By Jeanne Cristello Friedlander

I grew up in an interfaith household: My dad is Jewish and my mom is Christian. Though double the presents during Christmas and Hanukkah were great, when I applied to go on a Poland trip with a Jewish organization, I was denied the right to take part in experiencing my own history as a result of my mother’s religion.  

Not only did this hurt me, it made me realize many others were also being turned away because their mothers are not Jewish. I perceived an injustice that needed correcting. This is still my heritage and half of my ancestors are still Jewish.  My dad’s ancestors lived in Eastern Europe and experienced the horrible events leading up to the Holocaust.  My family went through the same hardships that so many Jewish families have gone through. It should not matter from which parent one’s Jewish ancestry comes, I still have Jewish blood that would have been spilled in 1940s Europe.

Because of my experience, I went to Temple University Hillel’s Executive Director, Rabbi Daniel Levitt, and asked him about planning a trip open to people of all faiths.  I strongly believe in the importance of Holocaust education. Understanding what happened to people during the Holocaust is integral in making sure it never happens again. We need to give voices to survivors and listen to their stories. Not only do all Jewish people deserve to see their history firsthand, but it is equally beneficial for people of other religious backgrounds to see it as well. This worldwide tragedy is beginning  to slip from collective memory. We must learn about the Holocaust in order to prevent similar occurrences from happening today, and that requires cooperation and willingness to share these experiences with people from all religious and cultural backgrounds.

Hillel said “yes” to my proposal and has supported me in planning it ever since. We received 25 applications and were able to accept 15 wonderful participants. We are learning about this tragedy together in an inclusive and accepting environment, and our diverse backgrounds and perspectives will only deepen the experience.