Neshama: a Soul Journey
It is important to note, I wrote this post before we left for Poland. This is what we anticipated from the trip, a soul journey into the past of our ancestors. What we experienced was what we expected, and much more. To be explored in future posts….
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The Hebrew word neshama (נשמה) can mean "soul" or "spirit". It can also be used as a term of endearment or greeting to express that someone is a "good soul."
Beginning on July 30th (my birthday), Nicole and I plan to take part in a ten-day Neshama travel tour to explore Jewish heritage sites in Poland and help clean-up a long-neglected Jewish cemetery. We will have the amazing opportunity to learn from local rabbis, scholars, dignitaries, and community leaders who will offer first-hand insights regarding the imperative (and challenges) of cleaning-up cemeteries in accordance with Jewish law. We also explore how local Polish communities view Jewish cemeteries in their towns and the need to preserve Jewish memory.
I do not have Polish ancestry. My grandma Sarah was born in the Pale of Settlement which was in her era a part of the Russian Empire. The region changed hands many times over the years from Russian, to Polish and Ukrainian, and back (several times) but grandma’s first language was Russian. Investigating my own heritage I have often debated, am I Polish, Ukrainian, Russian? After much soul-searching and reflection, I have concluded that I am Jewish. Although I am not Polish, I feel that a visit to Poland is essential to understanding the atrocities that my ancestors endured.
The trip formally begins with a tour of Jewish Warsaw, which includes a visit to the Okopowa Street Cemetery, the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews (recognized as one of the finest historical museums of the world), the Jewish Historical Institute of Warsaw, the Nozyk synagogue, and a visit to Treblinka, a place that lives deep within my history.
From there we journey to the Jewish communities of Lublin, Brzesko and Kraków. The darkest history of Polish Jewry is examined at Auschwitz-Birkenau where many of my extended family members were murdered, and my great-aunt Hermina was liberated.
For the final leg of the journey, we travel on to Zawiercie. Over the following three days we will work in what may be one of the most meaningful travel and soul-affecting times of my life. Under the leadership of The Matzevah Foundation, following the guidance of the Rabbinical Commission on Cemeteries in Poland, our group of about a dozen people will work on the restoration of a Jewish cemetery that has been largely neglected over the past 80 years.
The tasks in the Jewish cemetery often consist of clearing of brush, grass, small trees, and other vegetation. Heavy lifting may be involved so it’s a good thing Nicole is prepared. Fortunately, all levels of strength and expertise are needed.
We plan to show up with the willingness to do the work and a flexible spirit to help accomplish whatever task we might be asked to do.
photo credit: wcielone.zlo