Today, like many Jews before me, I walked into the Aushwitz concentration camp and Birkenau death camp. However, unlike the massive amount of victims that suffered through the Holocaust, I walked out. It's difficult to imagine that such a short time ago the world was a very different place. Like me, many have struggled with the idea that such a place could exist, such a mass extermination could occur, and such forced power over others could strip one's dignity away from them and destroy one's sense of humanity.
I walked through the concentration camp with one goal: to recite the Mourner's Kaddish at the right time and the right moment. As I walked into one of the barracks, I saw about 50 or so prayer shawls hanging in a glass case. I continued walking and saw thousands upon thousands of shoes piled on top of one another. And then, as I turned to my left, I saw a case filled with the hair of nearly four thousand victims whose hair was cut off them when they arrived. As I looked at the closest thing that I saw to the remains of these individuals, I recited "Yitgadal V'Yitkidash Shemay Rabbah..." I began to think about if these victims realized as they entered the camps what they were going to experience. Did they know that they were going to be forced to work all day, perhaps starve to death, and no longer have a name as identification but a number? Did they believe that they one day would be free or did they personally accept that all faith was lost?
We walked into Block 11, the death block of Aushwitz and saw the only remains of the gas chambers. As empty as it was, you could easily imagine the screams of those who once were in these chambers.
A short drive away we went to Birkenau, and the first thing we saw was the entrance to the death camp that trains once drove through to drop off the victims. The death camp itself was so big, and the thought of the many people that were exterminated kept me in shock. As I walked closer and closer to the remains of the crematoriums, I slowly became speechless. I saw a marsh with left over ashes of victims and the basement of the crematorium where individuals undressed and prepared themselves for death.
I continue to have respect for all the survivors of the Holocaust - those who struggled to survive in so many different ways. It's ironic, you know - that the main goal of this tragedy was to eliminate a group of people thought to be the same. Yet, no one account can truly encompass the events of the Holocaust. No one account can serve justice to the pain and suffering of the many victims. No one can truly understand it or even grasp it. I just stand in silence, realizing that my own challenges in life no longer seem to be a challenge once I compare them to this.
Zichronam l'Vracha,
May their memories be a blessing.
http://community.webshots.com/user/pjschwartz
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Thursday, August 23, 2007
The Next Stage
As I begin my week long vacation, I reflect upon how much I've actually learned over the past two months. It's hard to believe that so much time has flown by so quickly, and it's amazing to think that the rest of this year will do the same. In about four hours I will leave for the Ben Gurion Aiport to catch a flight to Krackow, Poland and I will spend five days exploring Jewish history, including a Shabbat trip to Aushwitz and Birkeneau. While I can't say that I am "excited" for this trip, I can say that I am looking forward to having what I hope to be a spiritually restoring experience. To stand outside the barracks that many victims once did, including theologian Elie Wiesel who in his famous book, Night, challenged his relationship to God but refused to turn his back on God. For me, the greatest test of faith is having faith even when there is no reason to keep it. For Wiesel, "God behaved badly." He held God accountable for God's actions and that profound statement continues to be a mark of the evolution of Judaism. I promise to have pictures to share with you when I return.
A week ago we began the Jewish month of Elul, which is a month of introspection. This month is encompassed by our preparation for the New Year, and it is important for us to reflect upon the past year and reevaluate our relationship to ourselves and the world. It's very appropriate that I have ended my Ulpan with great success and now am shifting gears in a week for the academic semester. My liturgy professor, who will be a mentor to me this year, made it clear that our only expectation for this year is to know more than you did coming - but it doesn't mean one will know everything. This year is a year of skills - understanding the structure of Liturgy, how to read the Talmud or Midrash, and how to interpret the Bible theologically, historically, and culturally. I'll learn to chant Torah and Haftarah, and learn how to lead a High Holy Day service (a skill I must have as I will return to the states and lead High Holy Day services!). I'll continue to emerse myself in Israel and its wonderful (and not so wonderful characteristics). And more importantly, I'll continue to grow as a human being and a future Jewish professional.
I'm ready. Bring it on.
PJ
A week ago we began the Jewish month of Elul, which is a month of introspection. This month is encompassed by our preparation for the New Year, and it is important for us to reflect upon the past year and reevaluate our relationship to ourselves and the world. It's very appropriate that I have ended my Ulpan with great success and now am shifting gears in a week for the academic semester. My liturgy professor, who will be a mentor to me this year, made it clear that our only expectation for this year is to know more than you did coming - but it doesn't mean one will know everything. This year is a year of skills - understanding the structure of Liturgy, how to read the Talmud or Midrash, and how to interpret the Bible theologically, historically, and culturally. I'll learn to chant Torah and Haftarah, and learn how to lead a High Holy Day service (a skill I must have as I will return to the states and lead High Holy Day services!). I'll continue to emerse myself in Israel and its wonderful (and not so wonderful characteristics). And more importantly, I'll continue to grow as a human being and a future Jewish professional.
I'm ready. Bring it on.
PJ
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
It's Time to Catch Up
After a really busy few weeks, I thought it would be nice to divide my update into two posts. Last Thursday night, to celebrate the nearing end of ulpan (which ended today...more about that in post 2!), we had a Beit Cafe (Coffee House) talent show. So I can't juggle, do magic (I should of kept my magic set I had as a kid), or lift a car, but I can do one thing well: make jokes. What's interesting about what I actually did for the Beit Cafe is that I turned something horrible that happened into something that I can laugh about....
About a month ago I couldn't sleep and woke up early to try and find coffee to start my day. While I knew where I wanted to go, I didn't know exactly how to get there and I ended up getting lost. I was on the phone as I was trying to find it and two police officers stopped me and questioned me. The asked for my name, what I was doing, where I was from, etc. After telling them I wanted to get coffee at the local shop, they pointed me in the right direction. When I found that it was closed, I ended up heading back in the other direction. The officers again questioned me and began to interrogate me (they really thought I could have been a terrorist or something). They didn't accept my ID, copies of my Passport and Visa, or my Insurance Card. They ended up hand cuffing me and putting me in a holding cell at what I've learned to be a part of the President's Residence (score! I got a VIP tour...ha, ha). I felt like I was in an episode of 24...I was sweating, scared, and they really were breaking me down.
What was the end result? They let me go eventually, but I was really thrown off by the entire thing. It appears that the officers were just wanted to have fun with a foreigner, and they did.
And while I was scared and had a hard time with the whole thing for a couple days, I finally can joke about it. How could I, PJ, be a terrorist? So, for the Beit Cafe, with a lot of help from my roommate David, who did stand up comedy in college, I did a comedy routine with a top 10 list: The Top Ten Things PJ Learned in Prison. While some of the jokes may not seem funny to you, it has great references to my program or life in Jerusalem.
Below is the transcript (all rights reserved. David Gerber. 2007)
Hello everybody, as you all know my name is PJ Schwartz, and I am up here tonight because I want to talk with you about my experience in Israel so far.
I’m from Greenville, South Carolina, which I am proud to say, is ranked 49th in literacy and 48th in Math, and 53rd in Geography.
I have noticed that Israel and South Carolina are a lot alike. The only big difference between living in Israel and living in the south is that in Israel, more people hate Jews.
This is my first trip to Israel, so naturally I am impressed with all of the amazing sights. The Kotel…David’s tomb…the Shuk…the inside of a jail cell.
If you didn’t hear the story, or notice my shiny new prison tattoos, I, your fellow classmate, had a little run in with the law this summer.
But I am not bitter about this experience as you might expect. Instead, I would like to use this experience as a way for us all to learn, should you find yourselves in a similar situation.
So here we go…here are the Top Ten Things PJ Learned in Prison
10. There is no 10 o’clock break in prison Ulpan
9. I am not saying that I escaped from prison, I am just saying that in the future, people may or may not be exploring PJ-Kiah’s tunnel.
8. The only difference between being behind bars in jail and being in bars on Ben Yehuda street is that people in jail have better bathing habits.
7. There are surprisingly few other people in jail with the name PJ.
6. If you don’t give them the information they require of you, you have to watch a video of Condoleeza Rice and Benjamin Netanyahu making out in a hot tub.
5. There are better ways to break the ice with the other prisoners than by saying “Hey guys, I’m American.”
4. Ahh, so this is what the other side of the mechitza looks like!
3. In Israeli prisons, you get the same kind of abuse as in America, only here it is from right to left.
2. They arrested me because they needed a Rabbinical student to lead their Shabbat services. They let me go when they found out I was Reform.
1. Prison? I thought I was at Jerusalem day!
About a month ago I couldn't sleep and woke up early to try and find coffee to start my day. While I knew where I wanted to go, I didn't know exactly how to get there and I ended up getting lost. I was on the phone as I was trying to find it and two police officers stopped me and questioned me. The asked for my name, what I was doing, where I was from, etc. After telling them I wanted to get coffee at the local shop, they pointed me in the right direction. When I found that it was closed, I ended up heading back in the other direction. The officers again questioned me and began to interrogate me (they really thought I could have been a terrorist or something). They didn't accept my ID, copies of my Passport and Visa, or my Insurance Card. They ended up hand cuffing me and putting me in a holding cell at what I've learned to be a part of the President's Residence (score! I got a VIP tour...ha, ha). I felt like I was in an episode of 24...I was sweating, scared, and they really were breaking me down.
What was the end result? They let me go eventually, but I was really thrown off by the entire thing. It appears that the officers were just wanted to have fun with a foreigner, and they did.
And while I was scared and had a hard time with the whole thing for a couple days, I finally can joke about it. How could I, PJ, be a terrorist? So, for the Beit Cafe, with a lot of help from my roommate David, who did stand up comedy in college, I did a comedy routine with a top 10 list: The Top Ten Things PJ Learned in Prison. While some of the jokes may not seem funny to you, it has great references to my program or life in Jerusalem.
Below is the transcript (all rights reserved. David Gerber. 2007)
Hello everybody, as you all know my name is PJ Schwartz, and I am up here tonight because I want to talk with you about my experience in Israel so far.
I’m from Greenville, South Carolina, which I am proud to say, is ranked 49th in literacy and 48th in Math, and 53rd in Geography.
I have noticed that Israel and South Carolina are a lot alike. The only big difference between living in Israel and living in the south is that in Israel, more people hate Jews.
This is my first trip to Israel, so naturally I am impressed with all of the amazing sights. The Kotel…David’s tomb…the Shuk…the inside of a jail cell.
If you didn’t hear the story, or notice my shiny new prison tattoos, I, your fellow classmate, had a little run in with the law this summer.
But I am not bitter about this experience as you might expect. Instead, I would like to use this experience as a way for us all to learn, should you find yourselves in a similar situation.
So here we go…here are the Top Ten Things PJ Learned in Prison
10. There is no 10 o’clock break in prison Ulpan
9. I am not saying that I escaped from prison, I am just saying that in the future, people may or may not be exploring PJ-Kiah’s tunnel.
8. The only difference between being behind bars in jail and being in bars on Ben Yehuda street is that people in jail have better bathing habits.
7. There are surprisingly few other people in jail with the name PJ.
6. If you don’t give them the information they require of you, you have to watch a video of Condoleeza Rice and Benjamin Netanyahu making out in a hot tub.
5. There are better ways to break the ice with the other prisoners than by saying “Hey guys, I’m American.”
4. Ahh, so this is what the other side of the mechitza looks like!
3. In Israeli prisons, you get the same kind of abuse as in America, only here it is from right to left.
2. They arrested me because they needed a Rabbinical student to lead their Shabbat services. They let me go when they found out I was Reform.
1. Prison? I thought I was at Jerusalem day!
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Welcome to Graduate School, Professional School, and Seminary
It's going to be a busy year ahead of me - a realization that becomes more and more clear everyday I am at school. I finally found out the truth behind all the rumors about what the Fall semester is going to look like, so here it is....
Not all my major courses will be taught in Hebrew - only my Hebrew courses will be taught in Hebrew. I'll also take Rabbinics or Bible (one in the Fall, one in the Spring), History, Israel Seminar and Liturgy. I'll have a weekly Professional Forum that will address major Contemporary Issues within Reform Judaism and explore Life Cycle ceremonies. In addition, I'll be taking enrichment courses after the High Holidays in four, six week sections: Jewish Music, Torah Cantillation, Haftarah Cantillation, and High Holy Day Prep. I am going to be participating in the Community Choir on Tuesday nights (possibly as my 2-4 hr/wk community service requirement) and do a community service project (TBA, more in detail once I find out).
Classes will be long days...8:30-4:30 or 8:30-6....
I'm going to learn ALOT but will ENJOY every minute of it.
More to come once I find out more details on the Fall...
PJ
Not all my major courses will be taught in Hebrew - only my Hebrew courses will be taught in Hebrew. I'll also take Rabbinics or Bible (one in the Fall, one in the Spring), History, Israel Seminar and Liturgy. I'll have a weekly Professional Forum that will address major Contemporary Issues within Reform Judaism and explore Life Cycle ceremonies. In addition, I'll be taking enrichment courses after the High Holidays in four, six week sections: Jewish Music, Torah Cantillation, Haftarah Cantillation, and High Holy Day Prep. I am going to be participating in the Community Choir on Tuesday nights (possibly as my 2-4 hr/wk community service requirement) and do a community service project (TBA, more in detail once I find out).
Classes will be long days...8:30-4:30 or 8:30-6....
I'm going to learn ALOT but will ENJOY every minute of it.
More to come once I find out more details on the Fall...
PJ
Friday, August 3, 2007
I "New" That
As the summer semester comes to a near close (19 days!), the feel around HUC is changing. No longer is HUC new to all of us, and a routine is starting to form. We have had a variety of liturgy and synagogue skills workshops to ensure that every classmate is on the same page - I now have had a general introduction to the entire Blessing after the Meal, the traditional Havdallah (ending of Shabbat) service, and Kiddush (blessing of the Sabbath wine). I'll learn about the Torah (its blessings, dressing and undressing, etc.), putting on teffilin (the leather phylactaries traditional Jews wear), and other synagogue skills. Come the High Holy Days we'll take a step back from regular study and learn about rituals related to Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement). While liturgy and ritual is something that I am not strong at, I have had a general understanding of basic prayers and rituals all of my life. Now, as I both review and learn new things, I realize the complexity of a prayer and am beginning to understand the "why" rather than the "how."
During my break I plan on also exploring the "why" and "how" on what I know will be a powerful experience. I am travelling to Auschwitz, and while I don't want to say that I am excited to go, I am patiently waiting to have such an opportunity of a lifetime. The understanding of evil and suffering in the world is something I have tried to tackle before, and going to a place where the greatest evils occurred definitely will provide insight into the matter.
As solemn as my trip will be, it seems to be a fitting transition from the summer to fall. I'll be challenged to ask questions and reconcile with these issues, which is something that I will do a lot as a rabbi. This fall, my schedule will change dramatically - I'll be taking Hebrew (Classical and Modern), Liturgy, Rabbinic Literature or Bible, and History of Israel. In addition, I will participate in 2-4 hours of community service a week. The big surprise is this: my Hebrew, Liturgy, and Bible course will all be taught in Hebrew, based on my current Hebrew level. It's going to be an intense year, but I definitely am looking forward to it!
Okay, I'm off to finish cleaning my apartment because I'm having 20 people over for Shabbat dinner tonight...I'm getting my camera soon, so pictures will come ASAP.
PJ
During my break I plan on also exploring the "why" and "how" on what I know will be a powerful experience. I am travelling to Auschwitz, and while I don't want to say that I am excited to go, I am patiently waiting to have such an opportunity of a lifetime. The understanding of evil and suffering in the world is something I have tried to tackle before, and going to a place where the greatest evils occurred definitely will provide insight into the matter.
As solemn as my trip will be, it seems to be a fitting transition from the summer to fall. I'll be challenged to ask questions and reconcile with these issues, which is something that I will do a lot as a rabbi. This fall, my schedule will change dramatically - I'll be taking Hebrew (Classical and Modern), Liturgy, Rabbinic Literature or Bible, and History of Israel. In addition, I will participate in 2-4 hours of community service a week. The big surprise is this: my Hebrew, Liturgy, and Bible course will all be taught in Hebrew, based on my current Hebrew level. It's going to be an intense year, but I definitely am looking forward to it!
Okay, I'm off to finish cleaning my apartment because I'm having 20 people over for Shabbat dinner tonight...I'm getting my camera soon, so pictures will come ASAP.
PJ
Walking the Bible
It's hard to believe that I have already been in Israel for six weeks! It seems fitting, then, that perhaps my most spiritual experience in Israel has occurred this week. The focus of this week's Jerusalem Days programming was the Second Temple Period - both the glory and destruction on one of the most important periods in Jewish history. During the Second Temple period, Jerusalem was at its height - but eventually fell to destruction by the Romans.
Each Jerusalem Day is meant to bring the Bible to life, but yesterday seemed to do so more than any other trip we have had thus far. As I walked through the Dung Gate to arrive near the Temple Mount location, one could see the Dome of the Rock. I got chills knowing that below the Muslim influence of archecture and faith, lie history, both unknown and known of the Jewish people. Beneath the Dome of the Rock is Mount Moriah, where Abraham may have nearly sacrificed his son, Isaac. Now a Muslim Museum and a Mosque, the area next to the Dome was originally the Temple Mount. One can see how massive the structure truly was, as stones and rocks weighing tons lay on top of one another. Rocks from the original destruction are on the ground, with people performing Bar Mitzvahs at the wall. Stairs that led up to the Temple Mount are still intact, as well as ritual baths used to purify oneself before give a sacrifice to the Holy of Holies. We walked the Western Wall tunnels where original stones from the time of Herod are still the foundation for the remnants of the wall, we could see the original city beneath current Jerusalem, and walked below the approximate location of where the chamber for the Holy of Holies was.
I got constant chills throughout the day and felt and overwhelming amount of emotion. For some reason yesterday I felt so connected to Israel and the history behind it. The purpose of this year is for us find our own Judaism and determine Israel's relationship to it, and yesterday truly served that purpose.
I'll update more later on what the Fall semester is going to look like and the amazing opportunities that lie ahead!
PJ
Each Jerusalem Day is meant to bring the Bible to life, but yesterday seemed to do so more than any other trip we have had thus far. As I walked through the Dung Gate to arrive near the Temple Mount location, one could see the Dome of the Rock. I got chills knowing that below the Muslim influence of archecture and faith, lie history, both unknown and known of the Jewish people. Beneath the Dome of the Rock is Mount Moriah, where Abraham may have nearly sacrificed his son, Isaac. Now a Muslim Museum and a Mosque, the area next to the Dome was originally the Temple Mount. One can see how massive the structure truly was, as stones and rocks weighing tons lay on top of one another. Rocks from the original destruction are on the ground, with people performing Bar Mitzvahs at the wall. Stairs that led up to the Temple Mount are still intact, as well as ritual baths used to purify oneself before give a sacrifice to the Holy of Holies. We walked the Western Wall tunnels where original stones from the time of Herod are still the foundation for the remnants of the wall, we could see the original city beneath current Jerusalem, and walked below the approximate location of where the chamber for the Holy of Holies was.
I got constant chills throughout the day and felt and overwhelming amount of emotion. For some reason yesterday I felt so connected to Israel and the history behind it. The purpose of this year is for us find our own Judaism and determine Israel's relationship to it, and yesterday truly served that purpose.
I'll update more later on what the Fall semester is going to look like and the amazing opportunities that lie ahead!
PJ
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