Our last day in Prague consisted of a visit to Terezin, (Teresenstadt in German) the 'model' camp to which the Jews of Kolin were transported ... The first stop on the journey to their deaths in places like Auchwitz and Maidanek. But, to be sure, for many this was the place where their life ended. While often not thought of as a place of death, many, many thousands of Jews died of starvation, disease and were murdered in Terezin as well.
We visited Terezin, with Irene, born in Kolin, deported to Terezin in June of 1942 with the rest of the community and survived the ghetto which was liberated in May of 1945.
Kolin, she told us, was the second largest Jewish community in the Czech republic. They were very secular Jews. Irene told me that the rabbi of the town, Rabbi Feder, may his memory be a blessing, had a difficult time even getting a minyan. Like most of the Czech Jewish community, they considered themselves Czechs first and often barely knew they were Jewish. But, everyone who has spoken of Rabbi Feder has only spoken in glowing, even heroic terms about this man. And all have noted how much better off the Czech Jewish community would be today if only it had a rabbi like him.
On the way she oriented us for our visit at Terzin. Terezin was a garrison town built by the emperor Joseph in honor of his mother Theresa. It was a military garrison and a surrounding town that supported the military. (not unlike the original Auschwitz which was also a Polish military barracks). Terezin is on the northern Czech border close to Germany, positioned there strategically to repel the Germans who were continually invading the country. It was built to house 7,000 but housed upwards of 50,000 during the war.
We toured exhibits which spoke about life in the ghetto: horrific overcrowding, constant threat of disease (in fact the ghetto was quarantined for two months following it's liberation because of an outbreak of typhoid), and the terrible SS torture at the 'small fortress' that took the lives of upwards of 25,000.
With it's beautiful courtyards and seemingly 'nice' living conditions it is hard to imagine how terrible life was in this place. Transports were continually bringing new Jews into the ghetto and others taking them away ... Mostly to Birkenau.
But Terezin is also a symbol of resistance. While there was no chance of armed resistance there was resistance through secretive poetry and art work through which they memorialized the truth of this place. A truth hidden from the world under a false facade that was forwarded by the Red Cross who were completely deceived into believing the German picture of the good life they were providing for the Jews. The reality of the Red Cross visit can only be understood, at best, as complete indifference. For as elaborate as the preparations were, the Red Cross made no real effort to dig below the surface. If they had the reality was right around the corner waiting to be seen.
Indeed, Terezin was a place of spiritual and mental resistance. The poetry, music, the drama and even the secretive decorated prayer room of the ghetto stand as everlasting witness to the fact that you might beat, torture, starve and even murder the body but you can not touch the mind and soul of ones who refuse.
This leads, however, to an interesting cognitive dissonance for those who visit Terezin in order to try and understand the terror of the Holocaust, for there they find today exhibits of paintings and poetry. There is even a room that discussed the theater of the ghetto. It is easy to walk away thinking 'it was bad ... Really bad, but not the full and horrific evil of which we often speak.
Of course, delving just a bit deeper one comes to understand the horror of this place as well ... And then you really come to understand the unbelievable courage and heroism of these artists who knowingly defied the Nazis.
We listened to many stories from Irene who told us much about life in the Ghetto ... As well as life before and after the war. She is, indeed, an amazing woman of incredible strength and spirit ... Very much like our own Sonia Liberman.
We concluded our visit to Terezin with a tour of the crematorium and a visit to the memorial to all those lost in this place. We stood below the large remains of a tree that was planted by the children of Terezin on Tu B'shevat. After the war it was transplanted in the memorial garden. But, then the Prague flood of 2002 killed the tree. It has now, appropriately enough, been turned into a memorial. In our visits to Jewish cemeteries across eastern and central Europe we often found the head stones of children decorated with the stump of a tree as a symbol of those whose too short life had been cut off. Standing at this tree we, one last time, joined together in memorial prayers for all those so tragically lost.Returning to Prague we joined together for one last dinner as a traveling community. 12 of us continue on to Berlin tomorrow, but for Sharon and Shelly this journey has come to a conclusion. So, we bid them a fond farewell and safe travels as they return to the states.
Tomorrow we are on to Berlin.
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