Hellesdon Sixth Form

Lessons from Auschwitz

Some students were lucky enough to get the opportunity to travel to Krakow for the Lessons from Auschwitz course on Wednesday the 24th of March.

This allowed us to explore the camps at Oświęcim, including Auschwitz 1 and Auschwitz 2 (also known as Auschwitz -Birkenau) as well as a Jewish cemetery. We were able to explore the contrasts between pre-war Jewish life in Oświęcim and life in Oświęcim today, as there are currently no Jewish people living there. This trip was eye-opening yet gut-wrenching. We were able to step foot inside a real gas chamber and the exhibits held real artifacts and objects taken to Auschwitz by the People forced to travel there. This included a room of shoes, suitcases, pots and pans left behind, and seeing such large piles was a horrific experience, as we imagined the number of losses. It is hard to visualise 1.1 million people, so we feel it is better to think of 1.1 million individuals with equally important stories. Although it was a heartbreaking trip, it was an enlightening one that at points held images and glimmers of hope, and we will continue to work to keep the memories of the people who perished alive thanks to our ‘Lessons from Auschwitz’ experience.

Sophie: My favourite part of the trip was the ceremony we were lucky enough to experience at the end. A Rabbi came with us throughout the trip, giving us a unique perspective on the Holocaust and Auschwitz as a whole, and continually expressed messages of hope throughout our visit. We were able to experience a ceremony on the side of the railways at Auschwitz-Birkenau, where people read poems, placed candles at the side of the railway and the Rabbi sang “El Male Rachamim”. It was a beautiful part of our trip and was definitely emotional.

Chloe: My favourite part of the trip was the Jewish graveyard. It was really interesting to understand the Jewish Culture and how it was before the holocaust. We got to look at gravestones, all written in Hebrew, and decipher the symbols on the graves. I remember how a broken tree was someone’s life ending short and a crown was a good name. This was fascinating as you cannot find this sort of imagery and decorum in many parts of the world anymore.