“Our educators guided and taught us with great integrity, insight and care. It was a truly impactful experience which I will never forget – both the content and the whole group experience,” said participant Helen McNeill.
As the home of teaching and learning, LSJS provided an intellectually stimulating and engaging journey led by expert educators. Participants explored the country’s rich heritage and history; visiting magnificent synagogues and significant Chassidic sites, whilst also gaining an understanding of modern Jewish life in Poland.
“The trip was enlightening in so many ways; the overwhelming and wonderful sense of community from the whole group was exceptional. The guides were outstanding and had clearly put in so much hard work, research and enthusiasm, said participant John Saffer. “Hearing the personal historical testimonies of eyewitnesses and victims and how some in our group were personally affected were some of the things that will remain with me. In addition, the historical insights from our guides and exploring the wonderful buildings we visited helped clarify what we were looking at and take in the tragedy of what happened to Polish Jewry.”
Attendees also benefited from pre-trip educational sessions to provide context enabling them to arrive in Poland prepared for what they encountered, so they could get the most out of the experience.
The multi-city trip was led by expert tour guide and LSJS Head of Adult Education Michael Rainsbury and Rebbetzin Ilana Epstein, member of the senior rabbinic team at Western Marble Arch Synagogue and educator for the Holocaust Education Trust and March of the Living, who focused on art in the Holocaust. The unique four-day trip provided participants with the opportunity to visit less-explored places with time to discuss sites and themes in more depth.
“The LSJS Journey to Poland was an emotional and unforgettable experience”, said Michael Rainsbury. “One of the most poignant moments was standing at Belzec, where 600,000 Jews were murdered—a place of truly unfathomable destruction, yet so often forgotten. And yet, amid the weight of history, we found moments of uplift: stories of survival and renewal, cases of preservation of Jewish history in Poland, and the rich heritage of 1,000 years of Polish Jewry.”
“It was an honour and privilege to pay tribute and commemorate the lives lost to the Shoah as well as learn about the thousand-year-long story of Polish Jewry with the first-ever LSJS Poland trip”, said Rebbetzin Ilana Epstein. “Combining LSJS’ unique approach to education, with the experiential element of being in Poland, was a perfect combination, bringing depth and understanding to one of the most complex parts of our history. The only way to combat hate is through education and LSJS is doing just that; providing education at all levels for our community and beyond.”
“We are thrilled that our first trip to Poland was so memorable and that participants got such a tremendous amount out of it, with the impact lasting for many years to come,” said Joanne Greenaway, Chief Executive of LSJS.
