Day 2

There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest. 

~ Elie Wiesel 

Today we spent our entire day in the city of Warsaw. It's hard to imagine that during the war, this entire city was destroyed. Most of the city has been rebuilt, but there are reminders of the devastation throughout the city. 

Warsaw was home to a large population of Jewish people during the war. Unfortunately, many of that population was confined to the area called the "Warsaw Ghetto."

1. What is a ghetto?

2. Go to the following site: US Holocaust Museum- Warsaw Ghetto. Read through the information. Write down 10 facts about the ghetto. Place a * next to the three facts that you find most surprising.

One of the things that I'm quickly learning is that the Jewish people had a strong will to overcome their situation. While the Jews in the ghetto knew that they would not defeat the Germans, they were unwilling to die without dignity. Because of this, they planned an uprising.

3. Go to the following site: US Holocaust Museum- Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. In 3-5 sentences. Summarize the uprising.

4. Much of the uprising was organized and carried out by young people. If you were a Jewish person in the ghetto, would you have participated in the uprising? If so, what role would you play? What would you want to achieve? If not, why would you not participate? What would you do instead?

This statue was built to honor those who fought in the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. It currently stands in front of the newly built Museum of the History of the Polish Jews (our main location today). We spent a part of the day analyzing this statue and what it might mean. 

5. Look at this statue. Write down 3 things you notice. What might those things represent?

After the war, most of the city was only rubble. However, before building any of the surrounding buildings, the survivors erected this statue.  It's hard to believe that they were able to build that statue in 1948, only three years after the end of the war. 

6. Why do you think they would choose to build a statue before rebuilding the town?

7. If your town was destroyed and you survived, what is the first thing you would rebuild? Why?

(Sorry this got posted a little late- our schedule has been a little crazy!!!!)