In October of 2025 thirty-two people participated in our ten day trip to Poland. Some had visited Poland numerous times and others were first timers, but the group bonded exceptionally well as fellow Gombiners. The group, a true reflection of modern-day Gombiners, ranged from babies to octogenarians. We visited important sites of Jewish and Polish history, such as the Polin Museum in Warsaw and the European Solidarity Center in Gdansk. Our experiences included making pierogies, attending a Friday evening service at the Nozyk Synagogue- the only remaining pre-War synagogue in Warsaw- and sharing a Sukkot dinner with the growing congregation there. When we visited our friends at the Mi Polin Mezuzah Museum we were delighted to discover that the mezuzah from Gombin had belonged to the house of one of our trip participant’s family.
After three enriching days in Warsaw, we traveled north to Gdansk, the beautiful port city and birthplace of the democracy movement that brought down the Iron Curtain. The city captivated us with its painted buildings, stunning churches, and ancient grain elevators. Most inspiring was learning about the resilience of the Solidarity shipworkers who worked for decades to bring democracy to Poland.
From Gdansk we turned to our final stop: Płock, a city near Gąbin (Gombin). Once in Gąbin, we were accompanied on our walking tour by students from the Staszica School, giving them a fresh look at a town they know so well, and by Gabriela Nowak and Piotr Dabrowski from the Nobiscum Foundation who had researched the addresses of our families’ homes. We visited the site of the Gąbin Synagogue- now tragically the parking lot of a pharmacy, the Stary Rynek (Old Market) where our families once bought and sold everyday goods, and the New Market where mothers bought warm milk from farmers bringing their cows from pasture. We were fortunate to be invited to visit the interior of the former Polonia theatre. Here we tried to imagine traveling theatre companies and the local Drama Circle putting on plays, and the excitement of the first cinema to show moving pictures. Our tour concluded somberly at Firemen’s Field where Jews were held for three days before their deportation.
We ended our visit with a multi-generational and multi-ethnic ceremony beginning with the rededication of the newly raised matzevah of Rabbi Shoel Szapiro from 1836 which had lain on the ground in the Jewish cemetery for 83 years. We then placed 21 stones in the lapidarium, remembering the 2100 Gombiners deported to Chełmno nad Ner. The visit concluded with a moving speech from Gabin’s priest, Darek Pisorski, and a proclamation from Mayor Krzysztof Jadczak, recognizing our decades of work to recover and commemorate the Jewish community.
On our last day the group split. Some participated in a walking tour of Jewish Plock and returned to Gombin to visit the family addresses identified by Gabriela; others traveled to the death camp at Chelmno nad Ner for a stark reminder of the brutalities of the Nazi Occupation. .
The ten-day trip, from Warsaw’s museums to the cherished streets of Gombin, was a journey of profound connection, binding us together over shared history and forging lasting friendships.
Please click on the item(s) that you would like to view:
- 2025 Poland Trip Photo Gallery – CLICK HERE
- Walking Tour Brochure – CLICK HERE
- Proclamation of Cooperation and Friendship from the Mayor of Gabin – CLICK HERE
- Reflections on Gombin – CLICK HERE