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Auschwitz: The Past is Present - Warsaw, Poland Days 1-2

1/25/2015

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January 22-23, 2015
Getting to the airport early I sat there listening to the talking-heads on CNN go on and on about the New England Patriots' deflated ball fiasco. It was rather ridiculous. I am glad that I didn't check my bag through Chicago, but I did have to check it once there, it worked out rather nicely.

Flying to Munich I sat next to a really interesting man from Munich, he is a 55 year old veterinarian who studied in San Francisco. He and his family travel the world on vacations, most recently to Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam. We discussed travel, education, religion and the German perspective of World War II and post war Germany. From his perspective, post war Germany didn't have much national pride. Many people were afraid to fly the German flag, it wasn't until the 2006 World Cup. The new generations of Germans reclaimed their national pride.

The plane was so old that there were still ashtrays in the bathrooms. The in flight monitors didn't work and enough people complained, that they gave us all $25 vouchers. Although it didn't really bother me, but it worked out.

Arriving in Munich I remembered the passport check in and terminal from last June. I still can't get over how easy it is to fly into the continental European Union. We had a very short passport check in Munich and nothing in Poland. It's gonna take at least 2 hours when I get back to the US.

I immediately tried to get my phone to work, it didn't connect to any network, I tried rebooting, manually connecting, nothing. I thought, "Well, maybe it will work in Poland. That's where I told them I would be." Still didn't work in Poland. Since we had 4 hours until we had to meet for the opening session a group of us went out and explored. Well, explored with a mission. Tracy needed a brush, some needed money from a bank and I needed my phone fixed. Two hours and four phone stores later, my phone still didn't work. Eventually, meaning the next night, I got a hold of my husband and he was able to call someone to get my phone working.

At the opening dinner I realized how big this program really is, we have have a security detail. This is where I first met Paula Lebovics, Holocaust survivor, she is one of the cutest, strongest, women I have ever met. The most touching moment of the evening was when Olga Burkhardt showed up and saw Paula. The moment they saw each other there was a spark. I wish there was a way to capture that moment, it was beautiful. Like to souls separated and meeting after a long absence. Just watching them I could feel the affection between them.
You can read there store HERE on the USC Shoah Foundation website.

January 24, 2015
Today was our first sessions of the the conference and they were really great. I got a lot of really good information. There are several things I will be doing with my classes. (I will post a page of conference notes on the main pages of my website for those of you who are interested.) They talked to us about tomorrow, apparently there will be some VP people joining us. Word on the "Street" is that is is Steven Spielberg who gave the program its name, "The Past is Present."

I had the great opportunity to talk to some amazing junior interns about some of my class projects. They were able to help me work through some ideas from a student perspective. they even made connections that I hadn't seen before, I wish they were my students. I spoke to Paula again, this time about movies in the classroom. When I mentioned, "Life is Beautiful" she shuttered angrily saying that movies is a, "slap in the face to Holocaust survivors." When I asked her if there was a better movie and she said, "Shoah" is much better." We later had a lovely conversation about family and her travels to Australia. I want to keep talking to and learning from her.

This evening a small group of us went out and explored Warsaw. Adam (from Poland) and Steve (from England) make great tag-team tour guides.
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Auschwitz: The Past is Present: Days 3-4

1/25/2015

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I didn't realize how much pressure or stress I have been feeling until Donell and I exchanged texts. Honestly I hadn't realized that I had been feeling that way until his text, which for some reason filled me with calmness. It had such an immediate impact I had to reflect on how I was feeling.

This is an amazing experience that I will be eternally grateful for. I am really glad that we have the opportunity to talk with Paula, Lucia and Ruth. Paula Lebovics is a beautiful strong woman who is humble yet unyielding in her voice. She reminds me so much of Nanny, my father's grandmother, who was my favorite grandparent. She was another strong beautiful woman who really impacted my life. Lucia and Ruth  are two high school junior interns with the USC Shoah Foundation. They are incredible young women who are bright and smart, they make really great connections that I hadn't made before. Talking to them reminds me of the LIA kids last year who, once they found their voice, are incredible leaders with infant amounts of potential. I feel so comfortable talking to them, I think because they remind me so much of my own students, who I enjoy talking to so much.

This morning we had a reflection session from yesterday. It was good to think about the lessons we have learned so far. We talked about authentic sites, while we were sitting in a Polish Jewish Museum in the middle of Warsaw Ghetto location. We went outside and talked about the memorials that were erected, just outside the museum, within the first 3 years of the end of the war. It was fascinating, though I was a little disappointed with the lack of visits to authentic sites in Warsaw. Luckily Adam, a Polish native, took me and Steve, a British teacher, to the Warsaw bunker. It was the last stand of the resistance, everyone inside died, there is debate whether they died from gas or suicide, but it was a block from the museum and the group did not go. Luckily we at least stopped at the Warsaw Cemetery. It is the most interesting and culturally rich cemeteries that I have ever visited.

We had a 'shark tank' where we had the opportunity to 'pitch' our project ideas to a panel, the panel being the junior interns. And by 'our' I mean a few "randomly" selected teachers, I was not one of them. Though I am going to try to find the kids later and talk to them about my project to get their feedback. Anyway, during this panel, Steven Spielberg came in, he was introduced to all of us. He sat one seat away from me, later the David Zaslav, Discovery CEO came in and sat between us. I met his [David's] wife, she teaches Math and it was an enjoyable chat. I would've liked to talk to her more. Later there was a panel of teachers and junior mentors from our group. Last night I was asked to be prepared to ask questions during the panel, at the time I thought there would be survivors so that's how I prepared my questions. Long story short, although I revamped my question I didn't ask any questions. I tweeted several great quotes and things from this panel check out #pastispresent

The ride to Krakow was supposed to be 4 hours, it is now 5 hours later and we still have another hour to go. We had a few stops and the other bus broke down for a while, so we stopped and waited for them. One of our pit stops was at the fun Dutch? themed restaurant with medieval elements thrown in, the hot chocolate was warm milk and chocolate, delicious. Now I am trying to get reflections typed and completed so that way I can sleep as soon as we get to the hotel.

Paula  Lebovics Quotes:
"You  can't hold  onto the  hate [anger], you have to let it go  so you can move on."
About the displaced  persons camps:
''It was  wonderful, how could it not, we were free?"
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    Merinda Davis

    Teacher. Student. Designer. I love to learn and experience new things.

    I think life is more fulfilling when you fill your life.

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