As a Jew from New York, I never felt like a minority. I was just like everyone else in my town and never felt unsure of my place in society. However, I was clearly just in a bubble and was blissfully unaware of all the anti-Semitism and prejudice against Jews in the world. Of course, I have heard about the stories and the horrible acts of violence that have and still go on, but never once had I personally in countered anti-Semitism until I was abroad last semester.
For a class trip, a group of us went to Poland for a few days. We first went to Krakow, and then to visit Auschwitz and Birkenau concentration camp sites. Krakow was beautiful and full of history. However, as soon as we exited the city of Krakow, I felt a cold rush of judgment in the air. I felt unsure of my safety and sort of uncomfortable. After visiting the concentration camps, I was incredibly upset and rightfully so. The following day we met with Polish students from the town of Oswiecim, the town where Auschwitz is located, to discuss their connection to the Holocaust and the heritage of Jews in Poland. Most, if not all, of these students were Catholic and had little to no knowledge of the Holocaust, even though they lived less than 10 minutes away from one of the largest Nazi death camps. Nonetheless, that wasn't the most surprising aspect of talking to these students. Before talking to these Polish students, I decided not to mention that I was Jewish in order to get the most honest conversations. While chatting with the students, I asked what they thought about the harsh stereotype of Poland being anti-Semitic. At first, the students didn’t even know the term anti-Semitic, but once I defined it they responded, “ We aren’t anti-Semitic, we are just glad we don't have the Jews in our country anymore”. The students’ response chilled me to the core. I genuinely learned more about anti-Semitism that day than I did at Auschwitz and Birkenau combined. Even though I was completely horrified by the Polish students answer, I know for a fact that that would have easily happened in America today if I asked about racism. Although Jews are technically a minority, it is clear that racism and anti-African American acts are still a huge part of our past and current culture. So in reality, how different are those Polish students from students today who ridicule African American students?
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AuthorJunior at Emory University, blogging for course ENG389W with Professor Julienlass Blo Image from Pixabay pixabay.com/en/bread-baked-jewish-kosher-homemade-732276/
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