I was invited to participate in a recent Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) learning trip to Poland so that I could visit Ukrainian war refugees who had received assistance from the UUSC through the UUCSR Emergency Grant.
While Polish government and refugee agencies rushed to welcome Ukrainian War refugees with “accepted “ identities, LGBT+, Roma (Gypsy), and Africans (mostly students) were shunned. UUs chose to support these people who were most in need, most marginalized, and vulnerable. These groups shared amazing stories of both pain and resilience. They were deeply grateful for the support this congregation helped make possible.
On this trip, there was also time to learn about Jewish history and the Holocaust in Poland. Our group visited the Auschwitz Concentration Camp—which was an intense experience. While at Auschwitz, we also saw the barracks where the Roma were incarcerated before enduring the same fate as the Jews—systematic extermination.
When I returned to New York, I was met with the news of large student protests against the war in Gaza. These peaceful protests have, in some cases, given way to violence and fear. There is so much passion around this war that people can find it difficult to listen to one another. But I hope that we can all agree that Israel experienced undeniable atrocities in the attack by Hamas last October. Hostages held by Hamas must be released. And that thousands of Palestinians have died in the Israeli counter attack and thousands more face famine and disease. Palestinian civilians must be protected. The right to non-violent protest and to challenge the decisions of authorities must be protected. No protest should include antisemitism, Islamophobia, or hate speech. Our pluralist community of faith respects the right of conscience. We ask that all be able to tell their stories—and we also hold fast to our core values of love, compassion, freedom, justice, and peace.
There is fear and anger and trauma on all sides. I am holding in my heart my time with the Roma at Auschwitz; the Roma want their holocaust story told but they don’t want to displace or deny or compete with the truth of the Jewish Holocaust. Perhaps, one day, Israelis and Palestinians will engage in the kind of Truth and Reconciliation process that has taken place in South Africa, Rwanda, and Argentina.
We are asked to renew our commitment to compassion—it isn’t easy—inhumanity is so evident—our hurts so deep, our fears so strong, our tribal nature so ingrained…. Still our hearts can expand, our spirits can soar. In Poland, I saw what life-giving efforts our gifts can produce. I believe that our care and concern here at home can also help to extinguish hate and fear.
Submitted by Rev. Dr. Natalie Fenimore