at the amazingly spiritual place that is the Western Wall.

That night we gathered and voiced our first memories of Aviv as well as our concerns for the future, knowing our time together is now running out. Our final three days will no doubt yield more amazing memories and nostalgia from the past five months.

\This is my second last blog post Israel, it has come to the point now where almost everything I undertaken is the last time I do so. This is a scary thought, one which seemed millennia away months ago, but it has now arrived and it is incredibly bittersweet. A summary of my feelings on the entirety of Aviv shall feature in my final Israel blog post.

Another awesome few days down, 3 days to look forward to!

Shabbat Shalom,

Jake

Aviv: Masa Seminar, Home Hospitality, Masada and the Dead Sea

The past week has seen a return to the constant intensity experienced at the outset of the program. In the past week alone we have spent a few days at a MASA seminar for all Australian gap year programs on the subject of Israel Advocacy, some of us visited Modiin for home hospitality and in the last day or two we have learnt about the Bedouins who reside in the Negev and their history and culture, and finally climbed Masada and visited the Dead Sea, much to the delight of Instagram enthusiasts everywhere.

As we edge towards the final days of our stay in Israel one question must begin to enter the psyches of all Aviv participants, how will our Aviv journey help us to return to Australia and make a difference in our respective Jewish communities? This exact question was addressed in our latest MASA ceremony, co-ordinated by the ever so familiar George Schneider, we were encouraged to explore our own Zionistic thoughts and the ways in which we intended to engage our new skills and thoughts learnt in the holy land in a beneficial way in our Jewish communities at home, whether it be Sydney, Melbourne, Perth or even the perpetual Aviv joke that is Toowoomba’s J-Com. Throughout the 3 day seminar spanning from Tuesday to Thursday afternoon we heard speeches from Jewish people in various fields such as peace and negotiation, education and the Zionist communities back home. In addition to this, MASA generously scheduled time for the entire seminar to view the Socceroo’s epic clash with the Netherlands in the world cup which we came oh so close to grinding out a result in, however the same cannot be said about the state of origin… just ask Toby and Ellison.

We were allowed the opportunity to choose between a few skills sessions, of which I decided to attend one wherein I learnt the ins and outs of interviews and the tactic of speaking with a purpose to one’s agenda as is so elegantly practised by our politicians and ambassadors. Other interesting sessions were also on offer such as ones about advocacy at university and media within the IDF. The seminar offered an opportunity to engage in an Israeli Frisbee prototype known as ‘Patriot’ which is a cross between baseball and Frisbee using a magen david shaped disc, it was odd to say the least. The final session saw state time ensure, wherein we split off into small groups and discussed possible solutions to already present issues within our respective Jewish communities. All up the seminar was fruitful and as well as providing a forum for improving advocacy it allowed people to nourish and begin friendships with indiviudals who they had yet to really meet.

The weekend saw roughly 20 of us head to Modiin where we were paired up with a family for the home hospitality segment of the program. Robbie and myself were hosted by the Ottolenghi family who had three children, Noam (19), Shay (16) and Shalev (10). This weekend really allowed us to become immersed in real Israeli family life and sample some of the everyday fun Modiin had to offer. We were taken to the local swimming pool, the movie theatre, a bar and as well as this we enjoyed delicious home cooked meals for two whole days! Something we had not even had one of in the past 5 months! Needless to say, this experience really made me miss home! It really was an amazing weekend, an experience which I wish the entirety of Aviv had joined us on.

On Sunday the entire program reconvened at Modiin train station and headed south towards the Negev to learn about the Bedouin peoples who reside therein. Our guide Amir informed us of the plight of the Bedouins as well as their history within the land of Israel as a sort of quasi-indigenous peoples who were previously nomadic before the establishment of the modern state who require them to have a permanent residence in order to pay the necessary taxes. It is a plight similar to that of Australia’s native people, the aborigines. We travelled around and were shown Bedouin villages and shanty towns and learnt of their living conditions. Finally, we visited the home of a Bedouin woman who was a prominent artist who regaled us with the tale of her family and herself and the struggles which they had been through, it was fascinating.

The next day we awoke at 4:30 AM, yes that’s right AM, and hiked up at varying speeds to the top of Masada, a mountain which means oh so much historically to the Jewish people. It is the home of the remains of King Herod’s palace as well as the site of perhaps the most famous mass suicide in history where the Jewish people sieged at the summit decided to end their own lives rather than take their chances with the Romans who surrounded them, whether or not they made the correct choice is up to the individual. We made it up to the peak for a truly magnificent sunset which almost made it all worth it. Almost. Jokes aside, it really is a humbling experience which I would recommend as a must do to all travellers in Israel. Following a tour around the historical ruins which were, like every other historical site in Israel, inundated with American Taglit participants, we took the cable car back to the base and ate a quick breakfast before heading off to the Dead Sea. The dead sea really was relaxing, refreshing and fun… before I managed to get salty water in my eyes, mouth and cut myself on a rock, needless to say I was in blinding agony. Again, it was a great experience which everyone must do!

Another awesome week down, 7 days to look forward to!

Jake

Aviv’s Expurgated Northern Tiyul

As Aviv slowly winds to a close we have been promised the best few weeks of the program, in which we complete our thorough sightseeing tour of the land of milk and honey, this week we embarked on tiyul in the north, to sample the metaphorical  gems possessed by places such as the Golan Heights, Tiberias and Tzfat. However, somewhat disappointingly, our tiyul was cut to just 2 days owing to a MASA seminar which focuses upon Israel Advocacy.

On Sunday the bus headed off from Jerusalem’s Central Bus Station and following a roughly three hour bus ride we arrived at our initial stop, a Golan Heights lookout over our neighbour’s Syria. The point was formerly a Syrian army base but was converted into a tourist location where one can get an idea of the lay of the land in Israel’s northeast. We were afforded a prime view of Mt Hermon, Israel’s tallest peak, a mountain which it shares with Lebanon and Syria. Much like everywhere else we go in Israel, we were not the only group present, as American taglit groups engulfed much of the site. However, they managed to provide a level of entertainment, as one stereotypical American boy attempted to throw a Frisbee to another it was taken by the wind and hurled at an alarming speed off the side of the mountain, as we all chuckled, they proceeded to look for it despite the fact that it had fallen roughly 200 metres…

Anyhow, we next headed to lunch, a delicious pizza stop enjoyed by all, aside from birthday girl Daena who isn’t exactly the world’s biggest pizza fan. Food-wise, the day just got better and better for junk food lovers such as Zoe and myself as we next headed towards De Karina Chocolate Factory where hey handcraft various forms of chocolate. We played witness to the making of the chocolate before entering the tasting room where our fears that we weren’t going to be allowed to consume any chocolate were relieved. We tasted dark, milk and orange flavoured chocolates, each more delicious than the next. The following room was even more enjoyable as we were let loose with dark, milk and white chocolate and allowed to create and take home our very own customised chocolate bar. Artistic types prospered, chocolate lovers salivated, all enjoyed.

The day was ended by a disappointing water spring, it was cold, tiny and shortly after our arrival populated by numerous only underwear-clad army gentlemen. The only swimmers were Grant and Oded. We soon arrived at our accommodation, known as Poriya, some questioned whether the ‘s’ should be present in its name (hotel or hostel?). 

The following day we awoke bright and early and headed into the spiritual centre of kabbalah, Tzfat. We first visited a fort used in the 1948 War of Independence, Oded informed us o its significance as well as the spiritual and demographical makeup of Tzfat. We strolled around the city, stopping to learn about various kabbalist rabbis and their synagogues as well as numerous other sights. Lunch was consumed in Tzfat’s more touristy area, needless to say my shwarma was delicious.  

Next we headed to the most adventurous of our activities, at Mennara, where we took a cable car up and down a mountain as well as going high speed tobogganing. It was great fun. Finally, the day ended off with the most controversial of lectures we have received in out four and half months in Israel. We headed to Kibbutz Misgav Am where were spoken to by a veteran of 4 of Israel’s most fierce wars, whose opinion could only be classified as an extremist right-wing view of Israel’s political, historical and geographical background and present situation. His speech angered some, challenged others and all in all presented an opinion which until now we had not been privy to. He did not allow our opinions to be voiced and denied us the right to discussion or debate, something which greatly annoyed me. Education is something which cannot be one-sided nor coercive, in my opinion, all should be afforded the forum to express their thoughts and challenge others, and we were not provided this. Luckily, the debate took place between Adi, Grant, Harry and myself on the bus. On the plus side, this ‘educator’ who I personally consider a jaded raving lunatic, managed to help me solidify my own political opinion on Israel and the world, and I thank him for that.

Following this we headed back to our accommodation where some us enthusiastically viewed the night’s world cup games, and were not disappointed by the action. Come on the Socceroos!!

Today we head to a 3 day MASA ceremony with Australia’s many other gap year programs, before going to Modi’in for home hospitality.

Another awesome few days down, 13 days to look forward to! (That number is getting dangerously low…)

Thanks for reading!

Jake

Aviv: Yam le Yam

Following an almost superfluous chofesh which began June, the group reconvened in Tel Aviv before boarding a bus to the far north of Israel where we were to begin our journey from ‘sea to sea,’ beginning with the Kinneret. Our first and undeniably not last hike of the week was a water hike which entailed wading through various water levels in an inlet which led into the Kinneret, our opening first ‘yam.’ It was perhaps the most enjoyable hike of the week as we were cooled thanks to some chilly water temperatures, allowing us to all but cancel out the hypo-30 degree weather which taunted and terrorised us for the rest of the week. However it seemed as though yam le yam had not truly begun as we stopped at a shopping centre on the way to our first camp site. Some poor decisions were made there as Adi, Grant, Toby, Robbie and myself decided to indulge in a burger offered for the too good to be true price of 10 shekels, and it was indeed just that as our stomachs took a beating that night. We arrived at our campsite in the afternoon and began settling into our cold ant-filled beds at a reasonably early hour, aware of the upcoming days of “struggle” which our guide had promised us. We were supplied a reasonably delicious dinner of burger patties and pasta which as surprisingly tasty, and much better for our stomachs then our 10 shek burgers...

The next day we began bright and early at 6AM and headed off on the first leg of our five day hike across Israel heading towards the Mediterranean Sea. The first day was as the guides warned us, the hardest, we hiked 15Km the vast majority uphill with multiple people struggling through, our only casualty Emma with a sprained wrist however she valiantly continued to the end and completed yam le yam. The day really took its toll on most, many carrying quite heavy backpacks throughout the entirety of the trek, including food preparation equipment and supplies as well as their own personal needs. We were separated into three groups of 7 for cooking, in which we had to carry all of our necessary supplies such as stoves, foodstuffs, and cups, bowls and cutlery amongst other things. We tended to indulge upon the same things daily for lunch and breakfast, whilst dinner was prepared for us by the staff, something we were quite thankful for after a long day of hiking. Breakfast consisted generally of cereal sans milk as well as porridge cooked from semolina, and sometimes an apple. Lunch stereotypically featured smoked tuna, rice, vegetables and canned tuna salad. We managed to cook ably for ourselves and thankfully no one got anywhere near a state of malnutrition.

It only got easier after that first day of hiking which included the literal climbing of rocks for a portion, from the second day onwards we conquered mostly flat and downhill tracks, something most where very thankful for. Our guide Henry was very helpful and friendly whilst navigating us to our campsites and teaching us various lessons about nature along the way such as collecting water from plants. Speaking of nature, there was much talk about our lack of bathrooms and as such we had no choice but to ‘take care of business’ in the great outdoors, something which whilst not all that pleasant soon became second nature (excuse the pun). Although the state of some people’s bowels soon caused them to be unable to complete the entirety of our journey, I shan’t name names for obvious reasons. The nights were often cold and ant-infested, with one particular incident springing to mind as Zoe woke up on our third morning covered in ants and spiders after accidentally bedding down on top of an ant colony, needless to say she was unimpressed however she handled the situation much better than expected.

The third day continued along the lines of the second, a majority flat or downhill trail in which we continued crossing the nation, completing roughly 15Km in the day. Sleep continued to be hard to come by in the nights, and our state of hygiene continued to deteriorate with a distinct lack of bathrooms and showers. The final day differed as we switched from foot to bike and completed our journey, we biked down to the Mediterranean, and as it entered sight a cheer went up from the group. We completed our journey with only roughly 10 injuries and as a much closer group than when we began it. We had an unbelievably cleansing swim in the final sea and a nice falafel lunch and soon we boarded the bus to Tel Aviv for our final free weekend. I consider Yam le Yam just about my favourite week of the program so far, we are truly in the run-in to the end now. As I write this we are inside the final three weeks of a program which feels like it began yesterday, an unbelievably scary thought.

Another awesome week down, 17 days to look forward to!

Jake

Aviv JNF Week

After missing out on Desert Experience it was a pleasant surprise to find ourselves in Nitzana, a small commune located in the Negev adjacent to the Egyptian border. JNF week kicked off with a visit to Sha’ar Ha’Negev, a school whose entire campus was recently rocket-proofed due to an abundance of attacks which had disrupted learning there in the past. We were shown around by a group of 11^th graders who explained to us the ins and outs of life in the area as well as treating us to an impromptu singing performance. Next up was what is known as the ‘salad tour’ in which we learnt of the agricultural intricacies of growing fruit and veg in Israel’s exceedingly dry desert. Following this we were introduced to our guide for the following 2 days, Liam whose youthful appearance caused many to question when his bar mitzvah was scheduled for… however he exceeded all expectation with his energy and legions of knowledge. Liam began by showing us around the ‘Anzac trail.’ Soon after, when we were all suitably exhausted we headed to Nitzana, our accommodation for the next 2 nights. The day was rounded out by an entertaining program run by Liam and Peleg (the other group’s guide) known as ‘Israeli Night,’ in which we were quizzed on our knowledge of Israeli culture such as food, celebrities, music and famous people.

Monday brought a nice change of pace as we headed off on a bike ride around Nitzana, noting its proximity to Egypt as well as the beautiful desert surroundings. Next we visited the Desert Agricultural Research and Development Centre, where we were suitably bored due to a combination of a 7 hour gap between meals as well as the unbearable heat and the less than inspiring topic of discussion. Following lunch Liam led a program which aimed to inspire us to make a change in the world via an identification of contemporary issues and the fact that we do nothing to impact positively on issues which we do care about. Subsequently we were shown to Nitzana’s interesting scientific section which houses quite a few cool scientific exhibits such as a cooling mechanism for the area and more. That night we spent out in the desert, cooking our own dinner and enjoying the company of each other and the sand dunes which surrounded us.

A somewhat interesting trek through the Yatir Forest where we learnt of the goings-on during the times of the 2^nd temple such as the disposal of bodies and the making of wine was followed by a far too belated lunch at Kibbutz Kermamim.  There we learnt about Kibbutz committees (again) as well as the kibbutz’s evolution through privatization and issues of religious and secular members of the communities. Our next stop was an archaeological dig in the area where Bar Kokhba and his men hid in tunnels from the Romans thousands of years ago. We were able to uncover small pieces of pottery but nothing more. We were also able to crawl through the caves whilst learning of their origins and uses. Following this we finally made it to our accommodation for Tuesday and Wednesday, Nes Harim, where we had previously resided for the ZFA’s Anzac Day ceremony.

Wednesday saw us head into the Old City of Jerusalem where our tour guide Eytan detailed the battle exploits of the Jews in this area in the 1948 Independence War. I can confidently say without doubt that Eytan was one of the best guides we had ever had due largely to his charisma, humour and ability to engage with the distractions and thoughts of the teenage mind. However there was something else on the boys’ minds as we were granted leave for a few hours to watch one of the most important football rivalries in Australian sport, the state of origin. It was an amazing site to see roughly 30 Australian gap yearers gathered in a Jerusalem Bar cheering NSW on to a momentous win! Following a few hours of free time in Jerusalem where much shopping was engaged in, we headed back to Nes Harim.

A 2 hour hike began Thursday which was followed by lunch at Latrun another important place of battle in the Independence War of 1948. Next we visited Neve Shalom Israel’s only truly multicultural village where Jews, Muslims and Christians live side by side in peace. Our final activity of the week was a visit to the Herzl Museum where we watched a short video and learned about the life and achievements of Theodore Herzl, the father of modern Zionism. Soon after we were released for free weekend.

Another awesome week down, 30 days to look forward to!

Jake

Aviv Poland Journey: Days 8 + 9 (Warsaw + Treblinka)

After a two and half hour bus ride we arrived in Warsaw, Poland’s capital and the city which was home to Europe’s largest Jewish ghetto of roughly 500,000 people. Our first stop in the nation’s capital was a Jewish cemetery which is the resting place of a huge number of Polish Jews from both pre, during and post WWII. There was something very unique about this cemetery thanks largely to the individuality of many of the stones which used various symbols to represent aspect of a person’s life, some were really quite special. We spoke about some of the cemetery’s residents who had done extraordinary things such as leaders of various uprisings during the war, Yiddish theatre stars as well as poets, writers and rabbis. Some even took the time to visit family members who lay amongst the multitude of plots through which we wandered. The cemetery made me think about how I wished to be remembered and whether or not I approve of the concept of touring graves, whether it does justice to an individual’s memory to be a stop off in the tour of a group of young people who stop to take a look and perhaps take a photo and then simply move on or not. I simply did not come to a conclusion, cemetery’s continue to baffle me as to my thoughts on the existence of an afterlife and my unwillingness to acknowledge that death could strike anyone I know at any time. A scary thought, especially after viewing the remnants of lives that were cruelly taken by the Nazis for almost no reason.

Following lunch we headed to a shule deep in Warsaw where we had the privilege of being spoken to by the Chief Rabbi of Poland who stunned most with his charisma and charm through various stories he had picked up in his time in Poland. It showed most that Rabbi’s aren’t always old men with long beards and black hats but can rather be people who inspire and captivate an audience in a youthful and modern way. After the rabbi spoke to us we visited what is left of Warsaw’s former small ghetto for the Jews. We saw what is left of the walls which used to mark the borders of the ghetto and were greeted there by an old man who came out of his house upon hearing our presence. He brought a book with him, which verified him as a righteous amongst the nations from Yad Vashem for doing all he could to keep the wall standing, he had us sign a book which was already filled to the brim with the names and messages of groups before us he had conversed with. He was truly an inspiring individual who I’m sure we could have learnt a great deal more from had we spoken Polish, the language barrier was simply too much. We continued on through the rest of the small ghetto, taking note of various buildings of significance.

The next day we awoke and headed to Treblinka, a death factory in which the Nazis liquidated roughly 800,000 Jews in approximately a year. However, this was not a camp like Auschwitz-Birkenau or Majdanek in which one could see the destruction, the harrowing sadness which was felt on the ground on which you stand, thanks to the detonation of the camp and its evidence by the Germans prior to the end of the war. This made it unbelievable difficult to connect to the stories and fates of the Jews who had died there as we just could not picture such horrific events transpiring in a place which was now so serene and secluded, the air filled with a nice breeze, surrounded by blue skies and the sounds of birds chirping, it was just unreal to picture the deaths of so many in such a pleasant place. We discussed the unthinkable brutality which took place at Treblinka, the eventual perishing place of 300,000 Jews who at one time or another took up residence in the Warsaw ghetto, as Mark regaled us with testimonials and poems which described such things we could do nothing other than sit in silence and just listen, take it in as best we could.

Around the area where the gas chamber once stood now one can walk through a memorial to the hundreds of Polish communities which were ravished by the war as well as a memorial to the indiviudals who had fallen. Only one man gets his own gravestone at Treblinka, Janusz Korczak. The famous educator who nurtured so many children in and prior to the wartime, whom we have learnt a great deal about in the last few days. He could have avoided his gruesome gassing death and escaped the war, but instead he nobly went with his children to their grizzly deaths; a truly righteous individual. Treblinka doesn’t have the effects of the other camps purely from visiting it thanks to its lacking of a visual aspect, it makes me wonder how holocaust remembrance and education would be today if it weren’t for the well-kept camp at Birkenau and Majdanek where we, those who survived and are left, can view the horrific sites our ancestors did and stand strongly and proudly and vow “never again.”

After Treblinka we headed back into Warsaw and toured the rest of the ghetto, noting especially the events of the famous Warsaw ghetto uprising led by Mordechai Anielewicz. We visited the memorial to uprising and multiple other important sites in the history of the ghetto, meanwhile hearing stories from Mark as to their significance as well as testimonials of life in the ghetto so that we do not forget what happened here. We conducted our final ceremony in Poland at Warsaw’s Rapoport Monument, another of which can be seen at Yad Vashem, in which we reflected upon our emotional and difficult time in Poland and the lessons learn from it. We next visited the JCC of Warsaw and discussed its role in the Jewish community and the current status of Polish Jewry. Finally, after dinner, we returned to the hotel and engaged in a final reflection session before bedtime.

I would just like to formally state how much I want to thank my madrichim in Poland (Mark, Daniella, Oded and Tracey) for their unbelievable emotional and educational support throughout this challenging trip, without them it would certainly not have been anywhere near as fulfilling and enriching. I would also like to thank each and every one of my fellow Aviv participants for being there for me a various times throughout the trip, whether it was in the crematorium of Tereisinstadt, at the famous train tracks of Auschwitz-Birkenau, in the gas chamber of Majdanek or the memorial at Treblinka, you were always there with a hug or a shoulder whenever I need it. Thank you so much.

Jake

Aviv Poland Journey: Days 6 + 7 (Krakow + Majdanek and Lublin)

Our day in Krakow was completely contrasting to the one which proceeded it, with a greater focus placed on the positive stories from the war as well as talk of modern day Polish Jewry. We began with a late wakeup on account of Shabbat and were then led on a tour of the Krakow’s old Jewish quarter which is goes by the name of Kazimierz. We visited numerous old synagogues such as the aptly named ‘old synagogue,’ the Isaak synagogue and the Tempel Synagogue which was created to cater to the area’s growing reform community. Our visits were accompanied by many an old parable told by our theatrical tour guide Mark. Our lunch stop was at the Jewish Community Centre of Krakow where we heard a tale from a lady who is recognised as a righteous amongst the nations by Yad Vashem for her family’s saving of Jews during the war. Her tale was fascinating, and was followed by an address from the centre’s director who talked about his thoughts on the Jewish plight in Europe and specifically Poland, sparking a heated debate about the necessity of security in the modern Jewish world as well as the growing anti-Semitism in Europe. After this long discussion we finally ate, at roughly 3 o’clock. We then visited the square in which the Jews of Krakow were rounded up and sent to Auschwitz and other camps, at which we were joined by a Polish man from the area who had eavesdropped upon our tour, whose story was unbelievable. He was a 22 year old Pole who had found out just three years earlier of his Jewish heritage and was now attending classes at the JCC and exploring his heritage. Following this we were allowed free time in Krakow’s main square.

In the morning we departed Krakow for Lublin and specifically Majdanek. As we arrived at the camp in which roughly 75,000 people were brutally murdered by the Nazis we were appalled to find out that houses and apartment blocks stood just metres from the camp. How can someone live so close to such a terrible place? Imagine telling your children about what the time tens of thousands of people were murdered practically in your backyard, it’s just horrific.  The camp was daunting from the word go, we entered through the main security gate and were immediately surrounded by barbed wire and the first building we entered was the first which prisoners too would enter, to be disinfected, bathed and shaved. This building connected onto the one in which selection and gassing took place. It was a shockingly terrible sight, and for myself personally it was too much to bear as we entered the selection room and the sign informed me that it was known as the ‘Rosengarten’ room, from then on this was all that went through my head for the rest of the camp; it was personal, I couldn’t bear to be in any way linked to such a horrific process. As we continued through the camp, which some say is so well kept that it could be functioning in just 24 hours, the horrific scenes piled up and were too much for many, including myself. We entered barracks which had been transformed into museums and informed of the history of the camp and its inhabitants and operators.

A room which featured the shoes of tens of thousands of those who perished at the camp was an unbelievably powerful image which reinforced the individuality of the victims whilst displaying the shockingly enormous amount of people who were murdered. Throughout our tour Mark read us testimonies and poems which gave an insight into life at Majdanek which seems as though it was a worth fate than death. We next entered a barracks which was filled to the brims with tough wooden beds, and all I could think was that this was where people lived. But was this really living?

We gradually made our way to the camp’s crematorium which is located at the far end of its boundaries and carries a haunting chimney which would apparently spurt black smoke daily, the ash of the camp’s victims. The crematorium was another place in which I simply could not comprehend where I was, on the very ground on which I stood  thousands of people’s bodies passed through and were burnt with malice a forethought by a group of people who quite simply should be considered untermenschen (Sub-human) themselves due to their actions. How could this have happened to our people? How could this have happened to any people? Has humanity advanced or is there potential for this to happen again in our lifetime? These are simply questions to which no one has the answer.

As we exited the crematorium, we were greeted by a small rose garden which looked nothing the least bit sinister until we were informed that they were repeatedly fertilised with human ash during the camp’s lifespan. It just got worse. From one place of mass death to another. We moved to some reasonably large pits in the grass quite near the crematorium, we were informed that in these very pits 18,000 people were shot to their deaths over a 2 day period by the SS for absolutely no reason. I was horrified and quite simply could do nothing other than stare into the pits praying and hoping that this never ever happens again and that these people died quickly and weren’t in pain. We soon headed up to the huge kippah-like monument which towered over the pits, it looked a memorial like any other and saw its contents; a gigantic pile of human ash. On first glance all I could do was fall to my knees, this ash used to be people, with individual lives, stories, families and friends and now all that remains of them is a pile. They had their lives snatched from them for no reason. We conducted a short ceremony at the memorial, lit candles and then departed this place of undoubted evil not in great spirits. We rounded out the day with time spent in an old cemetery and in Lublin’s yeshiva, needless to say, we weren’t in the mood.

Being at Majdanek is without doubt the most emotionally difficult thing that I have ever done, and I can’t help but think how the prisoners felt there. A few thoughts occupied my mind for the entirety of the time I was in the camp. Firstly, if humans can live so close to a concentration camp and go about their daily lives normally then there is no reason that there cannot be another holocaust. It is a scary thought but if one can live in such close proximity to a place where so many were brutally murdered then there is no reason they cannot become normalised to such pain and suffering. Secondly, I am profoundly proud to be Jewish. We are a people like no other and this trip has made me so unbelievably grateful when I put on my kippah or sing a Jewish song, our heritage is something special and seeing the lowest point in our history first hand has allowed me to realise just how much I treasure it. Finally, Majdanek and Auschwitz as well as all holocaust sights must continue to be visited by all future generations of Jews and is extraordinarily important to Jewish continuity. Visiting holocaust sites forces us to remember and relive these moments felt by our ancestors and keeps us connected to our heritage, something which is necessary to instil Jewish values into future generations.

Jake 

Aviv Poland Journey: Day 5 (Auschwitz + Birkenau)

The Auschwitz complex is an embodiment of the horrific crimes committed by the Nazis against the Jews of Europe, it was the site of the extermination of roughly 1.1 million Jews. Visiting Auschwitz today was one of the most confronting experiences of my life to date; everywhere I looked I was surrounded by hauntingly iconic images of where the forefathers of the Jewish people, my people, were subjected to treatment that is not fit for cockroaches let alone human beings. The first stop of our tour was the unbelievably well-known gate to Auschwitz one reading ‘Arbeit macht Frei’ or in English ‘Work makes you free.’ Everywhere you look there is more cause to feel uncomfortable, whether it is the lines of barbed wire or the barracks which once held thousands of prisoners who were arbitrarily murdered by a regime whose disregard for humanity is simply incomprehensible.

We entered block after block, each housing a museum dedicated to an element of the Nazis treatment and disposal of prisoners once housed in the rooms which we walked. One was labelled ‘extermination technique’ and another ‘death block’ to name but a few. Each was more challenging than the one which preceded it; there was a room filled with hair, another with shoes, another with suitcases and another with shoe polish each which immediately shocked onlookers due to the reality which it instilled upon events which seem impossible from statistics. I could not do anything other than look on in disbelief and attempt to reconcile the deep feelings of pain and anger which took over my body as I pondered the reason why these people and/or their families did not live on today. The fact is, that if these people were not born Jewish they would not have suffered the same fate. Despite my disbelief and utterly immeasurable sadness towards what I was witnessing, I simply could not cry. I couldn’t let my feelings out, something which really bothered me as I wandered halls which were not too long ago the living space of thousands of indiviudals who perished at the hands of the Nazis. We continued on in the camp, observing the site of the first mass murder by gas in human history as well as the harrowing ‘death wall’ were prisoners were shot, and then finally the gas chambers and crematorium where enormous numbers of murders were carried out by the SS and still I was unable to let my pent up sadness out, my tear ducts refused to co-operate with what I was feeling. A feeling of guilt came over me which I couldn’t understand nor reconcile, something I had never felt before and never wanted to feel again. We finished our tour with the new Jewish museum there, featuring a room encompassing names. I have a surname which is ridiculously obscure and not shared by many others I have ever come across, and so it was shockingly difficult for me to see an entire page of Rosengarten’s in the death lists at Auschwitz, needless to say it hit far too close to home especially when I saw a name identical to that of my brother Daniel.

Auschwitz 1 was emotionally draining and unbelievably difficult to handle for all of us but it was a completely different feeling when we arrived at Auschwitz 2: Birkenau. As we walked up to its symbolic gates we knew we were in a place of terrible suffering and we immediately felt a heavy atmosphere of sadness and depravity, you could almost feel what happened there. “All train tracks lead to Auschwitz” so the saying goes, as we walked along the tracks which run all through the middle of the death camp, all I could think about was the people who entered here and never left. People whose entire worlds and families were destroyed by the acts of other human beings. We entered barracks and heard of tales from inside the camps which brought to life the goings on of a place which housed such unthinkable evils in the past. Birkenau was not as emotionally difficult as Auschwitz but it brought different challenges. It was comprehending the reality that such a place existed and terrible things occurred on the very ground we were standing rather than the reality of the events themselves. We visited the former sites of the gas chambers and crematoriums of Birkenau which were destroyed by the Nazis, hearing all along the way of stories which were set on the ground on which we were standing. Harrowing stuff. Things of such evil and inhumanity that one cannot even imagine them taking place.

A few concepts bounced around in my head as we visited the most damaging and destructive site of all time 

for world Jewry. Firstly, how can these such a place have existed? Someone had to design and conceptualise a place where innocent people were exterminated group by group efficiently with malice a forethought, who, how and why? Do people nowadays still have the potential for such horrific acts? Secondly, we enter Birkenau by choice and leave when we want, our ancestors weren’t so lucky. Finally, where would Judaism be if the holocaust had never taken place? The population would be significantly larger, our culture would be far greatly advanced and most importantly of all, millions of worlds and families would still be intact.

We rounded off our intense day with a Shabbat service at a synagogue in Krakow, we sung and prayed with the locals. It was an incredible experience, nicely contrasted with our views of the death and destruction of Poland’s Jews which we had witnessed at Auschwitz, we were able to see the fact that Krakow still maintains a vibrant Jewish community and that the Nazis did not win. Jews still live and pray in Europe, the religion is well and truly alive and I hope that this is always the case. I look forward to exploring more of Krakow tomorrow.

Jake

Aviv Poland Journey: Day 4 (Tereisinstadt)

It is only when one lays eyes upon a place where the Nazis engaged in the extermination of Jews can they truly comprehend the realness of the events that took place in Europe between 1939 and 1945. As we arrived at Tereisinstadt, a former ghetto/camp located in the north of the Czech Republic, we were greeted by an enormous cemetery overlooked by a huge magen david, forcing an immediate recognition of the atrocities committed to our people on the very ground on which we stood. A number of the graves were not even marked with names. We entered the ‘small fortress,’ a former Nazi control centre of the area where we watched a short propaganda film detailing life in the Tereisin ghetto as the Nazis wanted outsiders to view it. We explored further and were shown to barracks where prisoners of the Gestapo were held, not exclusively Jews, we entered rooms smaller than some of our individual bedrooms and were informed that these barracks were known to have held roughly 100 prisoners at any one time.

We made our way around the former ghetto, in which life bafflingly continues to go on as though nothing happened, stopping at various sites and museums with significance to the Jewish narrative of Tereisin which were scattered all through the current town. I simply could not comprehend how one can live on land knowing that such disgusting acts of inhumane indecency had taken place there. Visiting museums around Tereisin we gradually filled in knowledge about the history and fate of the Jews who had lived in this area, as well as their activities and lifestyle during the war years. It was very refreshing to see an emphasis placed on LIFE within the ghetto notably as cultural undertakings such as art, theatre, literature and music to name a few, rather than just a depressing focus upon the grim fate which most eventually received.

The living space of Jews during this time was simply deplorable, visiting a recreation of their conditions reinforced the harsh reality that Jews at this time were simply viewed as ‘untermenschen,’ to use the German, or ‘subhuman.’ Hundreds were packed into tiny rooms, you were lucky to have a bed as many resided on wooden floors in an area in which temperatures could be known to pass freezing; if someone died then it was your lucky day as you were in with a shot of securing a bed, this was the harsh reality. We continued touring around on foot until we reached the most harrowing site of all in the entire Tereisin area, the crematorium. Used by the Nazis to dispose of Jews who had perished in the ghetto, it was simply appalling to think that we were standing in a place where Nazis would inspect and cremate Jewish corpses and then shove them into small wooden boxes.

Outside the crematorium we conducted a ceremony of our own to honour the memory of those Jews who had spent time in Tereisinstadt. It features testimonies, poems, candle lighting as well as the recitation of the ode usually preserved for ANZAC Day. This inclusion ensured the consideration of nationality as well as religion when thinking of these historical events; as well as this, it got me thinking of the confusion that would have been caused for the assimilated Jews of the time some of whom who would perhaps have considered themselves primarily German or Polish or Czech or any other nationality rather than Jewish, as to why they were to be singled out for prosecution rather than any other citizen.

Following the ceremony we ate a packed kosher lunch and headed off to Krakow where we were to spend the night.

Something else really caught my attention today; throughout the day we passed various groups of other religions and nationalities, many of whom it seemed simply did not understand the gravity of where they were. Many walked past us, a group where many of the boys were wearing kippot, and continued as if nothing was different, chuckling and laughing to their friends. This peaked my interest, is this disconnection from the reality of the atrocities committed on the ground on which we stood due to a difference in culture? A lack of education? An immaturity? Or is it simply that we are sensitive to and connect largely to the events of the holocaust due to the fact that it directly effects our family heritage and lineage? This is a question which I could not answer, however I do depart with this final thought: in my opinion, there is no individual nor group in any society that cannot benefit from the lessons of the holocaust, it is only from seeing humans at their lowest point can one truly be thankful for the world in which we live today and not squander the freedoms which we possess.

Jake

Aviv Poland Journey: Days 3 + 4 (Flight + Prague)

Leaving Israel, a country that represents hope and freedom for Jews everywhere, for Prague and Poland, a region of the world which has seen numerous atrocities committed upon the Jews, was somewhat of a bittersweet feeling. We arrived in the Czech Republic’s capital quite late, consumed some rather sub-par kosher dinner and headed off to our accommodation, the 4 star Duo Hotel; most were lucky to record 6 hours sleep for the night. All awoke bright and early the following morn, ready to take in the famous landmarks which Prague had to offer. Our first stop of the day was the Prague’s Jewish Quarter, which used to be the home of tens of thousands of Jews prior to the holocaust but today houses a community of just 1200. We visited the old-new synagogue of Prague which is famous for being the supposed birthplace and home of the mythical Golem, a legend which Jared and Toby informed us of at the site. Next up was the adjacent cemetery which was eerily reminiscent of graveyards featured in cinema thanks to the close proximity of it gravestones. We were reliably informed by our permanent guide Mark and Czech specialist guide Tom that the cemetery actually features as many as 12 layers of graves in some places… only adding to the uncomfortable occult vibe being felt by much of the group. It was an amazing site, certainly something you don’t see just anywhere in the world and for me a symbol of the deep roots of Jewish culture in Europe which go back thousands of years.

We were just getting started, we next headed to a synagogue which had been converted into a museum showcasing Jewish ritual and culture in a simplistic fashion; this was planned by Hitler and the Nazis to be a museum of the extinct race, showing how the Jews lived once they were wiped out. Whilst being a chilling reminder of Hitler’s plans to eliminate our entire race, it was somewhat of an odd museum for most, considering it featured items which we would just find in our own homes and which represent the majority of our Jewish identity. Following this we visited a synagogue which had been turned into a memorial featuring 80,000 names of those who perished in the holocaust. This place shook me more than any other we saw on this day; the names just didn’t stop, they filled every wall of the entire synagogue. And what’s more, as I examined the surnames on the wall I found one which stood out to me particularly, my own. This shook me greatly, I stared at the ‘Rosengarten’ for a number of minutes and the gravity of where I was and the journey I was undertaking began to set in. There were just too many names on these walls, however each was an individual, with a story, something which can too easily be overlooked when statistics inform memory.

The Spanish synagogue, built to house Prague’s growing reform community in the 19^th century, was our next stop, and it’s exquisite architecture and artefacts suitably impressed all. It featured a museum about the history of the Jews of the Czech Republic, detailing their grapples with anti-Semitism, experiences during the holocaust, as well as their struggles with assimilation. The history of this place grabbed me, whilst I believed I already had a fairly ample knowledge of both Jewish and holocaust history, it showed me that there is always another perspective, always more to know. We did not stay for long as our busy schedule dictated we keep on the move in order to see the entirety of the cultural and historical riches offered by the amazing city of Prague.

This was the extent of our Jewish landmarks for the day, next we headed up to the castle compound which featured a residence of the Czech president as well as the most unbelievably aesthetically pleasing church I have ever laid eyes on. St Vitus Cathedral was simply jaw dropping, the beautiful stain glassed windows coupled with the hand sculpted gargoyles and ridiculously high ceilings made the photographers of the group thank their lucky stars… of course this was the day I forgot my camera at the hotel. Our next stop was Prague’s love lock bridge, a symbol of love throughout Europe, and just up the road from it we visited the John Lennon Wall where people graffiti various messages of freedom. We also engaged in a song or two with a man who busks there almost every day of the year, it was a beautiful sight to watch the entirety of Aviv croon along to Wonderwall with the busker.  We soon crossed the famous St Charles Bridge, where we witnessed Klezmer music, various street vendors as well as amazing monuments dedicated to Jesus and other religious symbols. Quickly arriving at the town centre in which we were afforded an hour’s free time to do what we wished.

Following this hour we reconvened and headed to the Jewish Community Centre at which we engaged in a delicious kosher meal before retiring back to our hotel for the night. Tomorrow sees the really emotional and difficult sights begin to appear on our itinerary, we visit Terezin, a holocaust ghetto and camp, as well as making our way to Krakow where we will spend the next few nights. Only time will tell how we all respond to such heavy topics.

Jake

Aviv Poland Journey: Day 2 (Yad Vashem Cont.)

Day 2 at Yad Vashem began with an experience which we were truly privileged to enjoy; listening first hand to the story of Chana Pick, a survivor of Bergen-Belsen concentration camp and a childhood friend of Anne Frank. Her story was unbelievable, we heard of her luck to remain in her family home for numerous years of the war thanks to various coincidences as well as strokes of luck which saw her and her sister both survive the war in extremely unlikely circumstances. We hung on her every word, recognising how lucky we were to be hearing the account of someone who endured the horrifying events which many consider today a faded nightmare. For me, it brought home just how lucky I am to be undertaking is journey, as well as the recognition that we are the last generation lucky enough to be hearing from survivors themselves and as such it is our responsibility to pass on the stories we accrue on our journey.

Our next session was a workshop with our tour guide Jonathan in which we took a closer look at the ghettos of Eastern Europe, namely Lodz and Warsaw, and the lives of those who lived there. We heard of the inversion of traditional bread-winning hierarchy in Warsaw as children were forced to scavenge and smuggle food in order to feed their starving families. We watched and heard testimonies of those who had spent time in these shocking places, one testimony particularly resonated with me personally. One woman stated that she had gone on dates in which she had passed rotting corpses in the streets and simply ignored them, for me this represented the an alternate and shocking normality created in the ghettos and eventually the camps, wherein death and destruction were simply the norm and people strived to live as normal lives as they could to little avail. We compared the actions of the leaders of these ghettos, one of whom committed suicide when the Nazis came for their ghettos citizens and the other who sacrificed the children in order to save the adults, eventually saving 8,000 lives. A debate arose as to who had made the correct decision, an answer which simply cannot be answered as to our inability in 2014 to know the entire background of the decision as well as our incapacity to avoid the use of hindsight to make an objective deliberation.

Our next workshop delved into the end of the war, the establishment of displaced persons camps as well as life after the holocaust. We learnt of ridiculously snap decisions for marriage due to an unwillingness to be alone following the deaths of entire families. What struck me about this was that our ‘first world problems’ and thoughts of loneliness are simply insignificant and irrational compared to the situations which these people found themselves, a lesson which I believe my generation in particular must learn. Next up was a visit to Yad Vashem’s resource centre where we worked on ceremonies and presentations which we would present sometime over the next week, much research was undertaken. Finally, we spent roughly an hour in the visual centre, afforded some individual time with the enormous video database of testimonials, films and Nazi propaganda amongst other things, which is only available at Yad Vashem itself. We were informed that the video library contains over 60,000 individual testimonials, despite being worked on since 1995, which allowed me to reflect on the unbelievable amount of individuals whose lives were affected by this traumatic episode of human history which I hope shall never be repeated.

Jake