Today was a unique and memorable day. We visited Auschwitz -Birkenau. This death camp consumed the lives of more than 1 million lives most Jews but also Roma, Soviet POWs, and Poles. It is huge and has more than 1 million visitors per year which begs the question is it a tourist site now? Prior to touring the camp we had lunch and talked with the director of the Catholic Interfaith Center for Dialogue right outside. The director works to help with the open wounds the site reveals. People bring their own visions of Auschwitz with them and dialogue is key.
Walking the site is serene and thought provoking but also creates great introspection. It is hard to fathom what happened there. As a student of WWII I have read and studied much about what happened at Auschwitz and have wanted to visit the site simply to experience the place. I will definitely share this with my students.
To stand on the site of such anguish, pain, and hatred touches the heart and soul. And also makes one even more dedicated to being vigilant about standing up to those who seek to divide us against ourselves by segregating and focusing on the "other" in society and by demonizing them so as to de-humanize them.
