I am preparing for a trip to Eastern Europe soon. We will be visiting Vilnius (Vilna), Dzisna, Minsk, Vitebsk, then Warsaw (for Tishha BeAv).  This will be the  first and probably the only  time. I admit to being nervous about it.

Material for future writing there will certainly be, but will my nervous system survive the challenge of walking the ground my parents walked and seeing the places I have heard so much about…ground soaked in so much blood, places which witnessed unbelievable suffering…places where little is left of what was before the second world war, apart from some graves, ruins and beautiful natural surroundings?