We walk down a beautiful small street lined on both sides with unique contemporary styled homes, carefully landscaped large front yards, children playing, dogs lying lazily in the sun. It could be mistaken for a small street in Great Neck…. except that many houses display a red and white flag, the Polish flag. We continue walking and the street turns into a small dirt road that leads into the outskirts of a forest. Some homes have a view of this lush green forest. ….and the birds are chirping.
We continue walking a few hundred feet into this forest and are faced with a mass grave where 800 Jewish children were murdered. The grave is bordered by a blue fence and littered with children’s toys, art, stuffed animals, and poetry that previous visitors have carefully placed. It is silent except for the birds.
We are all parents. We all have children. We love them with our most inner souls. You can’t help but think of all those parents who lost these children. You can’t help think of these children and all the other children who were murdered. You think of your own children. There is not a dry eye.
Yitzy has brought his guitar but is not sure he can sing here. But of course, he doesn’t disappoint us and sings “hamalach hagoel otee” harmonized beautifully by R Dovid.
The birds continue to sing.
A DHL truck makes a delivery on this street. Their life continues as usual. And I can’t wait to go home and hug my 6 kids.
-Orly Steinberg
May 16, 2019
Journey to Poland 