forgotten ancestors: a journey to Western Ukraine

Friday, June 30, 2006


Krakow is a wonderful city -very walkable and safe, even late at night. We explored the old Jewish section with its museum about the Jews of Galicia. Wednesday evening we attended a poetry reading where Alexander wanted to catch up with his teacher, Jorie Graham. This took place in a gloriously restored synagogue reminescent of Frank Furness's Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia.

Spent the day at Auschwitz yesterday. Many of the buildings in the Museum section displayed photos that the Nazis took of their prisoners. They stopped taking pictures for identification when they started tatooing. The photos were haunting-people either looked terrifed, crazed actually, or profoundly sad. I found a photo of Rozalia Wojtowicz. Is it possible that she is a relative?

One of my goals on this trip is to find more about the guest worker program that Grandmom's sisters were part of. Family lore says they were killed at Auschwitz. I know that many Ukrainians died in the camps. Perhaps someday I can find out more
now that the records are finally being released.

We're off to Lviv this evening and will finally confront the rumor that passengers are often drugged and robbed on Polish night trains!

Wednesday, June 28, 2006





We negotiated bad weather, delayed flights and lost luggage to finally arrive in charming Krakow. Very satisfied with Globtroter Guest House-clean,reception desk extremely helpful. Nice little cafeteria adjacent with cozy courtyard. Wonderful strawberry pierogies! Looking forward to some rest and seeing the city tomorrow. Our only agenda is seeing Auschwitz-Birkenau and wandering the streets of Krakow.

Photos: poster advertising Polish/American poetry reading; next 2: newly restored Temple Synagogue