Krakow Day 4

Thursday was one of the days I was really looking forward to in Krakow as we were going to Schindler’s Factory. Having known someone that worked for Schindler, this visit meant even more to me. I have to say I was a little disappointed when we arrived and were informed that the building was not original. However, the museum was built on the original grounds so I guess that was good enough for me. The museum tour was a bit hectic. Since the museum was very narrow and our group was so large, we were having trouble hearing and seeing what she was talking about. The best part for me was when we got to the room with the names. I tried to find the name of the survivor that I knew, but unfortunately couldn’t remember the spelling of his name. Ryan was my cameraman for the day so he took a few pictures in the room.

After the tour we watched a short film where they interviewed survivors. The video was so interesting and it was really great to hear some survivors speak since we were unable to meet with one at Dachau.

After the museum we headed for lunch at an Israeli restaurant. I was feeling a little down since I couldn’t find the name of the survivor I knew. After ordering my hummus and falafel, I did a little research and found the spelling of his name. I turned to Ryan and said that we needed to go back so I could get a picture. He then realized that he had taken a few pictures inside the room with the names. I grabbed the camera and started searching. I clicked on the first picture and zoomed in really close, and there in the top left corner was Simche Birnzweig. It was obviously meant to be and it just made my whole day 100% brighter.

After lunch we walked around and checked out some shops. Our next activity was something I had been dreading for a while. We all met up at the JCC to give short presentations on our visit to Auschwitz. Not only am I really nervous when it comes to public speaking, but I am also not one to talk about feelings. Of course I waited and went last out of 21. My presentation was probably sub par but in all honesty I don’t think I could have done any better. Visiting Auschwitz was such a strange experience and to have to share it with 22 other people was even worse. I understand why we had to do this, but I just wish I could have written my thoughts down instead of sharing them verbally. I am very glad that I was able to visit Auschwitz and maybe one day I will talk about it, but for now it is something that I don’t want to discuss.

After the JCC we headed back to our favorite hole in the wall, self-service polish restaurant. It’s obvious that I ordered golabki and cleaned my plate. After dinner we went back to the hotel and hung out for a few. Some of us went out for a drink and then called it an early night.