For the first time, young adults with special needs traveled to Poland as part of a Holocaust education trip.
The trip was initiated by World Jewish Congress Chairman Gad Ariely, in coordination with the Modi'in Maccabim-Reut municipality, the Akadem House for autistic children and adults, Nitzan Modi'in, and the Center for Autism Treatment and Research.
Participants took part in a series of preparatory meetings and an educational seminar at Yad Vashem.
Upon arrival in Poland, participants visited Krakow's ancient Jewish Quarter and Ghetto Heroes Square, where they learned about the square's history and heard the story of Tadeusz Pankiewicz, a Polish pharmacist who is considered to be a Righteous Gentile. The evening ended with a special dinner together with local Jewish leaders.
The most significant part of the trip, however, was the group's visit to the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp, where participants spoke about their murdered relatives, shared the horrific stories their families had been through during the Holocaust, and held a special ceremony to commemorate the six million Jews who were murdered during the Holocaust. They lit memorial candles at the camp's memorial, and ended their visit by singing Israel's national anthem, "Hatikva."