Bearing Witness at Auschwitz-Birkenau

There is a difference between knowing a thing and being changed by it.In this episode of The Peacemakers Podcast, we enter the heart of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Bearing Witness Retreat, held each November by Zen Peacemakers. Through the voices of Barbara Wegmüller, Bernie Glassman, Fleet Maull, Genro Gauntt, Tani, and Jishu Holmes, this episode explores what it means to sit at the selection site, read the names of those who were killed, and allow the place itself to become the teacher.This is not simply an episode about history, memory, or the past. It is about what happens when we stop holding suffering at a distance and allow it to change us. Again and again, the voices in this episode point toward the same realization: Auschwitz is not only about what happened then. It is about what lives in us now.Bernie Glassman reminds us that to remember is “to make whole again,” and this conversation becomes an invitation into that difficult and necessary work of remembrance. Not as an idea, not as blame, and not as despair, but as a practice of presence.If this conversation moves you, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. You’ll get access to all of our content—podcasts, articles, event recordings, and more—and help sustain the work of Zen Peacemakers.Learn more at www.zenpeacemakers.orgWe invite you to support this work. Become a paying subscriber to the Peacemakers Podcast or join the Zen Peacemakers community as a member.Show Credits:* Speakers: Barbara Wegmüller, Bernie Glassman, Fleet Maull, Genro Gauntt, Tani, and Jishu Holmes* Publication Date: June 10, 2026* Host: Jim Hōden Fricker* Audio & Video Editing/Engineering: Jim Hōden Fricker This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit voice.zenpeacemakers.org/subscribe