Just in spring this year we knew pleasant news - the grant "On the Jewish wave" was won by us - that is rafting on river Turiia with visiting the Jewish Volyn places.

The complicated but pleasant preparation got started, a tour route was being planned, the places were not chosen by chance, all were connected with the history of Volyn Jews, tents and other tourist equipment were prepared, a menu was drawn up and foodstuffs were purchased.

And finally a long-awaited day came. After coming to Turiisk, we learned the history of Jews in that town and we also remembered that two years ago a group of volunteers of our community cleaned up one of the old Jewish cemeteries and the place of the mass shooting of Turiisk Jews in 1942. At 9.05 a.m. the boats were launched and we departed for Kovel.
The trip was unforgettable. We were surrounded by a true unique beauty. The river was trapping between high reeds, swans were swimming gracefully, snowy gulls were flying and flocks of ducks were rising up in the sky. There were blooming lilies in the pure limpid water seen and shoals of fish were surrounding our boats.
Being some exhausted but pleased we set our camp in a wonderful oak grove near Kovel, where we could hide from a summer heat. After setting up the camp, collecting fuel wood and meeting the Shabbat, we were enjoying a delicious supper, an evening campfire and a pleasant communication with each other.

On Saturday we made a walking tour to Kovel, where we learned a history of the town, visited the formal Great synagogue, saw old still existed houses of Jews of the pre-war period, visited the territory of the formal military unit where under the asphalt there still were the matzevahs from the Jewish cemeteries and somewhere it was even possible to read the names of deceased. Next day we had got more adventures - rafting on Turiia towards Toikut where we were to visit the graves of tzadiks and the place of the execution of Jews in Nesuhoizhy in 1942. That route appeared to be more complicated and interesting than the previous one. We happened to float across the reservoir, to pass under very low bridges and trees, to carry the boats by land twice. Once, guys had to lug the boats with passengers across the water meadow as it was impossible to row there. But having overcome all the difficulties we met the goals of our trip.
We also visited the Memorial for the Victims of the Holocaust in Bakhov, for the executed Jews in Kovel and villages nearby. We commemorated nine thousand people who died there. Kaddish was recited and each of us put a stone in the memory of those who in 1942 remained to rest in this land forever.

The trip was over. Maybe not everything came out as it had been planned, but it still came out!

Thank you to everyone!

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