Dear Jolt families and friends,

We decided to finish our mourning today. In a week that has brought us from cemetery to ghetto, to mass grave, to concentration camp we experienced Auschwitz today and it was awful. Once again tears flowed with despair and fists clenched with anger as the appalling reality of a place that claimed over 2,000,000 of us was simply overwhelming.

That is until we decided that we can choose to no longer be victims of this terrible place. Though our emotions this past week have certainly been casualties of the Holocaust and without doubt we will never forget what we have witnessed we realized that the best way to respond this senselessness is to be as dedicated to the building of Judaism as the Nazis were to destroying it.

Today we walked out of Auschwitz on our own terms. Arms linked , brother to brother and sister to sister singing Esau Einei, Shmah Koleinu and of course Am Yisrael chai.

We declared to ourselves that we are tired of all this death and have dedicated the rest of our summer to life.

We know that back at home you miss us and we, of course, miss you as well but if it helps to ease our separation I have an idea. Tonight after Shabbat dinner, crack your window open just a little and listen very carefully to the rhythm of the night breeze. Perhaps on it you will hear the distant sound of zmiros and celebration once again coming from Krakow, Poland and you will know that we are indeed very well.

Wishing you love and a true Shabbat Shalom.

Nahum Zak