Limmud in Europe - A Day by Day Recount

Stop 1: Austria/Hungary Shabtai Pessin, Head of Limmud: "We landed to beautiful weather here in Vienna! After settling into our lovely apartments and taking a short rest, we headed out for a Jewish Vienna tour. We explored the city and learned about its rich Jewish history spanning hundreds of years. Following the tour, the group had some free time before enjoying dinner together at the local Bnei Akiva Snif It's been a full and meaningful first day, and we’re so excited for what’s ahead tomorrow!" "Friday, our first full day in Wien, how exciting. The day started off with a gevaldik Shacarit in Shabtai’s room then we continued with Thursdays walking tour around the beautiful and historical city. We travelled through time in the shoes of Sisi the former empress of the Austro-Hungarian empire to explore the lives of Austria’s nobility. Discovering their highs and lows and the ultimate succession of the Austrian 2nd Republic. As Shabbat was quickly approaching at an abnormally early hour of 4:29, the chevra hurriedly bought their baked goods and snacks in their preparation. We began the hike to Wien’s Mizrachi shule in the middle of Judenplatz for a gishmak davening and enlightening Shabbat dinner as a family. Finally, signing off an incredible educational and holy day. - Justin Gross, Chanich on Limmud

Shabtai Pessin, Head of Limmud: What an incredible weekend we’ve had! On Friday, we explored the history of Vienna through VR goggles and 3D films in modern interactive tours, and went into Shabbat with the Mizrachi community, featuring a special guest speaker. Saturday night was full of energy with an exciting round of laser tag, followed by free time that the chanichim spent enjoying the amusement park. Today we discovered scenic Vienna — from the grand Schönbrunn Palace to the picturesque town of Dürnstein — and wrapped up the day with the super fun Jumping Warrior Arena. It was an amazing start to our Europe journey, and tomorrow we’re off to Budapest, Hungary!

Stop 2: Poland Sarah Lebowitz, Rakezet of Limmud: Yesterday we arrived in Poland after a long drive from Budapest through Slovakia. Today we began our journey in Poland; a day full of meaning, reflection, and emotion. It was a day that raised many important questions and thoughts among us all. We started the morning at Yeshivat Chachmei Lublin, where we prayed and learned about the rich Jewish history and the vibrant community that once thrived in Lublin. From there, we continued to the Majdanek concentration camp. We walked proudly, carrying Israeli flags. Ari, Libi, Noa, Lior, Tzofia, and Dani prepared a short ceremony, where each of us shared one word about what we feel and hope for the future. After that, we toured around Lublin and then travelled to the town of Józefów and the nearby forest, where so many of the town’s Jews were murdered. In the evening, we drove to Leżajsk for dinner, visited the grave of Rabbi Elimelech of Leżajsk, and had a tish."

"Today was an extremely meaningful and emotional day. We started off the day by going and Davening at the Yeshiva חכמי לולבין where we learnt about its history and how only 9 years after its opening it had to be closed because of the war. We then visited Majdanek the concentration and labour camp, where we learned about the horrific atrocities that occurred and witnessed the site where 60,000 Jews were brutally murdered. After walking the grounds and confronting the horrors that occurred my group then proceeded to present our Tekes to the group where we provided a visual of how many people 60000 Jews actually were through ten pages with 6000 dots on them each representing a different person who was murdered. As well as a physical sentiment of the amount of food prisoners were provided for a day in Majdanek. We then went on a tour around what used to be the Jewish quarter of Lublin and we got to witness how certain organisations commemorate the loss of Jews due to the Holocaust. We then went on a two hour journey to Jozefow forest where we understood how 1500 Jews were heartlessly shot and murdered. Whilst today was an emotionally difficult day it was significantly impactful and strengthened my connection to the Holocaust, allowing me to solidify my knowledge of what occurred during this atrocious time." - Tzofia Isacowitz, Chanicha on Limmud "We started our day by going to the Yeshivat Chachmei Lublin to daven shacarit and torah reading. After that we made our way to Majdanek. Upon entering the camp the group was nervous and anxious as we weren’t sure what to expect or how to react. Off the bus we all placed our Israeli flags onto our backs proudly, and entered the camp freely, with the privilege of leaving. There we saw the horrors of the disinfection stations with showers which were still intact. Thereafter we saw the barracks where tens of people slept on a little bunk. These barracks held up to a thousand Jewish prisoners each. We then made our way to the cremation building which was still intact. Thousands of Jewish people were stripped there and murdered as well as being searched for valuables and then burnt. To end we did a group tekes where we held a piece of bread the size of our palm to show us the tiny amount of food the Jewish prisoners received for a whole day. We ended our day by going to a mass grave in Jozefow Lubelski. We walked into the woods where 1600 Jews were shot into pits. We said Kaddish for the Jewish victims and sung Achainu as a group. United as one." - Joey Michels, Chanich on Limmud

Sarah Lebowitz, Rakezet of Limmud: On Friday morning, we began in the Children’s Forest with a very moving ceremony led by JJ, Romi, Michaela, Eli, and Levi S. During the ceremony, each chanich received the name of a child who was murdered in the Holocaust a child who shared the same name as theirs together with a touching and meaningful letter from you. We continued to the city of Tarnów, where we learned about the Jewish community that once lived there and its tragic story during the Holocaust. From there, we traveled to Kraków, where we proudly began Shabbat with a meaningful assembly in the main square. In Kraków, we davened in a shul that had not been used since the Holocaust, and also in the historic Rema Shul. We toured the Jewish ghetto and ended Shabbat with a very emotional Havdalah in the heart of the Jewish quarter. (Sending videos taken by our security guard.) Today, we left early in the morning for our visit to Auschwitz I and Birkenau. During the day, JJ, Ari, and Libbi bravely shared powerful family stories, adding deep meaning and emotion for everyone. We ended the visit with a strong and moving ceremony led by Elia, Shira, Justin, Benj, Joey, and Vica, who spoke about the strength, resilience, and responsibility we all have to remember and to bring light into the world.

At the end of each day, we divide into small groups for reflection and sharing. The chanichim talk about their experiences, thoughts, questions, and challenges from the day. These moments show their deep maturity and the seriousness with which they approach every part of this journey. "We’ve been in Poland for four days now, and it’s hard to put into words just how powerful and emotional this experience has been. We began on Friday at the Children’s Forest, where we took part in a tekes led by our peers. Each of us received the name of a child who shared our name — a child who was murdered during the Holocaust. Holding those names, reading your letters, and having quiet time to reflect made it deeply personal and grounding.

From there, we drove to Kraków for Shabbat. It was an incredible feeling to bring Jewish life back to a city whose Jewish community was almost completely destroyed. We welcomed Shabbat together, sang zmirot around the table, and ended with havdalah right in the heart of Kraków’s old Jewish quarter. Over Shabbat, we also walked through the remains of the Kraków Ghetto, saw the last standing ghetto wall, and visited Schindler’s Factory — each place reminding us of both loss and resilience.

This morning, we woke up before dawn — at 4:45 a.m. — to prepare ourselves emotionally and spiritually for our visit to Auschwitz. We began by davening Shacharit in the last remaining synagogue in the town of Oświęcim, the same town where Auschwitz stands. Then, at Auschwitz I, we stood in silence inside a gas chamber, where the scratches on the walls made everything heartbreakingly real. We heard about Dr. Mengele’s cruel experiments, and about the unimaginable bravery of the Sonderkommando who rose up and blew up Crematorium IV at Auschwitz II, choosing defiance even in the face of certain death.

Throughout the day, we listened to testimonies of survivors and families — stories of escape, courage, and pain — that reminded us why memory and responsibility are so intertwined. We ended the day together at a quieter, less-visited part of Auschwitz II, the Judenramp, where we stood in a circle, sang Hatikvah, and felt the weight of our history and the hope in our future." - Ari Kind, Chanich on Limmud

Sarah Lebowitz, Rakezet of Limmud: This morning we woke up in the city of Kielce, where we prayed in an old Shul and took a tour of the sites where a pogrom against Jews took place after the Holocaust. Afterwards, we met with local Polish people who are working to preserve the Shul and heard from them about their ongoing efforts to protect Jewish memory and heritage today. From there, we traveled to Radomsk, where we visited the Jewish cemetery. We spent time cleaning and organizing the area a very meaningful and powerful experience for all of us. We had a ceremony led by Lani, Kayla, Levi, Yoni, and Eitan. In the evening, on our way to Warsaw, we stopped to see the place where JJ’s family hid during the Holocaust and met the family who rescued them. It was deeply moving to hear the full story, to see the actual place, and to learn about the Righteous Among the Nations who risked their lives to save others.

"As part of our Poland trip, we visited the Jewish cemetery in Radomsk. Entering the cemetery We saw with our own eyes how so many names could no longer be read and how countless graves were left uncared for . Over 4,000 tombstones covered in moss, weeds, and trees, forgotten in this town. We learned that the families who once cared for these graves were brutally mass murdered by the Nazis right here in this very cemetery. With no one left to care for these graves or ensure these names are never forgotten, we took responsibility. We put on our gloves, picked up our tools rakes, snippers, and saws and got to work. Through our teamwork lifting heavy trees and branches, we managed to clean an entire block of graves. It filled us all with pride and a deep sense of meaning as we saw the transformation proving that just like the Jews of Radomsk will never be forgotten, the continuity of עם ישראל will forever live on" - Lani Salomonovitch, Chanicha on Limmud

Sarah Lebowitz, Rakezet of Limmud: We started our last day in Poland at the Jewish cemetery in Warsaw, where we learned about the rich history of the Jewish community that lived there for generations. From there, we traveled to Treblinka. Later, we toured the Warsaw Ghetto and concluded the day with a moving closing ceremony led by Lev, Gad, Galia, Abby, and Milly, which also included the family stories of Abby and Milly. During the ceremony, they spoke about the idea that the State of Israel was not created because of the Holocaust. Rather, the Holocaust happened because we did not have a state. How lucky are we to be able to travel back to our home Israel now as a group! Am Yisrael Chai! "Thought of the day.

1.5 hours is all it took.

Get off the train.

The clock is ticking.

Ticking for your death.

Til you become ash.

1.5 hours, from life to ash. 2 hours is how long we were at Treblinka, more than anyone that was in the 1.5 hour timer. I walked out while almost everyone else didn't.

People walked in with an identity, a family, a history and now we do not even know who they are. We know nothing. A whole eternity erased.

1.5 hours from someone to no one

I was there for 2 hours and I became more and did not lose anything." - Lev Jankelowitz, Chanich on Limmud "A concept that has become so familiar to our group is mass graves. Before this trip, I wouldn’t have been able to understand the fact that there were more than 100 people in a mass grave, judging by the small size. However, today we witnessed a mass grave at the Jewish cemetery that was smaller than my school hall that contained 80 000 Jewish corpses. Eighty thousand bodies that all had a soul with a purpose. That all had hopes and dreams, fears and shortcomings. Just like us. I still struggle to grasp the fact that I was standing at the foot of a grave that had more Jews buried there than the entire South African Jewry. Not only did these people not get a dignified burial, but their names didn’t even get recorded. They were merely just bodies.

We witnessed another mass grave, not too different from the one before, except this time it spanned 600 metres by 400 metres, and it contained 870 000 bodies. Try and fathom that amount of people. I bet you can’t. It’s almost as if these people never existed to begin with. Their names were discarded, all of their family members were murdered and they had no one left to remember them. The Nazis covered their tracks when they destroyed Treblinka and all the evidence that any of the atrocities ever occurred there. This mass grave was only discovered after the land was given to Polish farmers, once they dug for gold. These bodies were murdered in vain, with no one fighting for them, no one looking for them. Simply just a clump of matter that was discovered on accident. I really struggled to see any good or to learn a lesson from today. I can’t even say that I did. But what I can say is that as long as we live, Jewish and proud, the Nazis failed. Us Jews still remain alive. It is our duty to continue the Jewish chain and to live our lives proudly, in the way our ancestors never got to experience. It is also our duty to overflow the world with love, kindness and acceptance. G-d knows how much hate, racism and discrimination took place during the holocaust, and it is up to us to make sure that it will NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN!" - Dani Aires, Chanicha on Limmud

-Limmud 2025