Patricia CarmelOct 2, 20192 minHistorical snippets(Culled from statements by Tomasz: from Gabrielle). The Jews arrived in Poland over 900 years ago, fleeing persecution, primarily from Prague. As they were s...
Patricia CarmelSep 16, 20197 minReflectionsThe trip to Poland has affected all of us in different ways. This is where we can share our feelings. Gabrielle Dear Cousins, It has been a week and I am sti...
Patricia CarmelSep 13, 20191 minFriday, September 6: Polin MuseumThe POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews, to give it its full title, is an impressive edifice. In the square adjacent to the building stands a monument...
Patricia CarmelSep 6, 20192 minFriday, September 6: Okopowa Cemetery, WarsawI didn't accompany the family to the Jewish cemetery at Okopowa. The visit was arranged for the family to pay their respects and help clean up the area aroun...
Patricia CarmelSep 6, 20191 minThursday, September 5: Warsaw Ghetto There's not much to see of what was once the Warsaw Ghetto. Our tour focused mainly on the uprising of April 19, 1943 to May 16, 1943 and the monuments that ...
Patricia CarmelSep 6, 20191 minWednesday, September 4: Lodz There's not a lot that remains of the Lodz ghetto. which was the last ghetto in Poland to be liquidated, in the summer of 1944. We walked around the streets ...
Patricia CarmelSep 6, 20191 minTuesday, September 3: Kielce, Polish HQ of DS Smith We're now leaving Chmielnik on the way to Kielce, where the Polish headquarters of DS Smith PLC is located. DSS was founded by our grandparents / great-gran...
Patricia CarmelSep 5, 20192 minTuesday, September 3: ChmielnikWe left Krakov early in the morning, boarded our bus and drove some 91 kms. to Chmielnik, our first stop en route to Warsaw. The Zmideks of Chmielnik date ba...
Patricia CarmelSep 5, 20191 minMonday, September 2: (Auschwitz continued) Birkenau After a snack at the canteen, we took the tour bus to Birkenau, the largest of the more than 40 camps and sub-camps that comprised the Auschwitz complex. The...
Patricia CarmelSep 4, 20194 minMonday, September 2: Krakov, Auschwitz-BirkenauI wasn't alone in being apprehensive about going to Auschwitz. We didn't know what to expect and how it would make us feel. It has taken me three days to pr...
Patricia CarmelSep 3, 20191 minMonday, September 2: The 1st day We arrive in Krakov, then continue to Warsaw.
Patricia CarmelSep 1, 20192 minSunday, September 1: On the way to PolandI'd planned everything to the last detail: train times - check; Polish weather conditions - check; suitcase packed, unpacked, repacked, shoes dilemma resolve...
