From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, March 5, 2024
High school visits to concentration camps in Poland given go-ahead for summer
Gavriel Fiske is a reporter at The Times of Israel
Israeli high school students will be able to go on organized visits to concentration camps in Poland this summer, the Education Ministry announces. In November, the once-annual trips during the school year were canceled due to the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war and concern over antisemitism in Europe.
The decision to greenlight the trips came after a review of security and logistical factors, and after a “pedagogical process was completed examining and adjusting the goals and contents of the trips” in light of current events, the ministry said.
Although approved, the summer trips could be canceled depending on the security situation, so the ministry suggests that schools preparing for the trip build their curriculum “in such a way that the preparation stands on its own even if the trip to Poland is not possible.”
The ministry also suggests parents take out travel insurance on the tickets so that a refund will be possible if the trips are canceled. Typically the trips, considered a rite of passage for Israeli youth, are paid for by individual parents, school fundraisers or other donations.
The Poland trips are meant to be a learning experience about the Holocaust, the subsequent necessity of the Jewish state, and the values of volunteerism and social cohesion.
In 2023, Israel and Poland reached an agreement to resume the trips after a three-year break caused by disputes between the two countries over curriculum, but then the trips were canceled due to the outbreak of the war in Gaza.
