Poland

Before you read this entry, I must give you fair warning that its contents could very well be seen as controversial, and perhaps insulting to some. In no way do I mean for it to be, and I am only speaking my mind.
Last week began our preparation for the Poland trip, with a very moving and informative display put together for us by the madrichim. But it was only today, as we were given our roommates and told to start preparing, that it really sunk in for me that next week we will be going to Poland, a veritable showcase of our worst memories. It was there that so many of our brothers and sisters died, and many more suffered unimaginable torture. Yet it is also a place, a country, just like any other. Yes, we have many bad memories there. But it is also the home to many people. As terrified as we all are to travel there, we must remember that it isn't all death, gloom, and concentration camps. It's also schools, houses, libraries, politics, and so much more. So even as I steel myself in preparation to send my emotions through the wormhole at warp 10, I remind myself and others that the side of Poland that we are about to see, that of darkness, is only one side, and we mustn't forget that there are many other parts to this country, as with any other. Yes, it holds a dark past for the Jewish people, there is no denying it. But it also holds a bright future for the human race.