SAVING JEWISH LIVES AND TRADITIONS

The East European Jewish Heritage Project

Svir Cemetery Restoration Project

Project Restoration: Jewish Cemetery In Belarus Restored by Binghamton University Students

One Student’s Reflections

 By Carly Lipkowitz

It is rare that one has the opportunity to impact the lives of those who have already passed away, but this summer, seven Binghamton students, myself included, were given the chance to restore dignity to our deceased ancestors in a bold act of respect and remembrance. Through a program initiated by Dr. Michael Lozman and sponsored by Hillel at Binghamton in conjunction with the Office of International Programs of Binghamton University, entitled "Project Restoration," Jewish students from Binghamton University traveled to Poland and Belarus to learn about their own Jewish identity by confronting their challenging past and rich history. The trip culminated in a visit to the small village of Svir, Belarus where we restored an unmarked, aging cemetery that had not been maintained for over sixty years.

The trip was so unique because it allowed us to establish relations with the local townspeople, who were eager to partake in the process, whether it was helping to mix cement or uplifting a fallen gravestone back to its proper place. One of the most important parts of the process was erecting a metal fence around the cemetery’s perimeter, designating the area as an entity unto itself. Each part of the fence had a large Jewish star in its center, and served as a symbol of renewed pride. The cemetery, which started out as an unmarked mass of fallen gravestones and excess vegetation, was transformed into a respectable burial ground by the time we were finished. Upon admiring our final project, I felt a great deal of warmth to know that this cemetery had been completed through the efforts of Non-Jewish Belarussians and Jewish Americans working together. Considering that America does not have strong relations with Belarus and that Jews no longer live in the town of Svir, it seemed like a great accomplishment to understand these people on an individual basis and to overlook the obvious differences between us.

Though I had heard that the people of this village were friendly, I was still concerned about how we would be treated, considering that our ethnicities and nationalities did not coincide. To my contentment, we were received warmly by the villagers and even welcomed with a concert that high school students had prepared for our arrival. While in Belarus, I truly discovered the dual purpose of our trip, that is, to learn about and confront our own Jewish identity while accepting the different cultures and lifestyles of others.

We confronted our own identity as Jewish Americans by visiting historic Jewish sites. These included the remains of the Warsaw Ghetto, various World War II Monuments, Kasimierez-the old Jewish quarter in Krakow, ancient synagogues that were still in use, and Jewish museums. By confronting realities, we were able to better understand our own Jewish heritage and the struggle for existence that had endured among our people.

.           Our most significant stop, as it served as the greatest emotional impact on our group, was our trip to Auschwitz and Birkenau, where over one million Jews were gassed to death. We starred in horrific awe at the glass-enclosed walls filled with innumerable piles of tangled hair, dirty, worn shoes and stolen luggage. We stood in the courtyard where hundreds of people had been murdered in cold blood, as they stood naked against a wall. We saw the small holes in one of the buildings where over 200 prisoners would be forced to relieve themselves in only a few minutes time. We said a prayer for the deceased as we stood in a gas chamber, and came face to face with the ovens in which our ancestor’s dead bodies had been burned. We concluded our tours through the camps with a memorial service, which we held at the end of Birkenau camp, where a memorial had been erected in memory of those who had perished. When we left the camp, we walked back on the train tracks that ran the length of it. During the war, people had been traveling on these tracks in filthy cattle cars for days or sometimes even weeks, without food or water. They entered on this track, never to leave. And so we walked back on this track, out of this camp. We walked back over a thousand steps, and there was no fear. No one was there to stop us, shoot us, or take away our lives and our dignity. To quote a line from my journal, "We walked yesterday out of Birkenau, as a group of Jews that left. We symbolically redeemed the lives of those who never made it out."  After visiting these sites and understanding just how decimated the Jewish population had become, the objective of our trip in Belarus seemed more urgent than ever.

We spent Shabbat (The Sabbath) in Belarus’ capital, the city of Minsk, where we interacted with Jewish students at the local Hillel and joined them in a lovely Friday night service, where our two groups united in prayer and peace. It was fascinating to realize how far one could travel and still come together on the common ground of religion. Moreover, it was a sobering experience to attend a Saturday morning Shabbat service in another area of Minsk and to realize that our group of Americans was the youngest in the room.

To better understand the cultures of the people in Belarus, each student in the group had an opportunity to spend one night in the home of one of the Svir villagers. I remember how shocked I was to learn that there was no running water in the house, and that all of the water was obtained from a well in the front yard. Compared to the multi-bathroom houses that we have as Americans, it was a culture shock to see that the closest thing this family had to a toilet was an outhouse in the front yard. However, it was these differences combined with the friendly and welcoming attitude of the family members that made for such an enjoyable and eye-opening visit. I even got to try milk that had come straight from the family’s cow, for the first time too, might I add.

The last day in Svir was a day of dedication and remembrance. The cemetery had been completely restored, and the immense accomplishment had brought everyone great pride. To honor those who had passed away, we held a brief ceremony where we chose seven psalms to recite at seven of the graves. After each psalm had been spoken, the speaker of the prayer was given a small bit of sand from Israel, and carefully sprinkled the holy grains at the foot of the tombstone.

It was this final act of solemn respect that signified just how important our purpose had been. The task carried out during our trip held great significance to us as individuals, while also bringing us closer together as a group. The bonds that we formed were so unique because of the situation through which they were achieved. There was mutual respect among the group members because of the effort that each person had put in to complete the project. We truly fulfilled the mitzvah of "Tikkun Olam," as this trip allowed us to embark on our endless voyage, a journey to repair the world and show pride in our pasts.

Back to Svir Page  HOME

Please support the EAST EUROPEAN JEWISH HERITAGE PROJECT  

Donations are tax deductible. We accept all major credit cards through PayPal 

HOME AID   CONSERVATION RESEARCH    TRAVEL  GENEALOGY

Support the EEJHP with your purchases at Amazon

Copyright © 1996-2004 East European Jewish Heritage Project. 
All rights reserved