Dear BBYO Passport, 

This summer, I was lucky enough to attend BBYO Passport’s Central Europe trip. For just over two weeks, we traveled from Berlin, Germany, to Prague, Czech Republic, to Vienna, Austria, and then through Poland — Zakopane, Krakow, and Warsaw. Along the way, we not only stood in the places where Jewish life was destroyed, but also in places that made us feel proud and grateful to be Jewish today. There were definitely ups and downs, but in the end, we leaned on each other for support like the community we are. As you read this, I hope you can feel a piece of the joy and meaning this journey brought to me and my peers.

Our first stop in Europe was Berlin, Germany. Although we were only in Berlin for 2 days, we really did hit the ground running! We saw everything from the main tourist stops to hidden gems. One of my favorite parts of Berlin was getting to see the Brandenburg Gate on our first day. It was so beautiful and really got me excited to see the rest of Europe. Another highlight from Berlin was walking around in the free time we had and getting to know everyone on the trip! From talking at meals and connecting over the sites we saw during the day, it really was the perfect place to kick off the trip. 

The next stop after Berlin was Prague, the Czech Republic. We spent 4 days and our first Shabbat in Prague. Prague was one of my favorite places we traveled to over this trip. While in Prague, we saw the city in all its pure beauty, which was stunning just to walk the streets lined with beautiful architecture. The Jewish quarter had some of the most beautiful old synagogues, which were so amazing to go into and see what it was like back in the 1800s. My favorite part of Prague was Shabbat because it was so magical to see everyone come together and become the strong community we are. On Friday night, we went to the local Chabad to do the blessings,  light candles, and eat dinner. Then headed back to the hotel for a restful Saturday, where we got some much-needed rest that we all needed. 

After we had a relaxing morning, we headed to brunch at Chabad, then for a walking tour of the old town. I remember the old town being beautiful even though it was raining that day. We saw a stunning castle and went across the Charles Bridge, where the views were amazing, and got to see the old town from above. Then, to finish the day, we had a really fun meal at a really nice restaurant, and then it was time for havdalah, my favorite part of Shabbat. For programming, the staff put us in groups to plan each special moment of Shabbat. The group I was in got havdalah and were in charge of planning it. What made havdalah so special in Prague was that we did it on the rooftop of our hotel and really closed out Shabbat by singing all together. 

Vienna, Austria, was our next stop, and it was a fast one-day, one-night stop, and then we were off to Poland. During our time in Vienna, we packed in a lot, from seeing the Jewish quarter to exploring markets. The best part of all was that I got to see one of my best friends from last summer. We had met on ILTC last summer, and it turns out her trip was in Vienna when I was, so we got to see each other for a total of 5 minutes, but it was the best 5 minutes because I got to see her! After seeing one of my best friends, we traveled and saw so much of Vienna, from stunning cathedrals to exploring an amusement park fair on our first night that I wish I could go back to. We also had a really nice roommate bonding, which was so much fun! Plus, our staff took us to a European McDonald's to try the “Grimace shake”! Although Vienna was fast, I had the most fun!! 

Our first stop in Poland was Zakopane, and it was a little mountain town in the Polish countryside. While we were there, we got to see the beautiful countryside by taking a gondola up a mountain, which was so beautiful. The time we had in Zacophane was also short, but it was so relaxing to go strolling through cute little Polish markets and see the beauty of the mountains. 

After Zakopane, we headed to Krakow, and this was one of our more holocaust heavy parts of the trip because we mostly explored holocaust sites that were a huge part of our history. While in Krakow, we visited the Krakow ghetto and Memorial, the Oskar Schindler Factory, and some synagogues that were still standing in the old Jewish quarter of Krakow. We also visited the Krakow Jewish Museum, where we saw artifacts dating back centuries. To back it up a little bit, while walking and learning about the Krakow ghetto, I was so in awe of everything we were seeing. Part of me couldn't even process the fact that we, a group of Jewish teens, were standing where many other jews starved and were taken to their deaths. To make the day not filled with holocaust history, we spent the afternoon in the old town square of Krakow, where we could shop, eat, and hang out with our friends. I really enjoyed getting to have some downtime and time to just enjoy the old town square.

Later that night and two nights before, the staff and everyone, including me, had been preparing us to go to Auschwitz-Birkenau, as you well know, the death camp where thousands of jews died and were stripped of their freedom to be jews. We all expressed our stress and anxieties about Auschwitz very differently. So what I loved about having time to break into groups and talk about why we were really on this trip was truly one of the most special moments on our trip. As I mentioned before, we broke into groups to discuss how we were feeling about the next day and came together as one community. These moments where everyone was so vulnerable and open were so special because you could really see that this moment was going to be the most life-changing moment of the trip thus far. 

While at Auschwitz, we mourned the losses, leaned on each other, and came together as one strong, beautiful community. During the moments when we felt at our worst during that day, everyone leaned in and took every moment in. It truly was one of the most beautiful experiences of my life to see a community that had only met a little over 2 weeks ago come together as one. 

Once we finished at Auschwitz and Berlin, our staff said to us Write down your experience, this is a day you will never forget.  So I did, and you can read all about it right here: https://azabbg.bbyo.org/post/never-again-never-forgotten. 

As we arrived at our last stop of this trip and turned over a new leaf after our unforgettable experience at Auschwitz, we headed into Shabbat with open minds and hearts, ready to see what was in store for us in Warsaw. 

In Warsaw, we had a mix of fun and free time with the final bits and pieces of the Holocaust part of the trip, from seeing the Warsaw ghetto and learning all about it to shopping at a really nice mall as an evening activity one night. Not to mention, we did a lot, a lot of walking because we were spending our last and final Shabbat here in Warsaw.

My highlights from Warsaw were, of course, seeing all the Holocaust memorials and sites because, after hearing about it for years, it was really powerful to finally see it in person. I also loved getting to do Shabbat again with this amazing group. Lastly, I loved havdalah and reflecting on our trip as a whole and hearing everyone's favorite moments from the trip. 

The theme of the trip, as you may have gathered, was very Holocaust based. We learned in depth about the holocaust while visiting memorials in each place we traveled. While also having life-changing moments that we will remember for the rest of our lives. We had the perfect balance between Jewish history and fun activities at every place.

Lastly, thank you to the incredible staff team we had on this trip and to all our tour guides who showed us how special each place was. Thank you for empowering us each step of the way, while also having the most meaningful conversations. While also giving us memories that we will never forget. Thank you for being role models to us even in our hardest moments. Thank you for making sure we take in every moment of this trip. This trip wouldn't have been the same without you.

Overall, I am incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to experience this trip with the best group and staff ever! If you are considering or want to go on a BBYO passport trip, know that it is definitely worth it and you won't regret it. Lastly, in total, we traveled to 8 countries, saw so much stunning architecture, and formed friendships that will last a lifetime. 

To conclude, if you have any questions or want more info on what to expect on a BBYO passport trip, please feel free to contact me!