During my deacon training, our class had to complete a summer internship in the social sector. We had decided to work in Terezín with the Action Reconciliation Service. In preparatory sessions, we learned about our area of responsibility and that Terezín consisted of two areas: the small fortress and the actual city, the ghetto—known by the slogan "The Führer gives the Jews a city."
The main activity consisted of maintaining the outdoor facilities, but also carrying out repair work in the ghetto and the cell block of the small fortress. Here, people were harassed, tortured, and executed under the most degrading conditions, similar to those in a concentration camp.
It was a very stressful but instructive time for us, as we also made contact with former prisoners of the small fortress and with survivors of the ghetto.
For me, this stay was so profound that I decided to delve deeper into the history of Judaism and the Jewish religion.
To this day, I feel obligated as a Christian to convey understanding for our sister religion and to work to ensure that this cruel history is not repeated.
The gift of thanks – the book about Theresienstadt – is for me a constant reminder of this obligation.
