tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37684260019812405172024-03-12T18:06:35.900-07:00Journey through the Holocaust#neverforgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02335615063939519557noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3768426001981240517.post-68804115929793331712018-04-09T09:27:00.002-07:002018-04-09T09:27:19.940-07:00Photo Link - NetherlandsAnne Frank<br />
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<a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/wfXemfpo8MjECwrF2" target="_blank">https://photos.app.goo.gl/wfXemfpo8MjECwrF2</a><br />
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<a href="https://goo.gl/photos/qWyQseMAP4ugdpEv7" target="_blank">https://goo.gl/photos/qWyQseMAP4ugdpEv7</a>#neverforgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02335615063939519557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3768426001981240517.post-44096538205119349072018-04-09T09:24:00.002-07:002018-04-09T09:24:56.231-07:00Photo Link - Terezin<a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/wQweelE9xm1Bi3LD2" target="_blank">https://photos.app.goo.gl/wQweelE9xm1Bi3LD2</a><br />
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<br />#neverforgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02335615063939519557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3768426001981240517.post-49700729575259239782018-04-09T09:19:00.000-07:002018-04-09T09:22:03.979-07:00Photo Link - PolandUse the following link to view our photos from Auschwitz-Birkenau <a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/sHOUQY2VnSUhFL513" target="_blank">https://photos.app.goo.gl/sHOUQY2VnSUhFL513</a><br />
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The Jewish District<br />
<a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/9yyzRpltDK4wCbIj2" target="_blank">https://photos.app.goo.gl/9yyzRpltDK4wCbIj2</a><br />
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<br />#neverforgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02335615063939519557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3768426001981240517.post-68135500234873790152017-08-09T08:45:00.000-07:002017-08-14T07:40:37.762-07:00The Anne Frank House<div style="font-size: 17px; line-height: normal;">
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<span style="font-size: 22.6667px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Although we had heard that there was no photography allowed in the museum, we were hoping they were just rumors. Unfortunately, what we heard was true. So there are only a few pictures of us and the entrance to the building. The pictures below are the only ones we were able to take.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Entrance to Frank Otto's factory, where Anne and her family hid in the back in a secret annex. The wait time can be up to 3 hours to get in if you don't purchase your tickets ahead of time. </span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6oYsplFutpMm9bU1o1ep10CC8ZnfAJ-rz_iPtV9evYCR2JT24R7cgFL70FJtB46zmDa_v5q0d-l8lowRT5KGueaZIASOMdm_qXq-zSt1ZSLVXxNpwAieEtzDsCP_QWJ7WDXzIa8nZVJk/s1600/IMG_0999.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6oYsplFutpMm9bU1o1ep10CC8ZnfAJ-rz_iPtV9evYCR2JT24R7cgFL70FJtB46zmDa_v5q0d-l8lowRT5KGueaZIASOMdm_qXq-zSt1ZSLVXxNpwAieEtzDsCP_QWJ7WDXzIa8nZVJk/s320/IMG_0999.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">View from across the canal. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEGZOp9keb7A45dqFyEoHWgTHkhtXBEZBPZwxeU4LVrjOvV2XYnWW-MyDiRhqXsZwljooACe1k4tBPQUzFPEsPNtQIMk_HAtMGsCoK7SgRYUY239pL1sbfi-ek539b3Wa-faUkzVy8tUA/s1600/IMG_1012.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="901" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEGZOp9keb7A45dqFyEoHWgTHkhtXBEZBPZwxeU4LVrjOvV2XYnWW-MyDiRhqXsZwljooACe1k4tBPQUzFPEsPNtQIMk_HAtMGsCoK7SgRYUY239pL1sbfi-ek539b3Wa-faUkzVy8tUA/s320/IMG_1012.JPG" width="180" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The church that Anne and her family would hear chiming. It sounds just like it does in the movie!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2WWAPjYW0fJUuxYXbzmBdRCtCYzXLr3odpn2-7w959IGrqdyQ1y5-HPk0mneXTIVQaWFRak605UYkUi1WhzOwDy6WcP2Wm54b9LqB_TrAMv1Wl1wMawZp5yXA0NV1vL3aqFlfXweZKGI/s1600/D9C033FA-3668-4A7E-B33F-74F64E353E6F.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1224" data-original-width="1600" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2WWAPjYW0fJUuxYXbzmBdRCtCYzXLr3odpn2-7w959IGrqdyQ1y5-HPk0mneXTIVQaWFRak605UYkUi1WhzOwDy6WcP2Wm54b9LqB_TrAMv1Wl1wMawZp5yXA0NV1vL3aqFlfXweZKGI/s320/D9C033FA-3668-4A7E-B33F-74F64E353E6F.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Proud teachers who are thankful for the opportunity to be on this journey. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMtUPrnH4VJgYXn-JmTCSn_3vjuZhTGFaKTRN3XBMyFoDV3Tq2J8m1KTbUaOG6X0wat71mmn2u1h-IBpiO0xPnaukgW-PAjevhtuPZTK0X9pa75RzxXzETzcjCKm5N4jSlkkOII7MIix8/s1600/IMG_8246.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMtUPrnH4VJgYXn-JmTCSn_3vjuZhTGFaKTRN3XBMyFoDV3Tq2J8m1KTbUaOG6X0wat71mmn2u1h-IBpiO0xPnaukgW-PAjevhtuPZTK0X9pa75RzxXzETzcjCKm5N4jSlkkOII7MIix8/s320/IMG_8246.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Statue of Anne just around the corner from the entrance. This is actually seen as soon as you get off the tram. </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 17pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 22.6667px;">Pictures from here on out are taken from the website. No matter what, we hope to convey how inspired we were after leaving this museum. Our hearts were heavy throughout the museum, but an 8-minute movie at the end renewed our spirit and affirmed to us why it is so important for us to share our experience.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 17pt;">When we first entered the museum, we each received individual audio devices that narrated the pictures, exhibits, and movies throughout the museum in our native language. This allowed us to </span><span style="font-size: 17pt;">move freely about the museum at our own pace, taking our time to process everything we read and saw. We learned about the lives of the Franks leading up to the war, and then their time in the secret annex. We also learned about those that helped them. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 17pt;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: 17pt;">Most of us have heard the name Miep Gies as the person responsible for helping them. But we learned about 3 other individuals that were essential to helping the Franks. Victor Kugler, Johannes Kleiman, and Bep Voskuijl were also workers in Otto Frank's factory, who, despite the threat to their lives, immediately agreed to help the Franks in hiding. During such a dark time it is important and uplifting to learn about individuals who are brave and willing to risk their lives to help others. We found ourselves contemplating something important: would we have so selflessly helped others in need? </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pictures (http://www.annefrank.org/en/Anne-Frank/All-people/)</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtqVibR84ZFTKN8nIsqEpVR3CIHy0VFm8O84lNC0MUF5yUxaco8C7-1xjyN3yCg5__DKMA3jNz9h4eg315po22RsMPaauzWtaAHXT9rZCs-lSnpx11JFeZU1uGmyH9kBDqYz0-2VANQ24/s1600/AFS_A_Gies_III_022.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="220" data-original-width="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtqVibR84ZFTKN8nIsqEpVR3CIHy0VFm8O84lNC0MUF5yUxaco8C7-1xjyN3yCg5__DKMA3jNz9h4eg315po22RsMPaauzWtaAHXT9rZCs-lSnpx11JFeZU1uGmyH9kBDqYz0-2VANQ24/s1600/AFS_A_Gies_III_022.jpg" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Miep Gies</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibJauBLgqsItPSOZi3cnRtO0PYAh9iejAr85rQbo4x1M5UqpwRZfSwIeylOF_Q6EYCRbOPjZpnibG-1MvxGV_oSH67oyp7GlM-bUFyP5CZZMK0Y7ypLybQnNrmWENlUDODlMDU7lHn1kA/s1600/Bep+Voskuijl.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="220" data-original-width="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibJauBLgqsItPSOZi3cnRtO0PYAh9iejAr85rQbo4x1M5UqpwRZfSwIeylOF_Q6EYCRbOPjZpnibG-1MvxGV_oSH67oyp7GlM-bUFyP5CZZMK0Y7ypLybQnNrmWENlUDODlMDU7lHn1kA/s1600/Bep+Voskuijl.jpg" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bep Voskuijl</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiel8jpwASJAxz3GGxhZAQuye4446wUi3xWM_ew1swPcU9uIBoq2aEb3uMBIA_4lc52ZDH3SSBX0x0j1zBxfknphH-m42YBiDC21xlL55wAVPNXMpz2XP2bVtAVm7BnXUJon6-W8Nh0Zog/s1600/Johannes+Kleiman.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="220" data-original-width="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiel8jpwASJAxz3GGxhZAQuye4446wUi3xWM_ew1swPcU9uIBoq2aEb3uMBIA_4lc52ZDH3SSBX0x0j1zBxfknphH-m42YBiDC21xlL55wAVPNXMpz2XP2bVtAVm7BnXUJon6-W8Nh0Zog/s1600/Johannes+Kleiman.jpg" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jo Kleiman</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw-sPwUovUEQQMcNqxaqWCO_MORwo9UOwDFaAYAnINKneC9eT2gtdYvVm4PAhhZP9EsFyDjeR3L1CzChhMy4QlaGOwwHeOXP9j-UXF9DoW70XdvxFgP5El7LJMJXeJWYsgO5c11qY5RAo/s1600/Vikctor+K.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="220" data-original-width="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw-sPwUovUEQQMcNqxaqWCO_MORwo9UOwDFaAYAnINKneC9eT2gtdYvVm4PAhhZP9EsFyDjeR3L1CzChhMy4QlaGOwwHeOXP9j-UXF9DoW70XdvxFgP5El7LJMJXeJWYsgO5c11qY5RAo/s1600/Vikctor+K.jpg" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Victor Kugler</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4bsho9TGXWqIMYaRdvIh6O7dxxLGzFXxZITfyO4i2Vh0rgAL50ghQrHkXVcxdqDVYHuXSvpv-OjujHn-99G9MG5BPlSNgjalcUw3ip1_ETtK6vrIpRpnhClkEcmkeNc-jt9eE0vbzd9E/s1600/Johannes+Kleiman+%25281%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="220" data-original-width="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4bsho9TGXWqIMYaRdvIh6O7dxxLGzFXxZITfyO4i2Vh0rgAL50ghQrHkXVcxdqDVYHuXSvpv-OjujHn-99G9MG5BPlSNgjalcUw3ip1_ETtK6vrIpRpnhClkEcmkeNc-jt9eE0vbzd9E/s1600/Johannes+Kleiman+%25281%2529.jpg" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jan Gies</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 17pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After touring most of the museum, we came to a small hallway at the back of the building. It was unassuming, with a small bookshelf on the "back wall". One could not tell there was an additional part of the building behind that wall - aka "The Secret Annex." The bookshelf was actually built by Bep's father to disguise the entrance to the secret annex. It swung open revealing a large step up to the entrance to a room and a steep, narrow staircase leading to the second floor. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCjnAesh_2-9FqDKop_rDwJ1uF5d-0XnA-F7dXj0LxdclwxVMcFbK67LDVmP75s0zeI5SKLigMd_8KrBkN0SNNq_8hYTovjoT0MxwEP6IKSQJxu40ctKtCN_fPGTteJLY10uuFE6Z3kjw/s1600/bookcase.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="725" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCjnAesh_2-9FqDKop_rDwJ1uF5d-0XnA-F7dXj0LxdclwxVMcFbK67LDVmP75s0zeI5SKLigMd_8KrBkN0SNNq_8hYTovjoT0MxwEP6IKSQJxu40ctKtCN_fPGTteJLY10uuFE6Z3kjw/s320/bookcase.jpg" width="317" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The bookcase that led to the Secret Annex. <br />(http://www.annefrank.org/en/Anne-Frank/Not-outside-for-2-years/)</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 17pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We are hesitant to say this, but we all felt that the secret annex was not as small as we anticipated. It surprised some of us that it was two floors, plus an attic where Anne liked to escape for fresh air and to see outside. Don't get us wrong it was very small, but we all thought that is was going to be shockingly small and cramped. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 17pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We realized that the real hardship about the annex was that it was shared by 8 people (who did not all know each other). They could never leave. Could never go outside. Never be alone. During the day they had to be absolutely silent - they could not talk, walk around, or even use the bathroom out of fear that someone working in the factory below would hear them. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsohAOQPyCWk135ehCxsSpDij1oBvKB9vNi8j-1KxLJ87kYGn67a0oxphCGlpmxG-89TS7mskQT1GBzrju7rweSb-leGiz-LC5JgwpvtMkwyBx_hGTNpm-Gn3vbjP_O8373ANRmoA859M/s1600/AFS_A_AFrank_III_027_097.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="220" data-original-width="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsohAOQPyCWk135ehCxsSpDij1oBvKB9vNi8j-1KxLJ87kYGn67a0oxphCGlpmxG-89TS7mskQT1GBzrju7rweSb-leGiz-LC5JgwpvtMkwyBx_hGTNpm-Gn3vbjP_O8373ANRmoA859M/s1600/AFS_A_AFrank_III_027_097.JPG" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anne Frank</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWcXmFp83uKoR91ra7EYLkRD4bXGk-lQlfczrgF_Yw-RuJFkYxFLXyjuna1AtDhICFwY3I1p1RwJPDre9fgGqVAUb1Kjmn5L6UAG5VK6QIyE8IkdXLeWbUzsrXuikfWzJtowWhQ0lht-E/s1600/AFS_A_OFrank_III_001.013.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="220" data-original-width="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWcXmFp83uKoR91ra7EYLkRD4bXGk-lQlfczrgF_Yw-RuJFkYxFLXyjuna1AtDhICFwY3I1p1RwJPDre9fgGqVAUb1Kjmn5L6UAG5VK6QIyE8IkdXLeWbUzsrXuikfWzJtowWhQ0lht-E/s1600/AFS_A_OFrank_III_001.013.jpg" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Otto Frank</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhktriEtIysaCXKDg40siBypDoZ-xnBhs1PBv9fLHcBQ-OAy5foYhhk9aotLp_fugJr0RMw2eUnOrcwVlt4Ithv9eDhyOnvcCu7egmyO36Em0O0hCklqUmjWbkUGfTptfNtXA2UO7PHQzw/s1600/AFS_A_EFrank_III_002.018.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="220" data-original-width="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhktriEtIysaCXKDg40siBypDoZ-xnBhs1PBv9fLHcBQ-OAy5foYhhk9aotLp_fugJr0RMw2eUnOrcwVlt4Ithv9eDhyOnvcCu7egmyO36Em0O0hCklqUmjWbkUGfTptfNtXA2UO7PHQzw/s1600/AFS_A_EFrank_III_002.018.jpg" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Edith Frank</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrkWuJK9pO81TuZIy_fuT2uK504pgUckQ2_HFa3AIklwTV3PzjtJN_Rk5xeW-sP7CZoNO7dCLAFVLAmESJHboiwNO3zysQm85p1APtsx1owWNamUh6JgbRgx8byl7pUXeQ-30lLREYTJI/s1600/AFS_A_AFrank_III_027_086.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="220" data-original-width="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrkWuJK9pO81TuZIy_fuT2uK504pgUckQ2_HFa3AIklwTV3PzjtJN_Rk5xeW-sP7CZoNO7dCLAFVLAmESJHboiwNO3zysQm85p1APtsx1owWNamUh6JgbRgx8byl7pUXeQ-30lLREYTJI/s1600/AFS_A_AFrank_III_027_086.jpg" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Margot Frank</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMn1HlS2105vN8E9f0kBXs2d0CAtqyo7J3IIvabWC1gu6XPenvho_xsb-wXvlxg31PAcN-ICNuHzWppulugvyWwxBRgXmmoSZgYWcC1FLgHRIyegxzF983BTC5UvqbNXO_f41Za160eI4/s1600/Hermann+van+Pels.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="220" data-original-width="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMn1HlS2105vN8E9f0kBXs2d0CAtqyo7J3IIvabWC1gu6XPenvho_xsb-wXvlxg31PAcN-ICNuHzWppulugvyWwxBRgXmmoSZgYWcC1FLgHRIyegxzF983BTC5UvqbNXO_f41Za160eI4/s1600/Hermann+van+Pels.jpg" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hermann van Pels</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCCjPydWh72Hru14pN8nHQ-kNsp807s_U3oItSAFPLwr01R-3gpglF0SN_t8L3TLbiDPPGD4ZjYSGjmuAzED5j9yLTtm9JlykT-5yJXnSd_3wZJ7tYz-T8rRPZttbWp655p_L2ou7JZfg/s1600/bio_portretaugustevanpels.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="220" data-original-width="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCCjPydWh72Hru14pN8nHQ-kNsp807s_U3oItSAFPLwr01R-3gpglF0SN_t8L3TLbiDPPGD4ZjYSGjmuAzED5j9yLTtm9JlykT-5yJXnSd_3wZJ7tYz-T8rRPZttbWp655p_L2ou7JZfg/s1600/bio_portretaugustevanpels.jpg" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Auguste van Pels</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZhU-JCSxZQ0nBp_82Rj2kEMjooyabeg-JAf0iv4geajw7wXt71x4Mx8qOV-lA1vg7jK6lHb2lFAJLOF59cYtoHwJmMhgYG_sRf2Q9j_30bY6x0aPzz3YRqbsRx3tfItVVQZxpjIvE4jk/s1600/Peter.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="144" data-original-width="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZhU-JCSxZQ0nBp_82Rj2kEMjooyabeg-JAf0iv4geajw7wXt71x4Mx8qOV-lA1vg7jK6lHb2lFAJLOF59cYtoHwJmMhgYG_sRf2Q9j_30bY6x0aPzz3YRqbsRx3tfItVVQZxpjIvE4jk/s1600/Peter.jpg" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Peter van Pels</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTZvAIIf6VbOir1TCdaztRLIlkuyGZ6LV7kLwGliJ0Jz_okMJT6J0aoobVfwB-aTO4zfYVz5ZiKaREIFvCMr4JaIyzaVBzy0YTQUdyhxfQc5Y8eDIgIOgXa4TDNIJiFPJTRQ8A_6f3Zkg/s1600/Fritz+Pfeffer.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="220" data-original-width="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTZvAIIf6VbOir1TCdaztRLIlkuyGZ6LV7kLwGliJ0Jz_okMJT6J0aoobVfwB-aTO4zfYVz5ZiKaREIFvCMr4JaIyzaVBzy0YTQUdyhxfQc5Y8eDIgIOgXa4TDNIJiFPJTRQ8A_6f3Zkg/s1600/Fritz+Pfeffer.jpg" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fritz Pfeffer</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pictures: (http://www.annefrank.org/en/Anne-Frank/All-people/)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 17pt;">Anne's parent's room was first, it was long and narrow and contained two beds. Anne's sister Margot slept in here when Fritz Pfeffer joined them in hiding. </span><span style="font-size: 17pt;">Next was Anne's room that she initially shared with Margot and then with Pfeffer (who joined the Franks later). This room was difficult to see, but not because it was small. The walls were still covered with the pictures that Anne had torn out of magazines and glued to the wall herself. Pictures of movie stars, actors, and actresses that she idolized. Seeing this made her so much more real to us and reminded us that she was just a young girl, like so many other young girls, who wanted to grow up and be famous. We all plastered our walls with faces of our favorite movie stars! We all fantasized about meeting our crushes one day. We even wanted to be movie stars or singers - just like Anne did. Seeing the pictures glued to the wall, covered in a plexiglass to preserve them, brought tears to our eyes. We felt a connection to Anne in a way we did not expect. </span><span style="font-size: 17pt;"> </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZDB3x-or0Sa6k99pzwozM_symFjp510fdqvqhOvEDWBCvrRPccy4GQbjpXtlCCSrtf6Ks4SDL9t_jvgJzCTOmkxo6SgcuK0G_w_LsR4U5Icu9eXZu5sADJw7-hklJa_eA2vxbhHPeV7I/s1600/Annes+writing+table+and+wall.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="726" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZDB3x-or0Sa6k99pzwozM_symFjp510fdqvqhOvEDWBCvrRPccy4GQbjpXtlCCSrtf6Ks4SDL9t_jvgJzCTOmkxo6SgcuK0G_w_LsR4U5Icu9eXZu5sADJw7-hklJa_eA2vxbhHPeV7I/s320/Annes+writing+table+and+wall.jpg" width="317" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anne's writing desk. You can see the pictures on the wall that Anne glued. <br />(http://www.annefrank.org/en/Anne-Frank/Not-outside-for-2-years/Daily-activities/)</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 17pt;">We walked through the bathroom that contained a sink, toilet, and tub. Then we climbed the stairs to the next level which contained a larger room. This room served as the Van Pels bedroom, as well as the kitchen. Their beds had to be put away every day to make this a communal living space. </span><span style="font-size: 22.6667px;">The Van Pels were a family of three who arrived shortly after the Frank's had been living there.</span><span style="font-size: 22.6667px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 17pt;">Just outside of this room was another set of stairs that led to the attic. Under the stairs was a small nook where the Van Pels son, Peter, slept. We were not allowed to go up to the attic, but you could look up and see the window that Anne would sneak off to in order to get a look at the world outside. Her small escape.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimH_uf9mMnVGjZSd0TbVn3Z1SyX8r06Z1evugOk1Ij9lu7BOeD1SYL-imXtQZZ6Qv3ctdtXcYGOX6GJON1NET2fREh6o2UOnPPlCgBnPU-PlU260TCLRAID57sdizBC7YV5jEJRL4Z22w/s1600/bathroom.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="345" data-original-width="520" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimH_uf9mMnVGjZSd0TbVn3Z1SyX8r06Z1evugOk1Ij9lu7BOeD1SYL-imXtQZZ6Qv3ctdtXcYGOX6GJON1NET2fREh6o2UOnPPlCgBnPU-PlU260TCLRAID57sdizBC7YV5jEJRL4Z22w/s320/bathroom.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Shared bathroom.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn7I-7AGCbpyMCAU5sNbsETzIDT6Dh5nrKiI1ZOtp_anUWBzf_tqWVutwojDxc8DCFiCL_QrqVbpd-yWEG2XSwcT0xnAkI1H1ciW7rBrxkbRYrhoGJHOE_akejj3Z2dq-eSXEcWQOTTZg/s1600/kitchen+and+Van+Pels+room.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="520" data-original-width="516" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn7I-7AGCbpyMCAU5sNbsETzIDT6Dh5nrKiI1ZOtp_anUWBzf_tqWVutwojDxc8DCFiCL_QrqVbpd-yWEG2XSwcT0xnAkI1H1ciW7rBrxkbRYrhoGJHOE_akejj3Z2dq-eSXEcWQOTTZg/s320/kitchen+and+Van+Pels+room.jpg" width="317" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kitchen/dining area/Van Pels bedroom.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbUZi7d4GMcbV7oPwdBzltzdQ4Up9qyE4gsyuLrIC9tMxhP2LpgL4jPlCbuyqNzZ_Xdtf2-XTEfT-TWo7ErcStJuaLLBvirO7eI0Bq3ZkL6U_YP5Bekz4QQx_h5wjicaTvcOxReTGeR3Y/s1600/Peters+room.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="345" data-original-width="520" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbUZi7d4GMcbV7oPwdBzltzdQ4Up9qyE4gsyuLrIC9tMxhP2LpgL4jPlCbuyqNzZ_Xdtf2-XTEfT-TWo7ErcStJuaLLBvirO7eI0Bq3ZkL6U_YP5Bekz4QQx_h5wjicaTvcOxReTGeR3Y/s320/Peters+room.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Peter's bedroom. You can see the stairs that lead up to the attic. This was an area off limits for most of the day, but Anne would sneak up here to escape. </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pictures: (http://www.annefrank.org/en/Anne-Frank/Not-outside-for-2-years/-The-Secret-Annex/)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17pt;">After exiting the Secret Annex, the museum tour continued. We read how the Nazis raided the annex and the fate of the people who hid there. Otto Frank was the only one to survive the camps. We saw the transport list of prisoners captured that fateful day. It was a long list full of names. How many Anne Frank's were out there? Anne is important, a historical figure if you will. But how many others were murdered and didn't get to tell their story? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 17pt;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: 17pt;">In one exhibit, we watched a video about when Otto was finally able to read Anne's diary. Miep Gies found it and held onto it until she could return it to Anne. Unfortunately, that wasn't in the cards. But she did give it to Otto, who couldn't bear to read it for quite some time. It was very emotional, particularly from the eyes of a parent. He said he saw a side of Anne through her writing that he never saw before. He said she was so smart and wise and had such deep thoughts. I cried when he said, "I never really knew my child." And while this was so terribly sad, there is also the silver lining that through her diary he did get to know his child, because there were millions of other parents that did not get that chance. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOD7WouRGRjhWONjSXM2EiM_ET8A7AF22aTeiUgZqrjNoUTfDzXhI-SV8J201XcPo5BQ015pW5nIt2giR4SKkGpL5rkF28h2d8LaOAZ4-XshpZTURpqfSgoPoJ50u6cSDyc8FBcyh99GY/s1600/diary.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="100" data-original-width="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOD7WouRGRjhWONjSXM2EiM_ET8A7AF22aTeiUgZqrjNoUTfDzXhI-SV8J201XcPo5BQ015pW5nIt2giR4SKkGpL5rkF28h2d8LaOAZ4-XshpZTURpqfSgoPoJ50u6cSDyc8FBcyh99GY/s1600/diary.jpg" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anne's diary.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A page from inside her diary. Anne also wrote many short stories. She wanted to be a writer one day.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pictures: (http://www.annefrank.org/en/Anne-Frank/A-diary-as-a-best-friend/Anne-throws-herself-into-writing/)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17pt;">At the end of the museum, there are many family photos - Anne's precocious spirit is captured so well!! We found ourselves smiling through the tears at some family moments captured. Again, we connected with Anne on a level we didn't think we would. It's amazing that so many photographs were saved because most families did not get that same opportunity. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitlIdVv7aThsifYYiXWxpnQK828aagKkToJ-I5-AzNZypfHcuONxPvF2cEDOZvwbBcGWkx-LfHQqNEDVSsHH9OThAgKXOE5FcVRld3FA7BON5vNDeJutMT6xKwevQRnUqlbcUYI5HnBlE/s1600/Familieportret_tentoonstelling.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="292" data-original-width="520" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitlIdVv7aThsifYYiXWxpnQK828aagKkToJ-I5-AzNZypfHcuONxPvF2cEDOZvwbBcGWkx-LfHQqNEDVSsHH9OThAgKXOE5FcVRld3FA7BON5vNDeJutMT6xKwevQRnUqlbcUYI5HnBlE/s320/Familieportret_tentoonstelling.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some family photos at the museum. <br />(http://www.annefrank.org/en/Museum/Exhibitions/Temporary-Exhibitions/A-family-portrait/)</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17pt;">There is also an eight-minute movie about the impact of Anne's diary. It's a must see - it has many powerful messages from celebrities and visitors to the museum. This video is what left us feeling inspired. The message given and received was brilliant. One visitor's message that stuck with us was about racism. He said, "Racism should be nipped in the bud; we don't like to think something like this could happen again, but of course it's possible, it'll always be possible as long as racism exists." We need to stop it in its tracks! Promote tolerance, acceptance, kindness, love. We have something special in store for our students!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17pt;">Another message was from John Green, author of "The Fault in Our Stars". In his book, it said, "The book (containing the names of 103,000 Dutch Jews killed during the Holocaust) was turned to the page with Anne Frank's name, but what got me about it was the fact that right beneath her name there were four Aron Franks. FOUR. Four Aron Franks without museums, without historical markers, without anyone to mourn them. I silently resolved to remember and pray for the four Aron Franks as long as I was around." This is the exact feeling we had looking at the transport list of all the Jews captured and sent away to concentration camps. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 22.6667px;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: 22.6667px;">Anne famously wrote in her diary, "I want to go on living even after my death!" It's heartbreaking to know that she got her wish, and it's</span><span style="font-size: 17pt;"> haunting to think about. We celebrate her life and regret that she didn't live because of all the things she could have accomplished - but there were 6 million other Jews that lost their lives that also had a story and talents and "would haves" that we will sadly never know. </span></span>#neverforgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02335615063939519557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3768426001981240517.post-32314924807162596502017-08-08T09:05:00.002-07:002017-08-08T13:00:31.364-07:00Terezin<span style="clear: right; color: black; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">(We apologize for the formatting of this blog. Some things seem highlighted or with a white background. We tried to fix it, but we can't figure it out!) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It was another rainy day, but we've been making the best of it! The rain would come and go, so it wasn't awful. Thankfully, we were on a bus tour and able to stay out of the elements. Sunday's tour was to a concentration camp/ghetto outside of Prague, in Terezin, Czech Republic. Getting to Prague from Krakow is a funny/interesting story. Let's just say it involved missing our train, lots of transportation changes, and getting in 4 hours later than originally planned. Crazy! On the plus side, we are now experts on using Uber. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Finally arriving at our apartment, we immediately went to bed to prepare for the next day. In order to get to Terezin, we had to get to the Municipal Building in Prague where our tour bus awaited to take us on the hour long journey. We were able to navigate the metro system to get there. Yeah us! While we waited for the bus, we took advantage of our time and walked around the city square. Most notable was the beautiful architecture. Krakow was gorgeous, and we felt like Prague had a lot to live up to. But it is a beautiful city, old, with lots of character. We wish we had more time there, but we only had one full day before having to catch a plane to our next stop. Look at us - world travelers! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><u>Hitler's "Gift" to the Jews</u></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">Our first impression of Terezin was that it was well constructed and visually appealing. The "large fortress" as it was called, contained large, well-crafted 3-story barracks, with spacious, open courtyards between them. Also, there was a town square with a church, a bank, and a coffee shop - it was really very quaint!! So it was really difficult for us to imagine how somewhere so beautiful could be the place of such horror. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picture of the "town" from the street view. Interesting fact...people actually live here now. This is now a residential area. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Notice the church at the end.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Where the officers lived.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">Terezin was different from any other concentration camp. This site was actually built many years before WWII, from 1780-1790. It was built as a fort and barracks to house 7,000 soldiers. Essentially, it was to be a military base but it was never used for that purpose. Then during WWI, it was used as a prison for political prisoners of war. But during WWII Hitler took it over to use as a ghetto/concentration camp. Since it had more of a small town feel versus a ghetto/concentration camp feel, Hitler used that to his advantage to continue his disgusting agenda. He actually convinced Jews that Terezin was his gift to them. It turned our stomachs when we learned that some wealthy Jews actually paid to be sent there instead of another camp.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">Why is Terezin so important? Well, take into consideration how it was built and set up to look. It was the ultimate use of propaganda by the Nazis! Its "beauty" allowed it to be used as a model concentration camp to trick the world. In late 1943, when rumors began about the deplorable conditions of Jews in these camps, as well as the use of gas chambers for mass killings, the Red Cross demanded a visit. Of course, the Nazis planned to bring them to Terezin. Why not? It was set up like a town and, more importantly, because it had no gas chambers on the premises. The Nazis had 6 months to prepare for their visit - and prepare they did! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">There was not much aesthetic work to be done in the large fortress because it looked like a nice place to live, so the Nazis made some other changes. They created a football team, complete with uniforms. They planted gardens, they got the coffee shop up and running and filled it with baked goods, and they even printed Terezin currency. The level of thought that went into their trickery amazed us! </span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another view of the "town". Can you begin to understand why Terezin was propaganda at its best?</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">While visiting the large fortress, a room in the barracks showed a replica of the sleeping quarters of women. It was set up to look like it did during the war, but the actual beds were reconstructed. All the clothes, suitcases, and other personal belongings that you see are all original to the prisoners and left behind. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It was a mouth dropping moment because it just looked so normal and set up like a crowded dormitory, yet 60-100 women shared this space. Why were people forced to live like this? No one ever had an answer. It doesn't matter from which direction you ask why. There is no answer. At least no answer that justifies the horror. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">As we moved through the tour, there was another section of the building that was turned into a gallery. This showcased art that prisoners created. Such talent! Prisoners painted and sketched other prisoners, daily life there, atrocities witnessed, and even wrote poems and short stories. We were so choked up walking through room upon room of faces with names. It was heart-wrenching because there were many portraits titled, "Portrait of a Woman", or "Portrait of a Boy". No one knew who they were to put a name to them. But they were somebody and they were important to someone. How many people didn't have a name? How many families were wiped out? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">These are original works of art actually created by the hands of prisoners at Terezin. These were pieces that someone created during their time there, probably to escape their lives for however long they could. Terezin was filled with talented people. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Reading about individuals who were imprisoned here made the loss of so many individuals more real, more personal. Not only did we see faces with names, and nameless faceless, but we read about authors, artists, musicians, and writers who would never again share their talents with the world - it was truly heartbreaking. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUEaoDbpV0QAo3KazWSwpnjVZssnZ9_Tuaz3OU27W1MEFnn6ncsx5FA6chMxkcTbBAGZU4Y1MnTJfgkfuzKkQrMzqZP2nplKZctxUHwjTLzH8La4f4L3vg2IVYlBQhNKfrrPWOQLoz8kE/s1600/IMG_0642.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUEaoDbpV0QAo3KazWSwpnjVZssnZ9_Tuaz3OU27W1MEFnn6ncsx5FA6chMxkcTbBAGZU4Y1MnTJfgkfuzKkQrMzqZP2nplKZctxUHwjTLzH8La4f4L3vg2IVYlBQhNKfrrPWOQLoz8kE/s320/IMG_0642.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The art of Petr Ginz, who was a young Jewish boy (killed in Auschwitz in 1944) is showcased above. He loved everything associated with space! He was special because one of his pieces was carried into space by the first Israeli astronaut, Ilan Ramon, on board the Columbia Space Shuttle. Sadly, the space shuttle did not make it home, and neither did the original art piece titled "Moon Landscape". </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Music and theater were set up to entertain the Nazi's. Can you imagine that? Degraded and imprisoned against your will, but wait, perform for us too?! They even performed a children's opera "Brundibar" which was written by a composer who was imprisoned here. We were sickened to learn that of the 55 performances of "Brundibar", no child ever performed more than once because they were quickly transported to Auschwitz or other camps. Terezin was like a transition camp - prisoners would come and go frequently. When they left Terezin, who knows what happened to them? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">In order to get ready for the Red Cross, the Nazis had to make the barracks look less crowded and more like a place someone would want to live. The Nazis increased their deportations to Auschwitz, and in the month before the visit, they shipped about 7,500 of the weakest and unhealthiest prisoners to Auschwitz. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">There were several reasons Terezin was chosen as a ghetto/concentration camp. We have already mentioned that it was aesthetically pleasing. But as we move to the "small fortress", we learned that it was considered invisible, and difficult to escape because of the giant walls and surrounding moats.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEyQ8bkVMeY6FptHknzZtj385dDmpwEEnGO5N0Fn9SJct8UtXoNQTU_1gPWLve4lTyduh5LF9ms8o-1yie_K1HD7GH_ONANucRzl5Q-w9xx3yYFn_yfJaKbtYRS1YwPe-xfCJh5LtxP3c/s1600/IMG_0710.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEyQ8bkVMeY6FptHknzZtj385dDmpwEEnGO5N0Fn9SJct8UtXoNQTU_1gPWLve4lTyduh5LF9ms8o-1yie_K1HD7GH_ONANucRzl5Q-w9xx3yYFn_yfJaKbtYRS1YwPe-xfCJh5LtxP3c/s320/IMG_0710.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of high walls/moat going into the small fortress.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><u>Small Fortress</u></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">From the "large fortress", we took a short bus ride to the "small fortress". When we walked in we immediately felt like we were in an old Mexican town. The buildings had that adobe feel to them with low walls, neutral colors, and dirt roads. It looked like a scene from an old western movie. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC8wBdUhyTRWKVd1iwynjGC2wmn07LD2gSIbN9GkExX3hAmkjlOSkDa7Hcl0ktCuz8zR71kQlJQZx6BORxJJxet6_79HS8onHdH_VWXFiGC2un9lJrMLyJt8CHt18VXiiWwWRb2CSAmkI/s1600/IMG_0681.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC8wBdUhyTRWKVd1iwynjGC2wmn07LD2gSIbN9GkExX3hAmkjlOSkDa7Hcl0ktCuz8zR71kQlJQZx6BORxJJxet6_79HS8onHdH_VWXFiGC2un9lJrMLyJt8CHt18VXiiWwWRb2CSAmkI/s320/IMG_0681.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This part of the fortress was divided into 5 courtyards. The first courtyard held the administration buildings where the prisoners were registered, received their uniforms, and also where the offices were located. It wasn't a huge area because the doors were right next to each other. The remainder of the camp housed the 4 courtyards, which were for prisoners. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Notice the words above the entrance. Nazis were fond of this saying, as it was displayed above most concentration camp entrances. It means,"work sets you free". </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1EdUwQC9CxBqxKgGbALCMQPV75ShRFP_3T9aOxx-ahLFc5y22NJ4NOXEU5KglTnaDTOqURXMpmRcdPRcaNip0m7speZxE65z0Tq6_HomOGbBw15wba8Vrjn_lH1WJb-PfSKIe1JPPeDs/s1600/20170723_111114.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"></span></a></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn4HBfES2Vo2UrT5f6c6fVyKk5AJk2Arnj4jnxIrbii5zH-TtgtjMRt0cJC9QQX8h3a6TFGiDeqk1-OsWv7Ulf6_zYQAjRLOKF6vMJvXJVDVyTdn6TjHcnDWHS80SSJ8jVDC5UnHTIJ6w/s1600/IMG_0662.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn4HBfES2Vo2UrT5f6c6fVyKk5AJk2Arnj4jnxIrbii5zH-TtgtjMRt0cJC9QQX8h3a6TFGiDeqk1-OsWv7Ulf6_zYQAjRLOKF6vMJvXJVDVyTdn6TjHcnDWHS80SSJ8jVDC5UnHTIJ6w/s320/IMG_0662.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Administrative office - where prisoners were "registered",</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz7GwRzwWELgNmb8lKzSkU_7Ju0HDhEuInyM8xdLlavqhhizVuESL2sZ6jSCjs8lPK80kl10poyYvstxZj_55EC5L-d9qd0Ij3qjNA0gCdfU2jS5PIWHhow5N4k8rki5w6hust36Q5FrE/s1600/IMG_0664.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz7GwRzwWELgNmb8lKzSkU_7Ju0HDhEuInyM8xdLlavqhhizVuESL2sZ6jSCjs8lPK80kl10poyYvstxZj_55EC5L-d9qd0Ij3qjNA0gCdfU2jS5PIWHhow5N4k8rki5w6hust36Q5FrE/s320/IMG_0664.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More offices</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8jtxC81qRu8E5YFVXANhvNzP-1oF8tXmB4B_gDzy3m_n86_xl9I8D6dbC0Tur031i3BVL3wQRxEPL8Elk6bL1k6GJijNPocpKgt3CXHnKoFc-TZ3uA4FPsHRXIydsTdBSvSFoP0dCCMU/s1600/IMG_0666.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8jtxC81qRu8E5YFVXANhvNzP-1oF8tXmB4B_gDzy3m_n86_xl9I8D6dbC0Tur031i3BVL3wQRxEPL8Elk6bL1k6GJijNPocpKgt3CXHnKoFc-TZ3uA4FPsHRXIydsTdBSvSFoP0dCCMU/s320/IMG_0666.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The office where uniforms were given out. </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We continued our tour through the remaining 4 courtyards and were led to a barrack where men stayed. There we saw wooden bunks that were 3 levels high. We were told that they used to have a thin mattress but due to the outbreak of lice and the difficult time they had getting rid of the bugs, prisoners chose to sleep on the wooden planks. To our surprise, the room had a table with benches, a row of cubbies for clothes, one sink and one toilet (with a door!). By comparison, this camp did not seem too bad. Everything you see is original to the time. Nothing has been reconstructed.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWF73jetSM0yql4xHYG5tU9iIsddSvQ6Vvq-1Kr10M64i5XrRvoUu4XA4aEzc8LrU4ZFr-6aSHp6Cw_ccpzOkvhDkWMeEWxFf6k6zpT-be8hfjUR4JX0w1z0ZZUZOB5XhF_Rc19_eHsiU/s1600/IMG_0671.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWF73jetSM0yql4xHYG5tU9iIsddSvQ6Vvq-1Kr10M64i5XrRvoUu4XA4aEzc8LrU4ZFr-6aSHp6Cw_ccpzOkvhDkWMeEWxFf6k6zpT-be8hfjUR4JX0w1z0ZZUZOB5XhF_Rc19_eHsiU/s320/IMG_0671.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bunks</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbdZlL_z5manbR75WdTvJJnITNnRaIbXSyCtS_bOS3haxJkDbAChJ-OJcxW1HyzZsP8j94ZwJzyq-JK-zy7nlkco8WFU0DjB09fVsclKIK51g1owgDobs7pVbIE1ZdHbIRZZSjRrw4p5o/s1600/IMG_0676.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbdZlL_z5manbR75WdTvJJnITNnRaIbXSyCtS_bOS3haxJkDbAChJ-OJcxW1HyzZsP8j94ZwJzyq-JK-zy7nlkco8WFU0DjB09fVsclKIK51g1owgDobs7pVbIE1ZdHbIRZZSjRrw4p5o/s320/IMG_0676.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cubbies for items</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhom_t3jtdU_Xu9UO-Ai-Q06kay7klPeKz1OsBV4fM2ZEoJ6WNpPQXkHEAoduM0OBL8EGHUJWyb4hEMMYwrsSugok-qz1OVWGgmzqNlL8i3C6xqXPdVtPRBqQngmYTvj_sNZ6CoLlRvOjI/s320/IMG_0672.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="240" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sink in the barrack.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhom_t3jtdU_Xu9UO-Ai-Q06kay7klPeKz1OsBV4fM2ZEoJ6WNpPQXkHEAoduM0OBL8EGHUJWyb4hEMMYwrsSugok-qz1OVWGgmzqNlL8i3C6xqXPdVtPRBqQngmYTvj_sNZ6CoLlRvOjI/s1600/IMG_0672.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span></a></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZk09ahkIuBFcUBdTV6Mr_IdD_oJQLH4Y0nCK4q2BQwxXag2r2ytvG_x6xI8Sw9e0YWYJsOKxMWUthMo7nkT4mOSdOSkHdfOKQpKOA5U9qYZGgByrtd3-ipsaB4FXw2JZLbWdWqFjz1m0/s320/IMG_0673.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="240" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The toilet is behind this door. Imagine that - some privacy!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">Even though these conditions were better than other concentration camps (and I say that lightly), more preparation was still needed for the small fortress. </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">Prisoners who committed a "crime" were kept at the small fortress, and their living conditions were, let's just say, lacking. So the Nazis built a shaving room with mirrors and sinks. </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">What struck us when we entered this room was how attractive and untouched it looked. Our guide told us this room was in such impeccable shape because it was built to show the Red Cross but was never once used by the prisoners!</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span></div>
<pre style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Continuing through the small fortress, we entered a large room that was used for punishment. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Up to 77 men were held in this room for various offenses. It was standing room only, no bathroom, and there was one small hole for ventilation. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA83ba1fSvXb2pkma_Vqi0aUcmOWFuAYrN6N1Ja693FOPQvPyJk7LOIHCO1JwDydlwyW_gaUt5B7Y5JTfe5PvqaCmQD2z64TPFjXQcKE3lWHxKRIaG1WdNHbn3tJsUkufuQEiOQGbkoJM/s1600/IMG_0679.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA83ba1fSvXb2pkma_Vqi0aUcmOWFuAYrN6N1Ja693FOPQvPyJk7LOIHCO1JwDydlwyW_gaUt5B7Y5JTfe5PvqaCmQD2z64TPFjXQcKE3lWHxKRIaG1WdNHbn3tJsUkufuQEiOQGbkoJM/s320/IMG_0679.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The small rectangle next to the door was the only ventilation. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioHlkGsC8cBUB-MkRHVh5Ykn_lhgcVJFFmqr2YNRbR0Nps7GVqarYp9dh1hx-L-p02z5dWYBd2V-97GtuRbv04SQOihoR0xTP5_ofamoyelYs3m5TUccL2iDYd_yd7B2YnDgCx6AOgBfs/s320/20170723_113035.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="240" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you look closely at this close-up picture of the ventilation, you can see that it's not even the whole rectangle, but it funnels down to the size of a deck of cards. </td></tr>
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<pre style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Our guide then led us to other small isolation rooms where up to 60 prisoners were held. The rooms were very cold and again had very little ventilation. There were no sinks or toilets. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-tfSFiXoYVhz0bf_12WB6BGa6HCzalqOxk3VaLyosfmyu0d0yOnpU4AEs3UMhxc7V1mzVq8f5CT5euVx-X4JJOrAzDWZG3YMlYJXPsqllCVZbX3BWWzs-5HNn8JCqjKH52vZ6B1xm5IY/s1600/IMG_0686.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-tfSFiXoYVhz0bf_12WB6BGa6HCzalqOxk3VaLyosfmyu0d0yOnpU4AEs3UMhxc7V1mzVq8f5CT5euVx-X4JJOrAzDWZG3YMlYJXPsqllCVZbX3BWWzs-5HNn8JCqjKH52vZ6B1xm5IY/s320/IMG_0686.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Doors to the isolation cells.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivLrHml_pDOmUOnOiCLjLqQBdrMYk_5V3q4mk1GCc4QTOsOJQqIbDHJvOC2bOWGHS_tG1GQakBX1R9AuptM-n7xgtU-gLM1mIMbVO0jEjpcUWM9hefK40VrCNU-our54JxgD6Ts1jVNOw/s1600/20170723_113543.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><b><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivLrHml_pDOmUOnOiCLjLqQBdrMYk_5V3q4mk1GCc4QTOsOJQqIbDHJvOC2bOWGHS_tG1GQakBX1R9AuptM-n7xgtU-gLM1mIMbVO0jEjpcUWM9hefK40VrCNU-our54JxgD6Ts1jVNOw/s320/20170723_113543.jpg" width="240" /></b></span></a> </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiQNCZUNhyPTRxWUuZH87KKFwrhyphenhyphentauqsyBf9bxz7Xc9C5Rro2Lh-TNBYH7booSzw4OTHyHUT-BK5OZgflHTvhQqIaX8fIlrWVEN8Sn3b4kC1EPGezbdUbs04B7hw9l6hNOQbQj7ye-HM/s1600/IMG_0687.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiQNCZUNhyPTRxWUuZH87KKFwrhyphenhyphentauqsyBf9bxz7Xc9C5Rro2Lh-TNBYH7booSzw4OTHyHUT-BK5OZgflHTvhQqIaX8fIlrWVEN8Sn3b4kC1EPGezbdUbs04B7hw9l6hNOQbQj7ye-HM/s320/IMG_0687.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An entire hallway of isolation cells.</td></tr>
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</span><pre style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">For some unknown reason, real showers were allowed at this camp, but they were not private. Showers were given in a large room with several shower heads.</span></pre>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrhuPMreGWhkgREz6s9q73v0rZZHxrX2D4Z0hSDO6a-m8CTmkhRgVMcUaNEETGrqFxq9ugljW7j0RGe7L2mApQpoyi3c9_1qbydJvg1MT4Hm5jaUs09Ky2jU7RVFZIM_ZPxJ3SMzHQ_SU/s1600/IMG_0691.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrhuPMreGWhkgREz6s9q73v0rZZHxrX2D4Z0hSDO6a-m8CTmkhRgVMcUaNEETGrqFxq9ugljW7j0RGe7L2mApQpoyi3c9_1qbydJvg1MT4Hm5jaUs09Ky2jU7RVFZIM_ZPxJ3SMzHQ_SU/s320/IMG_0691.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Real showers</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ0f4TSzOQZ3ZCauPJmL5Uwooll-xlio-YVZyrqMSZUcKQcTIIggE6s2pKv4zQyoW-r6oEJlXJYyWkBnl0q3QnQIZ5BuP5OBu9zqKGIIMqGLExP7_-RATD9BKYfjMBaCXcchh_Nx6tmMk/s1600/IMG_0699.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ0f4TSzOQZ3ZCauPJmL5Uwooll-xlio-YVZyrqMSZUcKQcTIIggE6s2pKv4zQyoW-r6oEJlXJYyWkBnl0q3QnQIZ5BuP5OBu9zqKGIIMqGLExP7_-RATD9BKYfjMBaCXcchh_Nx6tmMk/s320/IMG_0699.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; white-space: pre-wrap;">Everything about Terezin was disturbing. Our hearts were heavy and our souls were screaming. Just when we thought we'd seen it all, we were led to the execution courtyard. This was a former shooting range, where 250-300 prisoners in total were shot to death. The largest group killed here at once was 52 prisoners. Standing in this spot and knowing the horror that occurred was very emotional and sent chills down our spines. Soldiers practiced here as well, and would lay on their stomachs on the cross-shaped structure on the ground.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; white-space: pre-wrap;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxTk44vVlE9KxwcxFyRvGzagc4cRxKTT57iLndC5aGkeyl6lX6DaJaTGhF61nRl_mEMRa88mUjO5n4Ui2eaScjv-kuX8PWdHb_kgfAuc89Q1_1pvimziIvs4pxOwRdxBnkrX0LMFpA1tI/s320/IMG_0729.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 10.4px;">Close up of the shooting wall where prisoners were executed. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjokmiAGLg_-UMZJrVlPShIKb0nyYiE9VqWbkzXicJ6x_RAoE8OXXjSxgSR1HMgqB7_UbeNiulmG7eeVZbBnlR8HBK75O3z2s3sA1fVA7FLw3v6-lWoqA7apQ3xeRfKIXNTNFxQX-WamzE/s320/IMG_0728.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="240" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cross-shaped concrete slab was where soldiers would lay and practice shooting. </td></tr>
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<pre style="background-color: white; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjokmiAGLg_-UMZJrVlPShIKb0nyYiE9VqWbkzXicJ6x_RAoE8OXXjSxgSR1HMgqB7_UbeNiulmG7eeVZbBnlR8HBK75O3z2s3sA1fVA7FLw3v6-lWoqA7apQ3xeRfKIXNTNFxQX-WamzE/s1600/IMG_0728.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; white-space: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b></b></span></a></span></pre>
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<pre style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><pre style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Also in this area was a gallow where prisoners were hung. Although it was only used once for 2 prisoners who tried to escape, it was left there as a warning and to send a message to anyone who thought about escaping. </span></pre>
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<pre style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirKtkKVz_HJmWrhZLZG8huuYnAmtWgKSdj79nv8r3EbebyXvOfKpXeY6Dpd23eAnl8y27NtCXIXslwaKteFN3boMVjcmize_RSHSRSvF4gpFqSPzEbDf7-5lWDfwRIMCcD9KHaVXctnBM/s1600/20170723_120957.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; white-space: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><b><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirKtkKVz_HJmWrhZLZG8huuYnAmtWgKSdj79nv8r3EbebyXvOfKpXeY6Dpd23eAnl8y27NtCXIXslwaKteFN3boMVjcmize_RSHSRSvF4gpFqSPzEbDf7-5lWDfwRIMCcD9KHaVXctnBM/s320/20170723_120957.jpg" width="240" /></b></span></a></pre>
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<pre style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b style="white-space: normal;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCHx4H56Lw98FUqd1raNbpMIvXezDt1yrBNuYZI5CRUyXX2EuQDLxtDt4aGf-8LhdHz35400ayM7XNtZJD8BIH5ybrdtptmkUeA4P0E0cGdssZxEkSUgdEehbO2GOwiUBUoFobXW1fQds/s320/IMG_0725.JPG" width="240" /></b></pre>
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<pre style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">As we left this area our guide told us to turn around. Here he pointed out the "gate of death". This led to the execution courtyard we had just left. He said the prisoners referred to it this way because when you went through the gates, you didn't come back. </span></pre>
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<pre style="background-color: white; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Y9yJydVuaDLm1FuB1PnjQeBC5ifNfL3tlp0bne4RgM5NgxTGP73AC2hf37kMKC29whoUvTC6NI-tE6IiQpTO7oApRINQxdyAwrv3lQkRxcGTLmVWOj6q-RF6cVhpIx764k1_I7I54JI/s1600/20170723_121259.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; white-space: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><b><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Y9yJydVuaDLm1FuB1PnjQeBC5ifNfL3tlp0bne4RgM5NgxTGP73AC2hf37kMKC29whoUvTC6NI-tE6IiQpTO7oApRINQxdyAwrv3lQkRxcGTLmVWOj6q-RF6cVhpIx764k1_I7I54JI/s320/20170723_121259.jpg" width="240" /></b></span></a></span></pre>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><u>Red Cross Visit</u></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">As important as this visit was, the blog entry is short, in keeping with the spirit of the visit. In June 1944, the day finally came that the Nazis had spent so much time preparing for. The Red Cross visited Terezin for ONLY 5 1/2 hours. Our guide told us the visit began with a 30-minute tour by car. The Red Cross officials took a <u>two-hour lunch </u>and then enjoyed a concert put on by the prisoners. They took a final 30 min tour of the camp and decided they had seen enough. The Red Cross officials signed a document stating that the conditions in <b>ALL</b> concentration camps were fine and they contain no gas chambers. They made a blanket statement about ALL concentration camps based on what they saw in Terezin. Correction - based on what the Nazis wanted them to see. We were horrified that a group like the Red Cross could be fooled by Nazi propaganda and that they took such little care of investigating. They never deviated from the scheduled tour set up by the Nazis and never questioned it! How infuriating!! It makes us wonder if they really wanted to know the truth. Or maybe they thought there was no way anyone would treat another human being so inhumanely so they believed everything they saw. </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc93TR1ppljSJIGJVviBNJL6luzKpmYC1Pp8Kjg9vCC6tWCS3PRG0WG2978E1L9ndnxW0Ci3ZSs5tuLJRm6rmLHhcJUKK_08W3EFI-jX0zenqw4sglirsMgP_SK20mxtGpqOJeaByq3Ig/s1600/IMG_0676.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span></a></div>
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</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; white-space: pre-wrap;"><u>Jewish/Christian Cemetery</u></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; white-space: pre-wrap;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; white-space: pre-wrap;">The next stop of our tour was located in between the large and small fortress. A large cemetery that held 10,000 Jewish and Christian prisoners. Sadly, only 1,133 could be identified. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; white-space: pre-wrap;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Star of David</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVMpKcNnH8VNyOuaWs62hFgzZrHpDrxL3fOjoeo5Y5LZNZs8tWuh12e3aaDApYnBTp617W4PGaU4U24Ru-LmSG82aW2osghyQllWIM2sM-SoF1xTXA2XoG497Ij9CevhcyMuThdJWPaSk/s1600/IMG_0660.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><b></b></span></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Star of David with Christian cross</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4TeiEg3GxFQ4xeX1AnIf4SEJixip2966vuw_KjqstDVD4Xx4AVk1AtNLsWnQVi8FwaMGdcsLxt1urtcnCIziYWvorQDBC5WcHt10JvapI-WOF0rTK4I6H0T3CgVgqx1Y_tl9uk4IptrU/s1600/IMG_0744.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><b></b></span></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grave marker of an unknown prisoner.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsYA7Pl3_-EUtAJe3zSe_arsfW65zn03dDuUafuX2FhnX6323HJda8y5Yk1Ztl4f2g9bAKcfJ7A3JR5P3ercxpHBDYzwomIJYbbjWW9YtpqPYZP00USTFvwvMPqkJZ53gS-loNMFHUevg/s1600/IMG_0747.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><b></b></span></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christian cross</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Tsir_hCd9hiiYtKZbmgwyAwXFM9o25_FIBF42I2u_p-5tElUhWyaZ6rdpA6BzNpD2ZWzNDAuccfGxsHP-QldlBFL3KcIJziNaE0VDq6BiAXXEB6OnvsgRVv3RXLyl4nQ0aCdLna-d1M/s320/IMG_0738.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="240" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So many unknown prisoners among a small amount of known.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Tsir_hCd9hiiYtKZbmgwyAwXFM9o25_FIBF42I2u_p-5tElUhWyaZ6rdpA6BzNpD2ZWzNDAuccfGxsHP-QldlBFL3KcIJziNaE0VDq6BiAXXEB6OnvsgRVv3RXLyl4nQ0aCdLna-d1M/s1600/IMG_0738.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><b></b></span></a></div>
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</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><u>Crematorium</u></span></pre>
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</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The last part of the bus tour was to the crematorium, which was another short bus ride. As we crossed the threshold, the air felt thick. We had that feeling of hesitation before we walked into the room with the ovens, like we knew what awaited us but we didn't want to face the emotions we knew were coming. This crematorium was set up because they were running out of space to bury the dead. It was also set up as a final insult to the Jewish community, because their religion dictates that a body is to be buried intact and as is, not cremated. There were 4 ovens that could burn up to 8 people in about an hour. Here, we were able to light a candle and place it on a cremation oven to show respect to the dead. It was soothing to us to be able to do this, knowing that small gestures go a long way. </span></pre>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Ok6g_4MCeL47gBluX5XATHE6FwXoJLvTcBSDqxsPHHn9vOA93Za2ykwhvOgxh1mweUHLGeKTATcmqipxPPlpXP2HDtOCR5hR6fMzelmuLRcizM_TVHJQTUm62TyBmGCCu7sHO_7O6IM/s320/IMG_0760.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Outside of the crematorium. Next to it is an active cemetary.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Ok6g_4MCeL47gBluX5XATHE6FwXoJLvTcBSDqxsPHHn9vOA93Za2ykwhvOgxh1mweUHLGeKTATcmqipxPPlpXP2HDtOCR5hR6fMzelmuLRcizM_TVHJQTUm62TyBmGCCu7sHO_7O6IM/s1600/IMG_0760.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><b></b></span></a></div>
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<pre style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCsK1LBgArhGxCs7GKKtGgtPcMZKE-41JodRQntbw3myneoS-qbAV6dHvN2BwY-AqUEOscR68VLDUAZdjRXNAFf5ej6gcjcQJ_LytYV95bcCvyzxuTKb5gEZ0xqvc8b0uZLjeNxfsqc0Q/s1600/IMG_0773.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCsK1LBgArhGxCs7GKKtGgtPcMZKE-41JodRQntbw3myneoS-qbAV6dHvN2BwY-AqUEOscR68VLDUAZdjRXNAFf5ej6gcjcQJ_LytYV95bcCvyzxuTKb5gEZ0xqvc8b0uZLjeNxfsqc0Q/s320/IMG_0773.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walking up the stairs, we looked down and saw the heart below. Then we noticed the smiley face on the cement. We had to snap this picture because we saw it a minute after we lit the candle. We like to think it was a sign of thank you and peace. </td></tr>
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</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><u>Final Thoughts</u></span></pre>
<pre style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 17pt;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">Visiting Terezin was a very different experience for us than visiting Auschwitz. Since it is a lesser known camp, there are fewer pictures online so we really had no preconceived notions of what we would see. But more importantly, Terezin had a more personal element to it that we felt was missing from Auschwitz. Please don't misunderstand. Visiting Auschwitz was an incredibly emotional experience. But the tour was scripted and a bit sterile. We're not ashamed to admit that we were actually angry at all the people there! It was packed full of people, and we felt we missed out on a more </span>personal<span style="background-color: white;"> experience. Which is why in our Auschwitz post, we said we deviated from the tour. Terezin, in contrast, was less </span>crowded<span style="background-color: white;">, more personal, and our tour guy actually said, "Don't worry if you're lagging behind, you should take all the time you need in each section, I will wait for everyone." This was the personal touch we were looking for and it allowed us to not feel rushed, and to be a little selfish in taking the time we needed. </span></span></span><b> </b></pre>
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#neverforgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02335615063939519557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3768426001981240517.post-5557044451056752852017-07-25T04:08:00.000-07:002017-07-25T23:33:28.683-07:00Jewish District/Schindler's Factory"For some, war leaves no choice; for others, it makes choosing a must. A small gesture can yield irreversible consequences. It can either save a life or ruin it." (Unknown)<br />
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Friday was ian interesting day because not only did we gain information, but we saw evidence of the above quote in several places. We took a walking tour through the Jewish district, which was about a 15 minute walk from where we were staying. It was a rainy day so we made sure we had our umbrellas with us. The tour was private, so it was just the three of us with our guide. We were able to learn more about the Jewish culture in Krakow before, during, and after WWII.<br />
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Jewish District<br />
We learned about someone new, who was important to the effort of stopping the Holocaust of Polish Jews. His name was Jan Karski. A statue dedicated to him is located next to the synagogue in the Jewish District of Krakow. He is definitely someone who we will research more about!<br />
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Synagogue<br />
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There was a dress code to enter the synagogue - no shorts or sleeveless tops. Thankfully, we read up on the tour beforehand and there was mention of that so we were prepared! Also, men had to wear a yarmulke. It was interesting to see that there was a separation of men and women inside the synagogue. Men sat in the front, while the women were in the back behind a screen. The attention to the artistic detail on the walls and ceiling was amazing. The architecture of the building was interesting - it seemed like a small space, but it was packed with details.<br />
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Cemetery<br />
As we walked outside the door of the synagogue, we approached the cemetery. This was a particularly moving area. We had a strong sense of sadness as we looked out over the small, but packed cemetery. This was an extremely old cemetery holding graves of Jews, but these were not people who died during the war. The sadness came from looking out and seeing the cemetery in disarray. Some headstones were facing the synagogue, and some were facing the opposite way toward the old entrance. We learned that during WWII, the cemetery was destroyed by Nazis. Headstones were knocked over and broken, trash was thrown over the graves, it was just utter destruction and total lack of respect. After the war, the Jewish community tried to put it back together, but they had to make some changes. They were able to set up some headstones, but it was like piecing together a puzzle. Headstones were now set up in different directions because the entrance had to be changed. (Tradition says headstones should be facing the entrance). You may notice stones placed on top and around different headstones, and we learned that this is a Jewish tradition. Today, stones are placed on headstones as a way to pay respect.<br />
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Some headstones were just a total loss, so a beautiful wall was constructed of the pieces of headstones that were found.<br />
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<span class="yiv5025232250s1" style="font-size: 17pt; overflow-wrap: break-word;">The Empty Chairs</span></div>
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<span class="yiv5025232250s1" style="font-size: 17pt; overflow-wrap: break-word;">The rain was really coming down now. Luckily we had umbrellas but we felt bad for our guide who didn't have one. We followed him to what we thought was a place of refuge from the storm. As we stood there drying off, the silence began to be awkward. The guide wasn't speaking, he seemed to be waiting for something. Then we finally took note of our surroundings, and noticed we were next to a small town square that was empty, except for several dozen chairs, all facing the same direction. It dawned on us that we were looking at a Holocaust memorial which we had seen in pictures but didn't know was located in Poland. We had mixed emotions - we were pleasantly surprised to get to see this memorial, but it was also a very moving memorial, particularly in the pouring rain, evoking strong emotions in each of us. We asked our guide for some information about it. He told us it was called "The Empty Chairs"<span class="yiv5025232250Apple-converted-space" style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"> </span>and there were exactly 65 chairs to represent the 65,000 Jews from Krakow that died during the Holocaust. There are many stories about why chairs were used to create this memorial, but our guide believes that chairs were the only item the Jews were allowed to bring with them to the ghetto. The Square they were in was the same Square the Jews stood in while being relocated. When the rain finally let up we were able to walk amongst the chairs, silently saying we were sorry.</span><br />
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<span class="yiv5025232250s1" style="font-size: 17pt; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Schindler's Factory</span><br />
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<span class="yiv5025232250s1" style="font-size: 17pt; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Here is where we took leave of our guide. He has been a great guide who has helped us learn about the Jews as a people, not just as victims. The Schindler Museum is located in what was once Oskar Schindler's factory, through which he saved over 1,200 Jews by not only employing them but by saying they were vital to the success of his factory, and bribing Nazi officials. This was an excellent museum because it not only covered Schindler's efforts and the plight of the Jews but it showed the rise of Germany's power and the progression of WWII leading up to and including The Hocaust. </span></div>
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<span class="yiv5025232250s1" style="font-size: 17pt; overflow-wrap: break-word;">What made this museum so moving were the firsthand accounts of individuals affected by the Holocaust. Walking through room after room and reading these testimonies gave voice to the millions of victims. </span><br />
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<span class="yiv5025232250s1" style="font-size: 17pt; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Our students often ask "Why didn't they just escape?" Or "why didn't they just take the armbands or Jewish stars off?"<span class="yiv5025232250Apple-converted-space" style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"> </span></span></div>
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The final room we visited was called "Room of Choices" and was created by an artist named Michal Urban. This exhibit left us speechless. We are now inspired to have our students create a similar project.<br />
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Ghetto<br />
After visiting the factory, we did not want our tour to end! Our guide had explained earlier that there was an original section of the ghetto wall still erect. Of course we wanted to see that, so off went went in the direction he pointed!<br />
For those who don't know, the ghetto was a place where Jews were confined to live in deplorable conditions. In Krakow a wall about 12 feet high was literally built around 3 blocks to contain them. The area it surrounded already housed about 3,000 people, but once the Nazis created the ghetto, it became the home to about 17,000 Jews! Below is a short testimony from a prisoner inside the ghetto in Krakow.<br />
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To get to the original section of the wall, it was a quick walk from Schindler's Factory, but since we were alone it was still a bit nerve wracking wondering if we were going the right way. As we rounded a corner, still wondering if we were going in the right direction, we saw what we were looking for. We were able to see replicas of the wall inside Schindler's Factory. However, it's one thing to see replicas, but it's an entirely different experience to see the actual pieces that Jews saw, touched, and probably hated. It was only about 30 feet in length, but it was powerful. We could see how it was constructed to resemble tombstones, and even though we already knew that, it still gave us a sickening feeling to know that the Nazi's designed it purposely to look that way. It was crazy to see that today the wall was placed right between businesses and homes. This is a piece of history and should be preserved! But in a way it was good to see that life went on around the wall, as if taking the power away from the Nazis.<br />
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The plaque below was on the was and reads " Here they lived suffered, and died at the hands of the German torturers. From here they began their final journey to the death camp.</div>
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Pharmacy<br />
For all the horror we hear and learn about, we can't forget about the people who risked their lives to help. Tadeusz Pankiewicz is one such person. Despite not being Jewish, he decided to keep his pharmacy within the ghetto walls to help the Jewish community. He delivered messages back and forth and often gave out free medicine to the sick. His pharmacy was a place for the resistance to meet and hide Jews. The pharmacy museum was set up to be interactive. You could open cabinets and drawers to see pictures and read testimonials of Jews. There were old telephones you could pick up and hear the voice of someone giving their account of what was going on. You could even open bottles and smell the medicines that were once part of the pharmacy. Of course, it wasn't real medicine, but we were interested in figuring out the scents (mouthwash, cinnamon). He is one person we plan to add to our lessons. Learning about people like Tadeusz reminds us that no matter how bad things are, you always have a choice, which can make huge differences in the lives of others.<br />
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<br />#neverforgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02335615063939519557noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3768426001981240517.post-88181202433659648952017-07-22T15:13:00.002-07:002017-07-23T04:47:12.735-07:00Birkenau<div style="font-family: '.sf ui text'; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 17pt;">This stop was part 2 to our Auschwitz visit. We are a little behind on blogging this day because there was so much to reflect on. How do we begin to describe our experience?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 17pt;">The camp is huge, and we only visited the two main areas: Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II. This post is about Auschwitz II, better known as Birkenau. We followed the tour group through the camp, but decided to break away at times, just like we did at Auschwitz I. We were actually frustrated during the museum tour because we felt like it was so rushed and we couldn't stop and process. It was important to us to get the experience we wanted out of this trip, and being a part of a tour group made it difficult to stop when we wanted. But we also understood because people were there for their own reason. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 17pt;">Birkenau was a death camp, and when we walked up to the iconic entrance, it was much more typical of what you would think a concentration camp looks like. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 17pt;">As we stood on the train tracks that brought 1.3 million innocent people into the camp, knowing we were there to visit and could leave whenever we wanted, we were left with a sickening, guilty feeling. This was the site where over a million people were murdered. Just stop and let that sink in for a minute. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 17pt;">**As we sit here writing the blog on the 8.5 hour train ride to Prague, it stopped due to construction and we were told we had to get off and take a bus, which will take us to our next train stop. We just followed blindly and put total trust in the people around us. We can't help but make a connection to the Jews who were told they were being relocated to a better place. There were no other options for them - and there are no other options for us at this point either! We followed a mother with her young daughter because she spoke broken English and was willing to help us. But that's what the Jews did - they looked to their neighbors and family to see what everyone was doing. Wouldn't you follow and trust what your friends and family were doing?**</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 17pt;">As far as we could see there were fences with barbed wire, old barracks and remnants of barracks - in every direction. The pictures we took cannot capture the enormity of this death camp. This camp was built entirely by prisoners, so the amount of labor that must have taken is extraordinary.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 17pt;">We followed the road down past all the barracks, and came upon a cattle car still left on the tracks. This was an original car used to transport approximately 70-100 people. Staring at the car we saw there were no windows and we thought about the amount of people shoved in, standing room only, babies and children crying, if you have to use the bathroom you just had to go where you were...for us, we could almost feel the claustrophobia and it was enough to make our breath hitch. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "sfuitext";"><span style="font-size: 34.4113px;">Continuing down the road, we reached the far side of the camp where the gas chambers were held, and the railroad tracks ended here. We saw the ruins of 2 out of 4 gas chambers located in Birkenau. </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiep6ReDVOZe-HMaRyTZ3gSmcake3TpSFrmoUGKA8qhyphenhyphenu-LApBVq7GdObA2myVbzB1BlvCKGqrmpFSoNNJooSaKLBT3MJF6kLeDokEUduGezOj4L-ym3JmMj2TW_9vXlWNQb6xlqnatgNA/s1600/20170720_135217.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiep6ReDVOZe-HMaRyTZ3gSmcake3TpSFrmoUGKA8qhyphenhyphenu-LApBVq7GdObA2myVbzB1BlvCKGqrmpFSoNNJooSaKLBT3MJF6kLeDokEUduGezOj4L-ym3JmMj2TW_9vXlWNQb6xlqnatgNA/s320/20170720_135217.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "sfuitext";"><span style="font-size: 34.4113px;">As if the Nazi's knew they were doing terrible things, they blew up the gas chambers when it was finally discovered what was actually happening to people at these camps. Up until that point, everything they did was covered up and lies were told to make it seem like everything was fine. Prisoners were lead to these locations under the guise of taking a shower. We had tears in our eyes when our guide explained that the entrance to the gas chambers was beautifully landscaped to make it seem more inviting. The Nazi's even went so far as installing fake shower heads and giving numbers to each person. These numbers were assigned to a hook so they could hang their clothes - and get them back after the "shower". These lies Nazi's told were some of the reasons they were so successful in the mass murder. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "sfuitext";"><span style="font-size: 34.4113px;">Walking around the site, we discovered something shocking we didn't know about. There was a pond next to the chambers where they would just dump the ashes of the cremated bodies. Next to the pond, there was a plaque that read, "To the memory of the men, women, and children who fell victim to the Nazi genocide. Here lie their ashes. May their souls Rest In Peace." </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "sfuitext";"><span style="font-size: 34.4113px;">Knowing all we know about the Holocaust already, it was surprising to us that the things the Nazi's did could still shock us. We felt so heartbroken at the total lack of respect for the dead. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "sfuitext";"><span style="font-size: 34.4113px;">Think about what you know and have read about the sleeping quarters of the prisoners. This is nothing compared to seeing them in person, touching them, all in their original state. The hair on our necks and arms stood on end as we fought back the tears. Dirt floors, wooden planks stacked 3 high, and at least 7 people crowding into one bunk. We got chills again just writing this! It was very hot and stuffy for us, and we were three healthy woman. We stayed inside the barracks and waited for people to leave so we could have our moment. After the crowded museum tour, we wanted our own time to process the feelings we were having. We wanted to connect and feel, and it was hard to do that among a large tour group. In fact, after the tour ended, we chose to stay and went back into the camp. This is when we saw the bathrooms. At the risk of being repetitive, we must reiterate how shocked we </span></span><span style="font-family: "sfuitext"; font-size: 34.4113px;">were that human life could be treated so poorly. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "sfuitext";"><span style="font-size: 34.4113px;">How many of you would feel comfortable going to the bathroom here?</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "sfuitext";"><span style="font-size: 34.4113px;">Now, how many of you would feel comfortable sharing a hole with another person? Don't forget - you're on a schedule so if you don't go when it's your time, you are out of luck. We felt angry, and like it was another disgusting display of how the Nazi's degraded prisoners. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "sfuitext";"><span style="font-size: 34.4113px;">Memorial</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "sfuitext";"><span style="font-size: 34.4113px;">One bright spot in the midst of sadness was a memorial situated between two of the gas chambers. It helped to be able to pay tribute and apologize. It's such a small thing, and it doesn't make up for the atrocities done to the Jews. But this memorial was more of a warning to humanity to never let this happen again. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "sfuitext";"><span style="font-size: 34.4113px;">This section was not actually part of the tour, or in the camp. It was in the vicinity of the camp and we were able to go there because our driver, Artur, was attentive to our conversations in the car, knew what we were there for, and offered to take us. He explained that this section was thought to have been part of Kanada, but it couldn't be confirmed or denied. So here we are, blindly following a stranger because he was being nice to us and was well educated in the Holocaust. We put our trust in someone we didn't know...don't think it didn't go through our minds that we shouldn't be going off the beaten path! Thankfully it all worked out and we got to have an experience that we weren't expected. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "sfuitext";"><span style="font-size: 34.4113px;">You may be wondering, "What is Kanada?" This was the place where all the prisoners belongings were taken and sorted. It was basically a warehouse. Nazi's kept the valuables, gave things away to German families, and also used it to help pay for war efforts. Prisoners worked at this location and very rarely made it out alive. Think about it - if they were able to leave, they could tell people what was actually going on. Prisoners were told they would get their belongings back. Little did they know they would be murdered, and their precious belongings would be used to benefit their enemy. On the other hand, there was an advantage to working there. If they were brave enough they could steal items and use it to trade for more food or clothes. One story we share with our students is about a woman named Kitty. She worked at Kanada, so seeing the possible actual site really brought her story </span></span><span style="font-family: "sfuitext"; font-size: 34.4113px;">alive for us. As you can see, it's in complete ruins. No preservation efforts were made. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "sfuitext";"><span style="font-size: 34.4113px;">In addition to seeing Kanada, right next to the site was where the train tracks split. To the left was Birkenau, and to the right was Auschwitz I.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "sfuitext";"><span style="font-size: 34.4113px;">If you look closely, you can see that the track ends. We were told that the townspeople who finally got their properties back ripped up the track. You can also see another original cattle car that was used to transport prisoners. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "sfuitext";"><span style="font-size: 34.4113px;">Throughout this tour, there was often a sense of guilt when our guide would say, "Let's stop in the shade, it's much too hot", or "Sit in the grass to rest while we wait for the rest of the group". The prisoners here could not escape the elements and there was not a single blade of grass in all of Birkenau, and if there was, the prisoners would eat it out of hunger. We visited for a few hours, and then got in an air conditioned car and drove away. But over a million innocent people never got the chance to leave. Seeing this place of nightmares, a place that we have only read about or seen in pictures and videos, affected us in ways that are difficult to explain.</span></span></div>
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#neverforgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02335615063939519557noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3768426001981240517.post-89460647279297607972017-07-21T13:35:00.002-07:002017-07-21T13:35:26.797-07:00Auschwitz I Thursday we went to the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camps. It's hard to begin this post because it's hard to put our experiences into words. Our first impression was surprising. Auschwitz I was more of a museum and it was full of tourists. We were part of a large group that moved fairly quickly, so when we broke off and had moments to ourselves, it became more real. We were able to process the information we were given and envision the space as it once was. When we began our journey we did not have any expectations, but one thing we wanted to bring back and share were our feelings and connections. Being able to break away from our group was one of the best things we did.<br />
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AUSCHWITZ MUSEUM<br />
We began our tour walking through the famous gates that say "Arbeit Macht Frei", which means "work sets you free" (see picture below). This was just more lies fed to the prisoners to keep them under control. So many things were set up in the camps to keep the illusion that all will be okay.<br />
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As we explored the camp we learned that each building, called a Block, had a number and a purpose. The blocks that were open to the public were set up like a museum containing artifacts and photographs that we could read about to learn more.<br />
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Block 11<br />
One Block that was particularly moving was Block 11. It contained several underground cells that were used to punish prisoners who committed an "offense". As we walked down the stairs to the dungeon a feeling of dread came over us. There were no windows or light coming through. We don't recall how many of these cells were down there - at least 7 or 8 that we saw. Cell 18 was used starve prisoners to death. Cell 20 was called the suffocation cell. There were also four standing cells in which 4 men were forced to stand in a cell 2 1/2 by 2 1/2 foot area all night long, after working an 11 hour day. This is insane to us! We were walking all day, feeling tired and sore, and these people endured so much torture day after day for months. We had no right to complain about our tired feet or the heat. There is no way to comprehend how they were able to survive and find hope. We were heartbroken as we walked through looking into each cell. When you leave Block 11, there was a courtyard set up with a shooting wall.<br />
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As horrific as this is, the windows along the courtyard were boarded up so other prisoners could not see what was going on. This was another way the Nazi's maintained control and instilled fear.<br />
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Blocks 19, 20, and 21 were set up as the hospital. We left wondering why they would even bother having a hospital in such a place. Then a feeling of shock overtook us as we walked by a gate with another open courtyard. Dead bodies were once left there to wait for transport to the crematorium, while new patients were waiting to be seen.<br />
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Gas Chamber<br />
Before entering, we hesitated to prepare ourselves for the emotions we knew would come.<br />
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We took a deep breath and stepped through. It was quiet. No one spoke. People had tears in their eyes. It was so surreal and it's difficult to put into words how we were feeling. But this was not a crowded area, no one lingered. We had a feeling of urgency to leave - we felt like we wanted to get out quickly.<br />
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<br />#neverforgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02335615063939519557noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3768426001981240517.post-72642268772223913292017-07-19T10:53:00.004-07:002017-07-19T10:53:27.750-07:00ArrivalAfter many hours traveling, we have arrived at Krakow, Poland! We have been awake now for more than 30 hours, but there's so much to see and do already. Krakow is beautiful and our hotel is very "old world". Things are very different here from the street signs, to the architecture, to the food. We love culture and differences so being here is a dream! Our hotel is right in the heart of the town square - anything we need is a quick walk. During one of our walks, we stumbled upon an art museum displaying drawings from prisoners at Auschwitz. We really wanted to find things we didn't know about, and this art gallery was the first in what we hope will be many other discoveries. It's 6:30 pm in Poland right now (12:30 pm in Connecticut), and we just finished our first authentic Polish meal. This will end our day today, as it will be an early night so we can begin to adjust to the time difference and be ready to go for the rest of our trip. Pictures to come!<br />
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<br />#neverforgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02335615063939519557noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3768426001981240517.post-46956992060691004612017-06-20T10:06:00.000-07:002017-06-20T10:06:15.328-07:00The Beginning<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It all began in June of 2016 when we found out about the amazing opportunity that Fund for Teachers (FFT) could provide us. Imagine pursuing an experience in another country that you are passionate about, and then getting to do it for free! FFT has given us a way to give back to our students and community. So from June 2016 until January 2017, we put in countless hours to get our proposal just right. FFT is not going to award us thousands of dollars to go on a vacation - no way! They want to see what our learning journey will bring back to our students. Then on April 5, 2017, it was revealed to us that we won the Fellowship and our dream of getting real experience is now a reality!</span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So here we are, creating a blog for all to see! Please, come with us on our journey and investigate the world at a time of hatred and evil, but also hope and bravery. We all need to educate ourselves so something like this never happens again. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Hate. It has caused a lot of problems in this world, but it has not yet solved one." Maya Angelou</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs7azKLly-NVysHSWtB7kA23wBI_MNlQQCOnWNP1bscCkC5N1wEy1gyCLCSg78AbrwwLgNSub6v2MSCe5zsgHO2B-zVA6m9hpICPPiJjMToupwXd4-FL96BP_WQhOa1nGbirnSZjjr47Y/s1600/FFT+reveal+2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs7azKLly-NVysHSWtB7kA23wBI_MNlQQCOnWNP1bscCkC5N1wEy1gyCLCSg78AbrwwLgNSub6v2MSCe5zsgHO2B-zVA6m9hpICPPiJjMToupwXd4-FL96BP_WQhOa1nGbirnSZjjr47Y/s320/FFT+reveal+2.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The reveal in April 2017</span></div>
#neverforgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02335615063939519557noreply@blogger.com0