Jestem tutaj w Krakowie! (cont.)

The next morning (Friday) we visited the “Ulica Pomorska: Krakowianie wobec terror 1939-1945-1956,” a museum part of the Kraków History Museum (Muzeum Historyczne Miasta Krakowa), which traces what happened to Polish leaders, political prisoners, and those of the Underground from 1939 through 1945 by the Nazis, and then again from 1945 to 1956 by the Soviets. We walked through the basement cells where Polish prisoners were tortured by the Gestapo, and stared at the stone walls filled with etched names of those who were confined. These cells were yet another physical reminder of past Polish suffering and the complicated narrative of tensions that arose during (and especially after) the Communist regime over who suffered more, Pole or Jew?

We proceeded to a lecture at the Jagiellonian University, the second oldest university in Central Europe (second only to Charles University in Prague) and alma mater of famous graduates such as Nicolas Copernicus and Pope John Paul II. Dr. Barbara Klich-Kluczewska from the Department of History at Kraków University delivered the lecture entitled, “Understanding Poland. A lecture and discussion on modern Polish history.” Sadly, due to the heat of the day, the darkness of the room, and the lull of our teacher’s voice, my eyes drooped and several decades of recent Polish history had passed by the time I jolted out of my slumber. I found out afterwards that I had many nodding-off partners during that lecture.

Carvings on the prison cell walls by Polish political prisoners of the Nazis.

In the evening, we dressed up and returned to Kazimierz to attend Shabbat services at the Isaak Synagogue, an Orthodox synagogue from the 17^th century which was not destroyed in the Holocaust. Thankfully I sat next to Shelby who did her best to explain the slightly chaotic happenings of the service. Because we sat in the women’s section on the balcony of the synagogue I could only hear (although not understand since my Hebrew “skills” are limited to ‘Shabbat Shalom” and “Gut Shabbes”) and not see anything behind the 3 ½ foot mehitzah (or walled gender partition, which exists, as I am told, so the men are not distracted by the beautiful Jewish women as they pray [of course, this is one of many reasons] ;p). I too was distracted and kept myself occupied by staring at the worn inscriptions on the walls, the standing and sitting as the rabbi read different prayers, and people-watching since Jews from all over the world, here in Kraków for the Jewish Festival, were present for the service. And, because women have to have their shoulders covered in the synagogue—my ‘covering’ consisted of a knit sweater—I quickly became a sweaty (and itchy) observer.

            After the services, we proceeded through the Kazimierz street network to the Kupa Synagogue for a Shabbat dinner put on by the Jewish Community Center. There were over 300 guests present for the dinner and the Chief Rabbi of Poland, Michael Schudrich welcomed everyone and led the blessing of the wine, the Kiddush. I ate a copious amount of challah and hummus but did not venture near the gefilte fish or the pickled herring. When bottles of Polish vodka were brought to the tables prior to dessert, I wondered if after-dinner vodka was a typical gesture for a Sabbath meal; I was quickly reassured it was not and it made me smile that this mixture of things Polish with things Jewish, a very small reminder that Polish and Jewish traditions have intermingled in this land for 1,000 years before the Holocaust, and here in this place, filled with laughter, the persistence of Jewish life (and love of life) was exemplified and made all the more significant in a nation that lost 90 percent of its Jewish inhabitants only 70 years ago.

After Shabbat services, filing out of the Isaak Synagogue.

Front of Isaak Synagogue.

Our Shabbat dinner, hosted by the JCC of Krakow, at Kupa Synagogue.