My first afternoon in Warsaw raised an essential question: Am I exploring the history of Jews within Poland and among Poles or vis-a-vis Poland and Poles.

At first impression, it seems more the former than the latter. Consider the deep historical similarities between the two peoples. Poland is an ancient land that is located between two larger and more powerful neighbors: Germans to the west and Russians to the east. Ancient Israel was also beset by Egypt to the South and Assyria/Babylon to the northeast. Despite not having their own sovereign homeland, both the Poles and the Jews developed a national language and a distinct culture that tied their people together despite geographical and political separation. Both peoples suffered greatly during World War II. Since the Middle Ages, Jews must have found Poland the most hospitable place to live, otherwise how could so large a percentage of world Jewry have found itself living in the Polish lands before World War II?

Even more parallels: to gain their independence, both groups had to fight; the Poles against their Soviet oppressors and the Jews against the British. Jerusalem is a “rebuilt” modern city with remnants of ancient Jewish history; Warsaw was almost completely destroyed during World War II with only fragments of the past hidden among its modern facade. And in my second day in Warsaw, I learned that every August 1 at 5:00 p.m., a siren sounds throughout the city when all traffic stops, cars, buses, trollies, pedestrians, to remember those who fought and died in the Warsaw uprising against the Nazis which began on that date and time in 1944. Sound familiar?

The Warsaw I have found presents the history of Jews in the city as integral to its own history. At a tourist information shop, we were given lots of information about where Jews lived and sites to see related to Jewish life, past and present. As we began our wanderings to try to get ourselves oriented, we approached a statue erected some ten years ago to the famous Jewish educator, Janusz Korczak, located near the orphanage that he ran.

Walking the streets and dining at a kosher restaurant (food passable), we chanced upon two Americans now living in Warsaw who have dedicated their lives to rebuilding Jewish life in Warsaw and helping Jews connect to their Polish pasts: Michael Schudrich, the Chief Rabbi of Warsaw, and Helise Lieberman, who runs the Jewish Historical Society, which we hope to visit tomorrow.

But, still, there are ghosts of the past that I feel here, which might (along with jet lag) explain why I’m unable to get back to sleep and writing this post at 5:00 a.m. Much more about this land remains to be uncovered.