Sharings 2001

Andrzej Ahmad Saramowicz
School of Sufi Teaching Poland

Dear Andrzej and Friends,
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you, Andrzej, for inviting me to the Auschwitz retreat. This was my first retreat with the Peacemakers.
I would also like to thank all other participants (physically present, or present just in the spirit) for inviting me, and making me feel invited. I felt very much at home with my other brethern (all the People of the Book) and Buddhist, who I have discovered to have so much in common with.
As Sufis, we cherish the idea of peace, which is at the core of our religion - Islam, which means Peace, resulting from total submission to the Will of the Almighty. We Muslims then, are also Peacemakers. We try to change the world by the inner struggle with our egos (nafs), which is for us the real battlefield (the true jihad). He who conquered himself, he 'conquered' the world.
Many blessings to all of you
on behalf of Polish Sufis
Andrzej (Ahmad) Saramowicz

Andrzej B Krajewski

Dear friends,
there`s a general request from those of you, who haven`t been able to participate in the last A-B retreat that we share our experience. Ginni Stern has undertaken the task and she will report for the next issue of BW Journal but in the meantime let me formulate a few reflections.
In a way it was quite a special retreat. The first without our American founders, leaders and friends. The time of transition. I think that it went quite smoothly, not effecting the quality of the retreat, even if there was both disappointment and a certain uncertainty, especially in the beginning.
Due to bureaucratic obstacles Fleet Maull supposed to come and lead the staff workshop before the event, couldn`t make it. We were left alone. We spend 2 busy days at the Franciscan Monastery printing and sorting the papers, dividing tasks and responsibilities and that was our own workshop, that made us to a TEAM, in my opinion very harmonious and effective. Yet I`m sure the evaluation forms will bring some well deserved criticism. What was not functioning? Myself I wasn`t too happy with the Sunday evening story telling. May be it`s a question of super subtle energies? But the proceeding Playback Theatre by Cymbeline Buhler was priced by many. At the Monastery next day we spend 1,5 hs with Marian, asking him questions, and it was perfect. On Tuesday August the Survivor led us from the roll call place throughout the Musem to the Execution Wall, where Marian awaited. They were with us also in the new building in Birkenau - the so called Sauna. An impressive exhibition. We held there our first kaddish and it was the right place to do it. It hosted also retreat`s most dramatic evening sharing, on Thursday, when Heinz-Jurgen invited people to join him in chanting the names - of the camp`s nazis... The atmosphere became very dense... for some of us it was simply too much. I feared that the container will not hold any more... For the first time we felt what the prisoners were feeling all the time: not knowing and unsafe... But the next day`s morning groups gave an unmistakably positive feedback.
I haven`t heard anybody REALLY upset and many people went chanting on the site. It was quite dramatic culmination of otherwise quiet retreat. It strengthened us/the container and showed that the process we are all going through is right and cannot be stopped. It`s the process of not rejecting, of realizing others as ourselves...
I think we`ve made a great collective jump of consciousness. This and the experience of the TEAM
/somehow ready to undertake other European tasks/
I`ll remember as the most characteristic of the 2001 retreat. And the precaution -to be even more aware that we all need different pace. There`s a saying that convoy`s speed is measured by the speed of its last ship.
Every day Fr. Manfred was performing the Christian services and for the first time there was a Polish Sufi clergyman , too, and Khalil from Izrael. Malgosia was responsible for Buddhist services, David, Naomi and Eljahu for Jewish. Most impressive was the interfaith service performed together by all clergymen in front of one altar/non altar.
Facilitators` training at the beautiful Mehofer auditorium was really good, Susanna and Christine cooperated smoothly like sisters. Shabbat evening at the Youth Hostel turned fantastic - due to Teresa`s supervising the kitchen ( mniam mniam) and Gaby`s songs ,music and dance. On Saturday we - the staff/clergy/facilitators - discovered that we need in future one whole day to process the retreat, 3 hours are not enough... Another conclusions: we need more Polish presence (Christine Jurzykowski is initiating a fund rising project) and we might move from the Youth Hostel to the Monastery. The place showed hospitality and openness and it`s twice cheaper.
It became quit clear that the future retreats will be based mainly on Europeans organizing the field and Americans helping with the 'recruition'.
Hotel Polski proved to be much cheaper and quiet than Saski.
Thank you so much everybody and all that contributed to the working of the retreat!

With love
Andrzej B Krajewski