Rachel’s Blog
There’s Only One Eye in Vienna
Journal Entry #5: Day 5
Today was a big day. We boarded a train and set off to Salzburg. The train ride was relaxing and quiet. Before I knew it, we were ready to get off in Salzburg. Our tour guide was my favorite tour guide of the whole trip. She was an older lady who knew so much about Salzburg and its culture, as well as had a shining personality that livened up the tour.
One of the first things we saw were gold plated squares in the ground referred to as “stumble upons.” These marked the residences of Jewish people who perished during World War II. I could tell from the tour guide that it was very important to the city to remember these people and the suffering they endured. It was very difficult and strange to stare at the little golden squares and think that, perhaps, this is the only thing that remains of these people’s existence. The tour guide told of several stories where the Jews in the city were exiled. It seemed that if anything were to go wrong in Salzburg, the people blamed the Jews. This is incredibly sad, yet hard for me to understand. Why? Why them? Perhaps we will never know the answer for sure, but the perilous past of the Jewish people all over the world, as well as in Salzburg, breaks my heart.
Walking into the old, historic part of Salzburg was quite a treat. I (stupidly) asked if the hanging signs were original, which they were, of course. It is a large part of Salzburg’s culture to keep the city in its original condition. They certainly value the authenticity and tradition the city exhibits. The sights were breathtaking. I enjoyed seeing Mozart’s birthplace and eating a Käsekreiner mit Brot for lunch.
The part of the day that I am most grateful for is meeting the 101 year old Holocaust survivor, Mr. Feingold. I am so lucky to have been in the presence of Mr. Feingold and hear him tell his incredible story. He told his story in a tone that I cannot describe in any other way than, good-humored. After so many years, I’m sure he has come to terms with what has happened, but I was still surprised by the nature in which he told his story. He talked rather slow, which allowed me to understand some of his German. Thankfully, Ines translated for us. It was very nice of her to do so. He told us that what he was describing was something we could never imagine. It was the epitome hell. I understand what he was saying. I had a nightmare that night about the little details he did share. I cannot fathom the extent of the horror. I can only give him my respectful silence and always remind myself how blessed I am. The final thing that struck me, was his ambivalence toward religion. I was not sure what I was expecting, but I thought maybe he would say he kept his faith throughout all the hard times. But, he didn’t. I understand how he could lose faith throughout it all. His final messages to our group was to read between the lines in the media to get to the truth. His mission is to spread his story and enlighten anyone and everyone he can with his story. He certainly accomplished this.