We started the day off in Munich, we went to the FC Bayern Munich stadium. What an awesome tour and experience, it was my first time in a European football (soccer) stadium. It was interesting to learn about how ownership structure works with the fans owning at least 51% of the team. Got to see a lot of behind the scenes, in the museum part, it was cool to learn how to specific club, was at a point a more jewish club with some of the players, head coach and director/owner being jewish. Definitely would love to experience a game now!
We then went to Dachau concentration camp. For me, being Jewish, it was an extremely intense experience. Intense, I’m very thankful I got to go. We had an incredible guide, a professor of German history from Munich University, who is a direct descendent of a survivor of Dachau. At times it was hard for me step in specifics room, without shivers going down my spine. I have been to many of the Holocaust Museum‘s around the world, but nothing was like being on the site of where it had taken place.
It was also such a powerful experience for me, to be there because we won and we are living proof, good overcame evil. There is a memorial site outside of where the crematorium and gas chamber was, that had a star of David surmounted by a seven tier candelabra that has the inscription “Do Not Forget”, written in German, Hebrew, and English it was at the site of the “Grave of the Thousands Unknown”. It was reading those words that the emotions were too strong and powerful for me not to tear up some.
The Natzis tried to eliminate us from this world and destroy any evidence of our existence, as well as break our mind and souls, and being there showed and if felt the force of good, the hope and the resilience that our people had to continue our traditions and our faith and our practices. Proud of my heritage and being Jewish. Never Again and Do Not Forget.
Overall an incredible experience that I am so grateful to have experienced, especially with such a supportive group.
