Warsaw itself is a city of contrasts. Much of it was destroyed during World Wars I and II as a result of battles between the German and Russian armies. What remains of the original architecture resembles the early European style of building, very ornate and detailed construction. The Soviet era brought a much different style, stark and plain, very basic, no elaborate decorations with the exception of placards in three dimensional relief, depicting scenes from the communist revolution and glorifying the struggle of “the working class.” The communists disdained any form of opulence particularly for living quarters and apartments for “the workers.” After the fall of the Soviet Union, Warsaw saw a surge in new construction in the modern style as well as a renewed effort to renovate and rebuild historic buildings, some dating back to the 1700’s. In many cases, the only guides they had were artist renditions of how these structures appeared while they were still standing in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Sadly, I only had about three hours in which to tour Warsaw. As you can imagine, there was much I did not see during my visit there. Some of the highlights were the statue of Chopin (who’s mother was Polish), Madam Curie’s home (she was also Polish), the Royal Palace, the Parliament building, embassy row, the central marketplace, and the monument to the martyrs of the Jewish uprising against the Nazis in the Warsaw Ghetto. As for the ghetto itself, there are a few places where sections of the wall that defined the ghetto's boundary were left intact as a memorial. Other than that, no physical evidence of the ghetto remains. Bricks from the wall have been sent to Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC, and other places around the world to be displayed for all to see. Across from the site of the monument, a museum is being built for the Jews of Poland who fell victim to the Nazis. It will be completed in about three years. I would like to see it.
I also went to the only functioning Synagogue remaining in Warsaw, but it was not open at the time. I was hoping to find people there lighting candles for the fifth night of Chanukah, but no such luck. Chanukah is typically a holiday observed in the home. As in Krakow, with the exception of the public Chanukah celebration I stumbled upon by accident, Jews here tend to remain anonymous. One can find evidence of Jews, but the Jews themselves are elusive. They tend to keep a very low profile, perhaps out of self-consciousness, shame, or even fear. I was told by the Chabad Rabbi in Krakow that many of those who are Jewish refuse to admit it, and others who suspect they may have Jewish roots don’t want to know. Very little remains of a once large, proud, and influential Jewish Diaspora community in Poland. Such is the legacy of the Nazis.
My time in Poland is now over. Though my visit was short, I got a good flavor for the country. More importantly, I saw what I came here to see, and now I am anxious to get to Israel. Thank G-d for Israel! In a manner of speaking I’m already there. As I write this, I am on an EL AL flight to Tel Aviv, not quite Israeli soil, but Israeli property nonetheless. The sound of Hebrew is in the air, and it is like music to my ears. We’re just thirty minutes from Ben Gurion airport, so I’ll wrap this up and post it when I get online again. See you in Israel…
-Wayne
The pictures below are: the statue of Chopin, the monument to the martyrs of the Jewish Ghetto, part of the boundary wall of the Ghetto, and the site of the future Museum of the History of Polish Jews.
