On the occasion of the International Peace Day 2019 we have planted bulbs of daffodils flowers in the Park of Reconciliation of Nations on the Soła River, opposite the Auschwitz - Birkenau Memorial. The flowers were planted on special flowerbed in the shape of a seven-pointed Jewish menorah with a diameter of 10 meters. The daffodils will blossom in spring in tribute to the heroes of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising (the anniversary falls on April 19). In this symbolic way, we also want to commemorate the victims of the Holocaust and all victims of the Auschwitz concentration camp.The Menorah is one of the oldest and most widespread symbols used in Jewish cult art. According to some interpretations, its shape is to be a symbolic reference to the Paradise Tree of Life, the fruit of which was to ensure immortality, the biblical seven days of the creation of the world (six days and the Sabbath), seven days of the week, seven continents and the Burning Bush. She is also treated as a symbol of Judaism, and its image appears in the national emblem of Israel.Participants - primary school children and seniors, have been invited to the project to highlight the intergenerational need to cultivate memory of the past. The project consisted of historical workshops led by educators from the Jewish Educational Center in Oświęcim, followed by art workshops during which symbolic menorahs have been made. Then, in the Nations Reconciliation Park, the participants have planted flower bulbs - the daffodils symbolizing the reviving life.The event was organized by Oświęcim - the City of Peace in partnership with: the Jewish Educational Center, the Peace Messengers' Municipal Primary School and the Municipal Daycare Center for Seniors in Oświęcim.
Monika Świętek-Smrek,
Oświęcim