2 min read
As a software developer, the allure of California's Silicon Valley is strong. I was ready to leave gloomy London for a daily supply of vitamin D. I applied for a job a while ago and got it, but I knew I had one more journey to make in Europe before heading across the pond.
I have always felt a deep need to express my gratitude to the Allied soldiers who liberated town after town, camp after camp, in 1945. And to mark this, I decided to cycle from London to Auschwitz. I also wanted to use this experience to educate others - both Jews and non-Jews - about the history that my great-grandparents were so lucky to escape from.
My ride finished at the iconic entrance to Birkenau and I then spent Shabbat with the Jewish Community Centre of Krakow (JCC Krakow). I was welcomed by a wide range of extremely friendly people: a lively group of Holocaust survivors, several families engaging in Jewish traditions and a large cohort of young people discovering what it means to be Jewish after Communism forced religion entirely underground.
Despite the emotions lingering from Auschwitz, I somehow felt immediately at home in Poland. Wasn't it meant to be a horrible antisemitic place? Weren't people fighting to leave for the UK because there are no jobs and a horrible quality of life?
I needed to learn more and I have been here ever since.
After 25 years of independence from the USSR, Poland has had a huge influx of EU investment. In Katowice, where I live, I have just watched another modern skyscraper be built. PricewaterhouseCoopers now sits alongside Ernst & Young. Deloitte is nearby. I complete my weekly shop at Tesco, Lidl or M&S. Young Poles are well-educated, well-travelled and extremely tolerant.
I know some in our community feel that the Poles were complicit in Nazi war crimes, and indeed Poland has far from a perfect past.
But I don't think we can focus solely on the past, and if you do, we must recognise that Poland views the Second World War as much a national tragedy as we do: three million non-Jewish Poles were killed by the Nazis, along with three million Polish Jews. History is incredibly important, but understanding the past must inform our present and allow us to get on with our lives. Today's reality is that Poland is one of the safest places for Jews to live in Europe.
Last summer I travelled more than 1,000km by kayak from the south of Poland to the north. It took me almost three weeks. Throughout the trip, I was invited into many people's homes for warmth, shelter and a nice, hot Polish meal. I have experienced no antisemitism when I tell people I am Jewish.
I have explored my local area by bike, going on many weekend rides, greeting friendly bike riders with smiles and waves. It is, however, a reality that on every trip, I pass monuments dedicated to ''the victims of Hitler''. Despite feeling comfortable in this country, I am regularly reminded of the history that so significantly affected everyone here.
These experiences have taught me the importance of education and engaging with different cultures and communities. Appreciating other perspectives is what life is all about.
To enable others to share what I have seen, I set up Ride for the Living, an educational trip to Poland involving a tour around Auschwitz followed by a flat, 55-mile bike ride back from the gates of Birkenau to JCC Krakow. The JCC is situated in the heart of Kazimierz - the best preserved Jewish quarter in Europe.
The symbolic ride takes us from the gates of tragedy to the living present, proudly declaring humankind can continue despite such loss.
Last year 15 people from Britain, Poland, Israel and America took part. This year we're expecting 100 cyclists. We'll be raising valuable funds for World Jewish Relief's vital work supporting vulnerable Jews across eastern Europe and for JCC Krakow's superb programming. Please join us!
The second annual Ride for the Living will take place from June 4-7, 2015. If you would like to get involved, please visit www.ridefortheliving.org, email sm@wjr.org.uk or call 0208 736 1250.
