In memory of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising

As the world watches the consequences of the alleged Israeli retaliatory strike on Iran, I just heard sirens blare all over Warsaw for 60 seconds, precisely at noon local time. Now, for a foreigner or even someone from Poland who isn’t from Warsaw, the sound of sirens wailing across the city can be disturbing, particularly in the context of Ukraine. Russian missiles and errant Ukrainian missiles sometimes fly dangerously close to the Polish airspace.

The sirens, however, are a way to remember those Jews who put up a valiant fight against the Nazis during the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising on April 19, 1943. The Jews stood no chance against the genocidal Nazi war machine, yet they decided to put up one last fight, rather than be taken like lambs to the slaughter. Daffodils came to symbolize that tragic day.

Jewish history can be found all over Warsaw. Former synagogues now serving as clubs, apartment buildings and restaurants. Plaques. Museums. Or just abandoned buildings no longer used by anyone, standing somewhere in the forest. If you’re from Warsaw, Jewish history isn’t even something you notice, unless a foreigner asks you about it. It’s always been there, in one form or another.