Poland Part II Day 7.1
My grandfather wanted to take me to Bunk 15, the barracks where he slept for most of his nights as a prisoner of Auschwitz. The barracks still stand. We might have gone off by ourselves, but a Dutch filmmaker who was attending the conference approached my grandfather to participate in an interview for his documentary. […]
Poland Part II Day 6
“Remembrance Has Not Matured In Us Yet…” Historians, educators, archivists, advocates, survivors, curators, museum directors; representatives from the Holocaust Museum in DC, Yad Vashem in Jerusalem, Camp des Milles in France, the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, and many more, all convened in one place, in Auschwitz, to discuss the legacy of the Holocaust. How […]
Poland Part II Day 5.2
What does it take to tell your story of survival, to retell and relive those memories? Does it get easier or harder with each visit? It has become more and more clear to me just how much my grandfather distanced himself from what happened, how he separated and blocked out this earlier part of his […]
Poland Part II Day 5.1
It is a very difficult balance to document everything and also stay present to the experience; to balance sharing the story while also allowing for private moments. Each is important. On this trip, my grandfather never asked me to take a specific picture, except for this one. As we entered the Auschwitz concentration camp, which […]
Poland Part II Day 4
Leaving Warsaw. When my grandfather and I attended the 70th Anniversary Event commemorating the liberation of Auschwitz concentration camp back in January, I had no idea that it would bring us back to Auschwitz just a few months later. We have been asked to return by the Auschwitz Memorial Museum to attend the inaugural International […]
Poland Part II Day 3.3
My Polish Wisnia, Live in Warsaw! Every language and every culture has a popular song dedicated to Mother. One of my grandfather’s standards is Momele. To know his history and to perform Momele with him in this place is a gift. (He then threw in the Italian Mama Son Tanto Felice, for good measure.) Performing […]
Poland Part II Day 3.2
My Polish Wisnia and I have arrived at our concert venue! Here we are, greeting ourselves. Look at this beautiful poster the good ppl of Fabryka Trzciny put together! This is going to be one classy affair. See you inside. Sound Check at Warsaw’s Fabryka Trzchiny Theater. This old factory used to produce cigarettes, […]
Poland Part II Day 3.1
We had one important stop to make on our way through Warsaw before we reached the venue where we would perform. Krochmalna 43. My grandfather grew up on Krochmalna Street, at the corner of Waliców. It used to be rare for me to hear him talk about his childhood and life before the war. He […]
Poland Part II Day 2
Warsaw, when we are here, you are never not grey. We have been indulging in Polish cuisine: pierogi, kielbasa, cabbage, kluski, and soup. Hot soup. Scalding hot soup. If the soup is not on the verge of boiling, my grandfather will send it back. Soup is a part of his identity. It is one […]
Poland Part II Day 1
Stopped in Vienna to take a Saba Selfie. The first of many, I’m sure. You would never guess my grandfathers age. Especially not after taking a cross-continental red-eye. 10 hours, no sleep, still smiling. Another great thing about traveling with my grandfather: every time I go for a high-five, he never leaves me hanging. Poland, […]
