From Nov. 9-19, the first cohort of the Maurer Koach program travelled together to Krakow, Warsaw and Budapest, seeing firsthand the history of the Jews in the Holocaust, juxtaposed with amazing stories of empowerment and Jewish growth in each city. Doing this with the war between Israel and Hamas as a background added even more power and emotion to the experience and everyone was moved in different ways on this trip.

The purpose of the Maurer Koach program is two-fold; bringing together a cohort of people in their 20s and early 30s to learn together about antisemitism and the Holocaust and to connect them to the Jewish community as future leaders. The Europe trip is the centerpiece of the program, and it met these goals and so much more. While almost 300,000 people were marching for Israel in D.C., this group was walking the paths of the Majdanek concentration camp in Lublin, Poland. This was just two days after visiting the death camps of Auschwitz/ Birkenau, an experience which moved some participants to tears upon setting foot in the area. From the exhibits of Jews’ belongings in Auschwitz through to the end of the train tracks in Birkenau, where many posed draped in Israeli flags, the emotions flowed throughout.

“I have learned, studied, watched movies and read about the Holocaust, but to actually walk around the soil of Auschwitz- Birkenau and Majdanek was surreal and powerful,” Ashley Florman said. “While I experienced emotions of anger, sadness, and speechlessness, I also realized how resilient and strong the Jewish people are. A renewed fire has been lit inside me and I am even prouder to be a Jew.”

These solemn experiences were juxtaposed with amazing and uplifting interactions with the Jewish communities of Krakow, Warsaw and Budapest. Jewish life is thriving in each place. The cohort celebrated Shabbat dinner at the Krakow Jewish Community Center (JCC) with Holocaust survivors, Israelis who should be home but are not due to the war, and Ukrainian refugees. They also packed meals for the many Ukrainian refugees who count on this JCC for meal support every day. In Warsaw, they met with Israeli Ambassador to Poland Yacov Livne, and Chief Rabbi of Poland Michael Schudrich for updates about the war and also how the Polish Jewish community is growing every day.

A highlight of the trip was the time spent in Budapest. Not only is it a beautiful city, but the Budapest Jewish community is part of the Partnership2Gether family. The greater Indianapolis Jewish community is also part of this family. Members of the Horizons Young Leadership program shared meals with the group in the Merkaz; Israel Cultural Institute and showed everyone around their hometown at night. A Shabbat dinner was enjoyed with second generation Holocaust survivors who participate in the Sliding D’ors program (also a greater Indianapolis partner program) and were eager to share their stories and learn about the group.

David Rosenthal believes learning the history of the Jewish people firsthand is critically important.

“While I thought I knew a lot going into our trip, seeing it through your own eyes gives it a whole new meaning,” he said. “The ability to see artifacts, ask questions, reexamine facts and beliefs, and walk in the path of those who experienced the Shoah brings an entirely different and more complex understanding of what happened -- not just the enormity of loss and destruction, but also the incredible courage of the survivors and determination of folks who are rebuilding Jewish life in Europe.”

There was not a day where someone was not moved by an experience or story that they heard. The participants came home with a new or renewed sense of Jewish community and a deep desire to get involved.

“Our trip to Europe was very impactful to me,” Jason Karrel said. “I created strong friendships with others within the Indianapolis community. Being engulfed in all of the Jewish history in Poland and Hungary brought it to life and emphasized what we’ve been learning about with antisemitism prior to the trip on a level unlike any other. Speaking with locals gave me new perspectives I hadn’t thought of before and uncovered interesting things going on in Jewish communities in other parts of the world. The is a once in a lifetime trip and has inspired me to be more involved in our local Jewish community.”

Ashley Miller added “The significant Jewish connections formed will leave a lasting impact for us throughout our lives. Living the truth of how we as Jews form such a strong community and truly do bond with each other in a special way, feels monumental to be a part of. This trip we experienced is something that no other group ever has, and it does not escape me how blessed we are to be bonded as ‘we’ together forever.”

It is not often that an eight-day trip is described as “transformative,” “empowering,” or that it restored their faith, but that is just what happened to the participants of the first Maurer Koach program.

“The tinge of imposter syndrome I felt as a Jewish convert was quickly diminished by the strong sense of community in our group,” Andrea Resnick said. “I never once felt as though I was an outsider looking in – I belonged. We walked the historical grounds together, holding each other up, asking questions, sharing our feelings. I'm not sure I'll ever experience anything like it again, and I'll never forget it.”

The Maurer Koach program has two more sessions, and in each one will continue to unpack the trip, work on skills learned and also look to how this group can get more involved with the Federation and Indianapolis Jewish community.