"Tuesday 27 January is the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi concentration camp at Auschwitz. Six survivors, some of whom will be returning to the site for the last time, tell Kate Connolly their stories"
Directions:
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jan/26/tales-from-auschwitz-survivor-stories
Read the above article from "The Guardian". As you read the six survivors' stories from Auschwitz, reflect on their experiences and what you are learning from them: what do these stories show about treatment of human beings towards their fellow human beings? About what hate and acts of discrimination can do to people?
Then, respond to this article using the following questions. DO NOT just respond to the questions. Rather, CONNECT them using transitional ideas in a unified response. Use ample support from the article in the form of paraphrasing or direct quotes for each question ("...")If you are using quotes, indicate the source you are quoting from by using in-text citations. As these stories are narrated by the survivors themselves in the article, you can indicate the sources in the following manner: quote using quotation marks, then (qtd+survivor's last name).
example: ".....your quote here (qtd. in Pollack)".
Questions:
-What do these stories teach us about the treatment of Jews by the Nazis? What did you learn from their stories about their experiences during the Holocaust?
-Select one story that resonated with you. What did you learn from this story? What made it powerful to you? If you could ask this survivor one question, what would the question be?
-What did you learn about how these survivors coped and moved on with their lives after liberation?
Angeliz Gonzalez
ReplyDeleteFebruary 15,2015
English 2 Honors
Dima 3B
The stories teach us the life back then wasn't always fun and good. Life was very hard back then because of the fact that many died and lost their loved ones because of the Holocaust. I learned from the stories that families were all separated from one another and the majority were heading to the gas chambers or the crematorium to die. In the Holocaust the Nazis even killed new borns which really got me mad like for all you know that new born that you killed could of had blue eyes and blonde hair. Which is what the Hitler wanted even though he isn't blue eyed or blond hair.
Irene Fogel Weiss story really caught my attention because of the fact that she basically lost her entire family. The only one that was with her once they had gotten separated was her older sister Serena. They were both sent to go be labor workers.But I learned that you can lose the ones that are important to you in a blink of an eye. There weren't any laws that would protect Jews from the Nazis plus the Jews were lied too by the Nazis. Nazis had the Jews thinking that they were going to take showers but in reality they were going to die. To me what it powerful was how Irene and her sister Serena were still close but also afraid but they still had each other at the end. That made me think how I am with my mom even though at times I get scared I still have my mom by my side. The question I have for Irene is "What was going through your mind as you seen your loved ones and friends getting killed in front of your eyes? What was going through your mind then?"
I learned that most did not go to get to help from some type of doctor. But deal with the trama they went through a little at a time. Which I think it is probably the best thing that they could of done because doctors would not really understand what they went through or understand all the things that they have seen. Also most believe that not everywhere on the Earth that is like that which is true not everywhere people would be sent to gas chambers to die because they didn't look a certain way
Juan Felipe Agudelo
ReplyDeleteFebruary 16, 2015
English 2 Honors
Mrs. Dima
These stories teach us that what happened to the Jews was unfair and inhumane. They struggled to get by on a regular basis and they were being taken out of their houses with only one suitcase to carry their belongings in and they didn't even get to keep those belongings because later on they were being asked to empty those suitcases. They were being lied to, they were treated like property they went from being humans to being just another number. One second you were with your loved one and the next you were by yourself. All these stuff that happened to them scared them for life, even after Susan Pollack was rescued and taken to a hospital she didn't trust anyone. The doctors gave her food and she hid it under the bed because she was afraid that someone was going to come at any second and take it away from her. Even now she feels that she is really lucky to enjoy a good meal without anyone taking it away from her. She might appear like a strong person but inside she is quite fragile. I admire how she goes around sharing her experience with teenagers and teaching them how even the smallest amount of hate could turn into something big. I have one question for her, would you ever tell your children about your experiences? Most of the survivors decided to handle their pain by themselves, and some shared their stories with teenagers and taught them how serious hate really is. Henry korman was the most traumatized in my opinion, he never dared to start a family of his own because he was to afraid of building bonds with someone and loosing them again like he lost his family on the camps.
Aaron Morrison
ReplyDeleteFebruary 16, 2015
English 2 Honors
Mrs. Dima
I agree with Juan when he said these stories teach us that what happened to the Jews was unfair and inhumane. They struggled to get by on a regular day to day basis and were being taken out of their houses with only one suitcase to carry their belongings. Eventually, they didn't even get to keep those belongings because later on they were being asked to empty those suitcases. They were mislead, they were treated like property, and they went from being humans to being just another number. The stories also teach us the life back then wasn't always fun and good. Life was very hard back then because of the fact that many died and lost their loved ones because of the Holocaust. I learned that from the stories families were all separated from one another and the majority were heading to the gas chambers or the crematorium to die. In the Holocaust the Nazis even killed new borns which really irritated me. It irritated me because they did not know whether or not they had blue eyes or blond hair.
Henry's story really caught my attention because of the fact that he did not enjoy building bonds but was trying to make or have a family. If Henry had trouble building bonds would he be willing to get a councillor to help him stay calm through the building of his family? Susan Pollack also caught my attention because she was very tedious about certain things. For example her food, she did not want it to be taken away so she hid it under her bed until she was comfortable.
Santino Barnabei
ReplyDeleteMs Dima
3A
The treatment of the Jews by the Nazi's was just pure hatred. I've learned that it all started when Czechoslovakia broke apart and they became part of Hungary. Once they broke apart Jews lost all their rights. Jews would get beaten and thrown off trains, and there was no law to protect them. This historic event was sick in my eyes.
The story of Joseph Mandrowitz was very interesting and I've learned that if you can help the Nazi soldiers out, such as a tailor or shoe shiner, then they wouldn't kill you, but if you were just a normal Jew then you were most likely sent to the gas chamber. The powerful part of this story was when he said that he had gone back to Czemierniki and he couldn't find any trace of his family or jewish person. That must be heartbreaking not having any family or friends left, I don't know how he went on with his life. i would ask him "What was it like for everybody in there? How bad were they treated?" because I want to know the details of what it was like in there to give me a better understanding.
I've learned that the survivors of the Holocaust coped and moved on with their lives by finding work and starting a family of their own. Most of them don't try to think about it but those memories haunt them day in and day out.
Glennayizha Ellis
ReplyDeleteEnglish 2 Honors
Dima
I agree with Juan when he conveys how the Jews were being lied to, and mistreated. Theses stories taught us how the Jews life made an immediate change. They went from having rights to their rights being took from them, and from being treated like regular people to being treated as property. The Jews basically lost all humans rights that they were born with. What the Nazis did was done off of hate, and the Jews felt as if no one cared about them because nothing was being done to stop, or help them.
Joseph Mandrowitz story stood out to me the most when he talked about how when he went back Czemierniki and didn't see not one Jewish person. This stood out to me because I wonder what was going through his mind. Did he think he was the only Jew?
Ive learned that most Jews moved on by not thinking or discussing the holocaust, even thought the memories of the holocaust forever haunts them.
Ziomaly Rodriguez
ReplyDeleteEnglish 2 Honors
Period 3B
Irene Weiss story stood out the most to me. Because she explained how Jews were still treated bad when they were free. They weren't considered citizens at the time, they were more like property. For example, when Irene said that Jews had to wear a yellow star everywhere they go, and that it was often for Jews to get thrown off the train or beaten up, because their was no law to protect them. That really stood out to me because it's surprising that even after having freedom people still treated Jews as some type of animal. And she also mentions that she won't be going back. So in my opinion Jews try to be successful and ignore the most devestating time of their lives. Which makes them survivors, because that's who they are.
David Okeke
ReplyDeleteEnglish 2 Honors
Mrs. Dima
3A
While reading the stories of the holocaust survivors I realized how smart and cunning the Nazis were. They manipulated the minds of the Jews making them think something other than the inevitable was going to happen. I would not wish the cruelty the Nazis showed towards the Jews to my worst enemy.
One thing that did catch my attention in Irene's story was when she brought valuables for a form of trade not knowing how the camps really were. But once she arrived at the concentration camp she was stripped of everything even the clothes she was wearing at that time. It was her story that also spoke out to me. The way Irene describes leaving where generations of her family has lived. “All of a sudden you are told to leave it all and walk out with a single suitcase” (qdt Irene Weiss), this quote in my opinion was powerful because she basically said what was in all the Jews head. And if I had the privilege to ask Irene a question I would ask he “was in heart made you keep pushing on to not give up”.
I've learned that the survivors of the Holocaust coped and moved on with their lives by sharing their stories with others to show the implications of hate and how that work can hurt mentally as well as physically. Some did not want to associate with others fearing they will get close and be torn apart like them and their families were in the camps. And others found work and tried to live what they know to be an “average life”.
Willow Giannotti-Garlinghouse
ReplyDeleteFebruary 18,2015
English II Honors
Mrs. Dima A3
In reading personal accounts from the perspective of Holocaust survivors, what strikes me is how oblivious these people were of the people trying to destroy them. No one knew what was happening to their friends, neighbors, and loved ones who were being taken away from them. The nazis were so efficient in their efforts to exterminate all people who did not fit into the "Aryan race", they were able to mask their actions to an extent. It is heartbreaking to imagine both those people who did not know where they were being taken, and those who did know, and had to battle the feelings of a desire to protect their people from this horror, and one to protect their friends from the knowledge of what awaited them. Eva Umlauf's story specifically resonated with me, the way she spoke of her "subconscious, instinctual" knowledge of Auschwitz. She was too young when she arrived for any conscious memories of the camp to maintain, but, as she says although I haven’t got memories as such of the time I spent there, something is triggered deep inside me, both physically and in my inner being. I get very nervous and the death, the cold, the expanse and the emptiness of it swamps me – it’s a feeling that it’s hard to explain but it’s everywhere. I can feel the burnt earth everywhere I walk. (qtd: Eva Umlauf)" For her, there is a subconscious memory of the horror her family and people experienced,almost a sixth sense. These survivors showed immense bravery when faced with these trials, but it did not end there. Many of them talk about how they try not to share the more graphic details of this part of their ives with their loved ones, for fear of traumatizing them. It is incredible that they would be so selfless as to protect their families and friends when they have experienced such horrors. They do not get to forget their lives, they must carry it with them, while protecting their loved ones.
Leah Rivers
ReplyDelete4B
Mr. Loureiro
The treatment of the Jews was more than just horrible, it was simply a nightmare, "a horror film" that was played over and over in their heads. From the stories of experiences the Jews were considered "lucky". Those who had survived took the idea to share their experiences to school children. They teach them of how cruel life was at the moment and to give them an idea and an image to what happened. I learned from Mordechai Ronen that it doesn't take a grown up to know when you are being hated or discriminated. "I was in the synagogue singing when a rock shattered the stained-glass window. The rabbi tried to convince us it was just some drunk, but as a ten year old I knew better." This is powerful because at the camp he found ways on his own to survive. He hid in the yard near the dead bodies, he scraped the bottom of the barrel to have more food, and he had a drive to keep going when his own father couldn't do it anymore. I would ask Mordechai if he still remembers the garden in the back of his house with peaches and cherries, his mothers goulash and the scent of Shabbat candles, and the sweet lullaby his mother sang to him. What I realized is that the women coped and moved on by starting families at a young age, probably due to the fact that there family was dead. Going back to Auschwitz was a big major thing that they did to recap on old times and to try and come to closure. Honestly I would not be able to go back to the place that tried to disappearance my whole race, let alone get the nightmare out of my head of in humaneness .
Calcyan Rangolam
ReplyDeleteFebruary 20, 2015
Mr. Loureiro: 4B
After reading the six survivors' stories, I realized the amount of hatred towards Jews by the Nazis, followed by the amount of confusion the Jewish families went through trying to figure out what was really going on. Reality struck quickly as they began to realize that Auschwitz was not a place of labor, but a death chamber where they were promised a shower but instead were led into gas chamber to die. The Nazis had so much focus to eliminate all Jews from existence, which is just ignorant altogether trying to eliminate a certain group of people just because they seemed to be a threat to the rest of the world. The story that stood out the most to me was, Irene Weiss', her experience started at such a young age and everything the her family ever worked for was taken away with no consideration. "All of a sudden you are told to leave it all and walk out with a single suitcase", (qtd. Weiss). This particular quote made me realize how hard it must been to leave everything you have behind but one suitcase with your belongings. She described her family as "desperate" because they all hoped to find some kind of good outcome from the whole experience, Weiss still continued to have hope even when her family begins to get split up into different sections of people and not knowing what each section meant. If I were to ask Irene Weiss one question I would ask, how did you keep so calm through the whole process? Many of the survivors' try to avoid talking about their experience since it was so disturbing and horrific and it's really hard for them to forget such a significant experience of their lives, while its such a huge event in history. Even through the whole experience, these survivors stayed strong while they faced such a threatening time of their lives.
I like how you mentioned how Weiss's family expected to find some hop from their experience. That really stood out to be because it is one of those situations where one doesnt believe their is hope anymore so to see how they tried to stick through it and wish for a better end just shows so much .
Delete
ReplyDeleteVictor Coto
English 2 Honors
Mr. L 4B
Jews were not considered people. When they arrived at Auschwitz, they were no longer "Joseph" or "Eva or "Irene", they were just numbers. That by its self shows the hate that the Germans had for the Jews. They didnt consider them human beings. Jews were very badly mistreated, having to work in the snow in thin clothing, deprived of food and water and being killed only for the fact that they were Jews. Thousands of people were sent to Auschwitz with the pure intention of getting rid of them forever. In just 6 weeks, half a million Hungarian Jews were deported to Auschwitz. The Germans were rushing to get rid of every jew , driven by their hatred towards them is something very baffling.
One story that really stuck out to me was Irene Fogel Weiss. The thing that really stuck out to me was when she describes how she was able to coped with all of it. "I kept it at a distant. I saw and understood, and yet I didnt. I've never cried over the columns of children and mothes I saw." [qtd. in Weiss]. I see this is as being a very strong minded women, I think its really rare for someone to say they didnt cry seeing all of those dead people in Auschwitz, let alone going through it all for 2 years or more. Despite her experience, and everyone elses, the survivors were able to have a normal life after they were liberated. For example, Irene married, had 3 children, went to college and became a teacher. Leading a normal life, she never had side effects like depression as most people would think. Joseph Mandrowitz, when liberated, came to the USA, worked as soon as he arrived and opened up his own tailor business in Brooklyn, Queens. "The US gave me a pretty good life. In fact I'd say I found my heaven here" [qtd. in Mandrowitz]. I love the fact that Joseph Mandrowitz embraces the fact that he went through all the horrors of the holocaust and says he never wants to forget it because it is effectively the story of his life. If I had the chance to meet any of these survivors i would ask them, "What is your biggest memory from Auschwitz?" I would ask them this because I believe that since its the biggest memory from a traumatizing moment in their life that it may have an effect in their normal daily life.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteCiera Viera
ReplyDeleteEnglish 2 Honors
Mrs. Dima 3A
-These stories teach me that Jews were mot treated as normal human beings. Many people died and suffered just because of their religion. Many knew the end was near. They was either going to die or have to die or have to work hard or even look good so that they wont die. many had to move on with life knowing that their mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, or children were dead. All those innocent people were nobody. Food, Waters deprived and their lives. . . lost.
-One story that resonated with me was the Mordechai Ronen story. I learned so much from this one story. In many parts he explains how he risked himself to save his life and also his fathers like climbing inside a empty food barrel and scrapped the left overs from the bottom. that was the way his dad and himself got extra food. He had to hide in many spots as well for safety like next to dead bodys to pretend he was one of the dead or even witnessing people, starving people, eating human flesh. many of the things in this story was powerful like how he survived and what he went through. he lived and continued living after every thing. Losing his father and going on by himself. One question I would ask Mr. Mordechai Ronen is what was one thought that went in your mind when your father said to you that he couldn't continue being how old you were and how does it make you feel knowing you had to move on and live when he could not go on any longer?
- I learned that the survivors of the Holocaust coped and moved on with their lives after liberation by continuing on and starting families, furthering their futures and becoming successful like going to school and becoming teachers and not letting what they went through stop them.
Jaquasia Bowman
ReplyDeleteFebruary 22, 2014
Mrs. Dima 3B
Concluding from the article, the way Natzis treated the Jews were cruel. The Natzis enslaved them, starved them, or just killed them, upon their free will. These people (Jews) were oblivious on to what these people were doing to them. From the stories of the victims, I learned that, they were appalled thinking bout the topic. Joseph Mandeowitz says "...occasionally I have bad dreams and wake up at night..." and "But that’s the story of my life. I still can’t believe it happened." Speaking on how the experience traumatized him and scard him for life (physically and mentally). Reading actual stories I learned how brutal it was to be a Jew during the time & all they went through.
The first story of Irene Fogel Weiss, resonated to me because she experienced her situation with her sister. I learned to cherish your siblings because they're the closest and sometime the only person in your life. Therefore it was powerful to me because, my sister is my moms only child, and if we were in the predicament, we would be together, lifting each other up and motivating each other. Her story made me realize that you shouldn't wait until you're in sorrow or have no choice for you to act out to appreciate your siblings or just be kind to each other. So, my question to Irene would be "How strong was you and your sister bond before the holocaust?"
In the end of each story I learned in order to them to get over the feeling of depression they had to marry young, start a new family from loosing their very own, and/or share their story. These methods may have not wiped the liberation completely out of mind, nor made it much clearer to them, but it got them far enough to luckily continue with their free lives.
Christopher Rojas
ReplyDeleteEnglish 2 Honors,
Period: 4B, Mr. Loureiro
These six survivors’ stories have shown that the treatment betwee on.en human beings were horrible and actions were done with no consideration whats so ever. For example, in Susan Pollack’s story she says, “I saw some soldiers toss a baby up and shoot it in mid air for fun and from then on I had no doubt about what awaited us here.”,innocent lives killed in tragic ways that can leave you speechless. If you weren’t able to stand up or if you sat down to take rest, you were shot right away. In addition, the circumstances that all the prisoners were kept in were terrible,low supply of food, never bathed, and were beaten when directions weren't as followed. Some couldn’t take it no more, some even committed suicide. “They sent me to get a number tattooed on to my arm. I don’t remember the number. It’s there still, but I never look at it because it brings back too many painful memories.” -Henry Korman. Referring to this statement said in the article, these type of acts/hatred are always kept in memory to others who were the victims, the pain might heal but memories will always be kept, you just can’t take that away from something.
“All of a sudden you are told to leave it all and walk out with a single suitcase.” -Irene Fogel Weiss, this quote pretty much sums up the discrimination against the Jews during the Holocaust. Due to the fact that every living Jew who worked hard to send their children's to school, have food for their loved ones and live a better life, were forced to change all that in a short period of time by the Nazis. Families were torn apart based on whether they were able to work or not. Women and children were no help to the German army which lead to their death in gas chambers for the most part. Prisoners who were sent to the hospital and couldn’t recovered with 5 days were directly sent to the gas chambers. In addition, some committed suicide by holding grip to the electrical fences that surrounded the camps in which they were placed in. Irene Fogel Weiss’s story stood out to me in great shock due to the fact that prisoners were tricked in thinking that they were going to take a shower when in fact they were going to the gas chambers, great disgrace brought to whom would do such a thing. “We could not have imagined that they would kill little children, until we realized that killing children was their primary goal to prevent any new generations.” - Irene. This statement is cruel to the entire population of Jewish people knowing that if the Holocaust continued there wouldn't be the same amount of Jewish people alive to this day, if the Nazis continued to kill the generations waiting to be born. What made Irene accept a position in the US presidential delegation? Did living during the Holocaust help you mature faster during your youth? Many of the survivors moved to their family members or relatives that also survived which brought a bit of happiness in their life knowing they were alone, helping them cope with their lives after liberation. Also marrying young and having children of their own helped them move on as well.
Ariana Oeung
ReplyDeleteDima 3B
The treatment of Jews by the Nazis was very horrifying. To learn that The Jews were so discriminated, worked so bad and killed is very disturbing
and sad because everyone was so innocent, taken away from their homes and even separated from their families. From these stories I learned about the various concentration camps and even the way that the kids were treated throughout all this. if you had a talented you were more likely to survive but didn't always make it out. One story that resonated with me was the story of Irene Fogel Weiss. Her story was very touching and she was so young at the time so I can only imagine her thoughts throughout this. What was powerful to me after reading was that she survived along with her sister. She made it out a live with her family member, which not many others got the chance to do. I learned that kids were killed in order of stopping the generation from growing, which I found really insane and sad. If I could ask her one question it would be, As a child at the time, what were going through your mind seeing all the horrifying things happening in your very eyes? After liberation, all of the survivors kept the horrible memory of Auschwitz in their mind and hearts. Some went on and started a family, some became teachers and all found a better life and succeeded in their own ways. For some, the United States was a better place for them. Its nice to know that some people did survive this horrible time but so so many died that, that makes it so Upsetting. The memory of this time will never fade away.
Ella Rodems-Boyd
ReplyDeleteFebruary 22, 2015
Dima 3B
It seems to me that the way the Nazi's treated the Jews was just hatred. They saw the Jews as something less than human, and therefore had no trouble killing them because, in the Nazi's eyes, it wasn't really killing. Reading about these people's experiences was very disturbing because its impossible to imagine how these people survived, and how humanity could become so perverse. Irene Fogel Weiss's story really resonated with me because her odds just seemed so impossible, and yet she and her sister both survived. In her story, she says, " Many times we were threatened with separation but somehow we managed to stay together." It strikes me how something so tragic can also be so uplifting. I almost want to call her lucky, because she survived this experience with a member of her family, but at the same time, how could anyone call her lucky? She also says, "Eventually I discovered that of around 100 people from my town who were deported, only about 10 survived, only two of whom were children – my sister and me.". It just feels so amazing to me that she survived. The way Weiss described coping with her experience seemed very understandable to me. Even in my life, I find myself simply distancing myself from memories I'd rather not look back on. It wouldn't be that difficult to detach oneself from an experience like that. It might even be healthier than trying to face it. Its good to know so many people led full lives after their liberation, instead of being crippled by their experiences.
Saige Taylor
ReplyDelete2/22/15
Mrs.Dima
English:3A
These stories teach us about the treatment of Jews by showing us how the Nazis dehumanized the Jews. They did this by gathering up Jews from their home towns and bringing them to Auschwitez. This was so disturbing to learn about the events that happened during this process. What I learned from their stories was the separation of women and men and how the Nazis treated the Jews worse than animals.
The story I chose was of Mordechai Ronen. I learned that he went through a lot of traumatic events in a short period of time. Some things that made his story powerful were the memories of him being separated from his mother and two sisters, seeing a baby thrown up in the air and shot, seeing people eating human flesh, him lying next to dead bodies and witnessing his 50 year old father say “he couldn’t continue”. One question I would ask this survivor is what made him go back to Auschwitez three times?
I learned that after liberation these survivors took what happened in the past and made it more positive by using it to move forward in life. They did this by having families, getting jobs, and actually telling their stories.
after reading these stories I learned that the Jews had to go through a lot in Auschwitz and the amount of cruelty they endured. a particular story caught my attention from Irene Fogel Weiss. at the age of 13 she and her family were taken away from Hungary and were transported to Auschwitz. " All of a sudden you are told to leave it all and walk out with a single suitcase" - qtd. Weiss. this shows how cruel they were treated, they were instructed to take one suitcase to later be emptied out at the camp. they thought that they were going to a work camp but what they didn't know was that they were walking straight into a death camp. when they arrived her mother and the younger children were separated and it was just Weiss and her older sister. I learned that these survivors looked back and remembered most of the horrifying moments and despite all the death they continue living and Weiss didn't need to see a psychologist, she just kept it at a distance and understood it.
ReplyDeleteMarina Gonzalez
ReplyDeleteEnglish 2 Honors
Dima 3A
-These stories told me how Jews were treated inhumane and were brutally beaten and murdered just for being different. The discrimination started at a young age and then escalated to what we call today the Holocaust. “There was always some antisemitism, but it was mainly fairly harmless, consisting of kids at our school who during religious education taunted the five or six Jewish kids in the class with “Jews killed Jesus.”(Mandrowitz) The dehumanization of Jews started off with things such as taking jobs away and anything a Jewish family owned. “My father lost his license to operate and then he faced the enormous task of trying to find work.” (Pollack) They took away everything Jews had worked so hard for until when they were told they had to resettle to this new location they took it as a good thing and thought they’d be able to start a better life. Upon arrival the Nazis made everything seem so casual. The Jews were of course wondering what was going on but “it was a relief to see out the window that there was actually a system. Even though we were victims of discrimination at that stage that’s all it was, as we had no clue then that this was a very carefully orchestrated plan of genocide.” (Weiss) In each story everyone was moved to the Auschwitz camp and they explain in further detail how they were ripped from their families the minute they stepping out of the cattle carts. After that it was either straight to a gas chamber, a crematorium or forced into intensive labor with horribly disturbing living conditions.
-Susan Pollack’s story resonated with me the most because said she speaks out about her experience and she has been talking to 15 year olds for the past 20 years. She said ” I try to tell them how small streams of hatred can quickly lead to unstoppable, horrific things, so they should stand up to any type of persecution or discrimination, whether its bullying or malicious gossip.” This is powerful to me because I have been bullied before and I think at some point every has an I think it’s a really great thing that she’s doing and that she’s so anti-bullying because just like the holocaust little things that might not seem like much can escalate into a catastrophe. Pollack also said “I appear to be a strong person, but inside I’m really quite fragile.” This hit home because it describes me and it just shows how no matter what you go through you’ll always hold up a barrier so people don’t see the real you because no one likes to seem weak or vulnerable. A question for Susan Pollack is you talk a lot about hope and keeping the faith so what thoughts kept you going, what gave you hope? And even with that hope did you ever think you would get saved or did you just think it would get a little better?
-After reading the stories I learned that each individual coped with they’re memories but just living on. They didn't stay stuck on the bad thoughts they just learned to live with what had happened and tried to make the best or where they’re at now. “Occasionally I have bad dreams and wake up at night, my wife asking me: “What’s up?”, and I tell her I’m being chased by Germans….. I never forget it and I don’t want to forget it because it’s effectively the story of my life.”(Mandrowitz) Just like any bad experience, if you keep reliving it you won’t ever learn how to live a life without it. You’ll just be stuck in your feelings and make yourself feel worse. “I’m often asked how I have coped. I never went to a psychologist and I never will. Quite simply, I kept it at a distance. Those who never managed to keep it distant killed themselves….I threw myself into family life. I married young, I had three children.” (Weiss) Everyone tried to move on as best as they could and try to catch up on the years they missed and live the life they always hoped for.
Eva Knaggs
ReplyDeleteLoureiro
This Guardian article conveyed from the point of view of liberated Jews who had been prisoner in Auschwitz what life during Nazi Germany was like. What struck me is how those who presented their stories were able to fluently express what they did know, didn't know, and felt, as such small children with no idea of why they were being treated as they were. They all seemed to question why? There was a sense of "This is happening, and I understand that it's happening, but I can not quite grasp the why aspect of the hatred I'm subject to." As they grew up and were able to process such unthinkable concepts and events, their coping changed, their mindset changed, and their experiences themself changed.
"I’m often asked how I have coped. I never went to a psychologist and I never will. Quite simply, I kept it at a distance. I saw and understood, and yet I didn’t. I’ve never cried over the columns of children and mothers I saw. When I was in Auschwitz I thought: ‘This is not actually on earth.’ It was a system of masters and slaves, gods and subhumans and I thought to myself: ‘No one knows about it. It’s the forest, surrounded by multiple layers of fence, it’s not actually real.’ I never let it penetrate that my parents were killed and I even thought: ‘After this we’re going home and everyone will be there again.’ Those who never managed to keep it distant killed themselves (qtd. Irene Fogel)." This resonated with me particularly out of all the stories because Fogel and I have the same coping mechanisms, which made me able to relate to her more than the others whose stories are presented here. We both acknowledge that while it isn't conventionally healthy or encouraged, it is effective for us. Distancing, and knowing that if you don't it will make you miserable. Finding a way to get over it, without involving others, crying eventually becomes a foreign concept. There is no need for it. This quote was so well worded in that it is difficult to put the concept into words. This also speaks to how the article talked of the survivors coping after their liberation. PTSD is obvious in all of the survivors, but coping varies depending on personality, experience, age, and time spent at Auschwitz.
Justin Gomez-Stafford
ReplyDeleteEnglish 2 Honors
Mr. Louriero
1. These articles showed me a new level of hatred. I knew that these events were bad but I wasn't aware that it was this bad. I the first article it talks about how you had to leave your entire life behind you and pack everything into one suitcase. I also learned how most of this started when Czechoslovakia broke out and they became part of Hungray. That's were they lost all rights and the real discrimination started.
2. The story that really got to me was the one with Joseph Mandrowitz. His story taught me how the value a person can change how people see you. By this I mean that people will only keep you aren't if they need you or think you will benefit their life. This story was powerful to me because it showed a new side of the cruelty done to the Jews, such as shoting someone for having money while being inspected. One question I would ask is, how did you deal with the better conditions in the hospital while knowing others where being tortured.
3. I learned that in order to move on with your life, you have to let go of painful things of the past in order to be happy. These people said how their lives where better know because of leaving the past the past. I also thought it was powerful when hey mentioned how after that visit they would never go back showing they didn't care for the past and knew that place was just a horrible living nightmare that still stands.
Clio Bate
ReplyDeleteEnglish 2
Loureiro
These stories tell about the horrors of the concentration camps, and the way the jewish people were treated by the nazis. For example, when Irene Weiss was sent to work in a concentration camp, “If anyone sat down out of exhaustion, they were shot. Later we were transported yet again, and my aunt Piri became ill and was killed.(qtd. Weiss) This shows how people were treated inhumanely, and cruelly, not even allowed a moments rest or else they would be shot and killed. Upon arrival many people were sent away to the crematorium where they were killed, men, women, children, anyone who was not deemed fit to work. “We could not have imagined that they would kill little children, until we realised that killing children was their primary goal to prevent any new generations.” (qtd Weiss) There people were treated like a disease that had to be eradicated. They were shown no mercy by the horrible Nazis.
The story that stood out to me the most was by Irene Weiss. I like the way that she gave you insight into the way she felt, how countless others must have felt as well. “Imagine it like this: three generations of your family have lived in the same house in the same town. They’ve struggled to raise a family, put kids through school, to feed them all. You have your friends and family. All of a sudden you are told to leave it all and walk out with a single suitcase.” (qtd. Weiss) She’s telling the reader to put themselves into her shoes. She then says, “But the German system was full of this sort of deception. It counted on people’s normal perception of things. Thinking we were going to a work camp. Thinking that you were going to take a shower when in fact you were going to the gas chambers – that was the ultimate deceit. (qtd. Weiss) This is explaining how she felt, how everyone felt, how you yourself probably would have felt in that situation, how the Nazies were treating and deceiving the Jews.
The person Irene Weiss had many different ways of coping with what happened to her. One of these ways was looking at old photographs, searching for the family members that were killed when she wasn't. “ I Looked at old pictures of the camp, searching for her families faces in the photos(Weiss). She was extremely upset when she couldn't find any photographs of her mother as she was being sent to the crematorium, she searched and searched until she finally did. “The pictures have reassured me that I was not imagining it all, as I sometimes thought I might have done.” (qtd Weiss) Weiss also simply states out how she was able to handle the horrible experiences. “Quite simply, I kept it at a distance. I saw and understood, and yet I didn’t. I’ve never cried over the columns of children and mothers I saw. When I was in Auschwitz I thought: ‘This is not actually on earth.’ It was a system of masters and slaves, gods and subhumans and I thought to myself: ‘No one knows about it. It’s the forest, surrounded by multiple layers of fence, it’s not actually real.’ I never let it penetrate that my parents were killed and I even thought: ‘After this we’re going home and everyone will be there again.’ Those who never managed to keep it distant killed themselves.” (qtd. Weiss)
Mykael Fenton
ReplyDeleteFebruary 22,2015
English 2 Honors
3A
In the articles Jews are mistreated, baby's suffocated from just the journey to camps. no food water or hygiene. They were going insane the non eating turned into a game of survival. the e'er y were losing there identity names turned to numbers and Jewish families were rare.
Mordechai Ronens story stuck out to me the most. The Jews during that time have been through alot even in death they get no respect but he is brave and played it as smart as he could have. He used his surroundings to an advantage but I would like to ask him why he didn't break. He saw a baby get tossed up and shot for fun he witnessed people eating human flesh how did he keep his will power.
The survivors are still haunted
Mordechai says he sees the horror everyone he closes his eyes.But after liberation they couldn't be more thankful for what they have even for the food on the table.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteJasmine Godwin
ReplyDeleteEnglish 2 Mrs.Dima
Period 3A
After reading these stories i realized that human beings are very cold and heartless creatures. I just can't wrap my mind around the fact that the someone can hate another person so much. That they would brutally murder and degrade that person/people so much.People are very mean and hate kind of takes over their entire life. In my opinion hate is a drug because, you can easily get addicted and, in these cases that's what happened.Hate and discrimination can seriously hurt and destroy some people. You can loose your confidence and it really taints your self worth and pride. The Nazis were evil and treated the Jews so bad. Nazis didn't care about how many families they split or how many lives were lost. It was all apart of a plan kind of like a game. I often wonder how someone can feel like they have the authority or right to take someones life and it be normal? I learned that so many people lost their life and were forever lost from their family. That it was a battle of life and death every day.That people were forcefully removed from homes that generations of family have lived in. To now being in a very unfamilar place .I learned about the people that worked everyday to get the little they had. And it be ripped out of their grasp and now have nothing. I heard about the struggle of figuring ot how to throw your entire life into one suitcase. But out of all of this i learned that you have to cherish every day that God allows you to live on this earth because, a new day is NEVER promised.One story that sttod out to me was Joseph Mandrowitz. It was kind of weird to find out that Dr. Mengele a man that so many feared and the killed alot. Actually saved his life and gave him and chance. Joseph was a tailor and that ended up saving him. He had lost all of his family and after being freed he returned to his home. I think I would want to ask him .What is it like for you to return to a place of such evil and pain, how do you fathem it? Survivors of the Holocaust didn't talk about and tried to move on with life. Others jumped straight into creating a family and kind of believing it wasn't real. Some of them still have nighmares today.
Iryiana Rivera
ReplyDeleteFebruary 22,2015
English 2 Honors
Ms. Dima 3A
Despite where they were born, or how they were raised, these six Holocaust survivors experienced the same situation of hatred, pain, hopelessness, and death. During that time they had no means of escape, but somehow found hope in their situation. These stories took me through a one on one perspective of what really happened to the Jews during this tragic time. It showed me that there was no respect, or even a single piece of humanity between the Nazis and Jews. They were treated as nothing and got killed off without hesitation, “I was given the number 128164 on my left arm and from that point on I was a number, no longer a name. (qtd. in Mandrowitz)”. These survivors, along with everyone else who suffered in the Holocaust could feel the hate towards them, “It’s an incredibly scary feeling when you’re exposed to anyone’s raw feelings and enmity (qtd. in Weiss)”. It taught me that hate can go a long way and brings out the very worst in people. Hate can be for, or on, anything. It also showed me that people can be so disgusting, and it made me realize that there are still malicious acts out there, and it makes me dislike the world we live in. But their stories also taught me to keep fighting no matter what is thrown at you, because that is life.
Eva Umlauf’s story touched me. Although she was only two during her time at Auschwitz and doesn't remember much, she can feel the pain and agony of what happened on that very campground. “ … although I haven’t got memories as such of the time I spent there, something is triggered deep inside me, both physically and in my inner being. I get very nervous and the death, the cold, the expanse and the emptiness of it swamps me – it’s a feeling that it’s hard to explain but it’s everywhere. I can feel the burnt earth everywhere I walk. (qtd. in Umlauf)”. She feels the emptiness and death that once wandered Auschwitz, and that is amazing, yet terrifying because being a toddler and having those things go on around you, and having the chance of being killed at such a young age is scary, but being able to feel and sympathize with others is great. My question for Eva Umlauf is, “Would you have liked to experience your time at Auschwitz at an older age, so you could have actually seen, and understood what was going on around you, and to also grasp a better meaning of its existence?”
These survivors don't take anything for granted, not even their experience of the Holocaust. They don't deny their past of being there, but rather they embrace it and see it as a huge part of their lives. “I have to go back to Auschwitz one last time. I feel like I own the place, having spent almost two years of my life there. I never forget it and I don’t want to forget it because it’s effectively the story of my life. (qtd. in Mandrowitz)”. They had hope for their future and never gave up during the hard times, “We had no water, no food, there was no hygiene. That diminished our hope and increased the feeling of being trapped. But despite that, you always retained a glimmer of hope.(qtd. in Pollack)”. They kept fighting through it all and that inspires me. I learned that no matter what, don’t give up on yourself and your faith, and to never take anything for granted. Hope is key.
Charles Orr
ReplyDeleteEnglish 2 Honors
Mrs. Dima
The Nazis treated the Jews as if they were nothing more than wild beasts with no human rights. In the stories of Joseph Mandrowitz and Irene Fogel Weiss, they both mentioned how if you were caught sitting down while marching, you were shot immediately. They were treated like disposable items, and once they ran out of use, they were disposed of, like a pen that’s run out of ink. “For 500 meters there were just ditches full of bodies, legs, heads,” (Joseph Mandrowitz) this just shows how inhumanly the Jews were treated, being tossed into ditches with no second thoughts. His story really stood out to me because he came so close to death. He was ill and sent to be gassed but because he was a tailor he was sent back to the hospital to tailor for the troops. If that had been anyone else who was ill, they would have just been gassed without hesitation. I think something to take away from this story, and all the other ones is that there is always hope. As Susan Pollack said, “You always retained a glimmer of hope. Always.” Throughout all the tragedies the survivors went through, they always had hope, and hope got them through it. Hope seemed to be the main method of coping for the survivors who wrote these six stories, but some coped just by keeping the whole thing distant from their mind, like Irene Fogel Weiss, who said, “Those who never managed to keep it distant killed themselves.” If I could ask one question to Mandrowitz, I would ask what other ways people used to cope. Just from reading the articles I learned that hope was used a lot and took many forms. It could have been the idea that this was all a dream that would end soon, or for some it was the hope of being rescued, but I want to know what else it was for others. This six people gave us six interesting views and methods for coping, and I feel they could tell us more about other people’s methods.
SungMi Johnson
ReplyDeleteEnglish 2
Mrs. Dima 3B
After reading these survival stories from the Holocaust, I feel that I see this event on a more personal level. When the survivors emphasize how young they were during the Holocaust, perhaps around our ages, imagining our generation during this time is unbelievable and terrifying. I can't help but imagine myself and my family in these cruel and horrible situations, let alone wrap my head around testimonies from those that experienced the Holocaust fist hand. I have learned the magnitude of the amount of hate for the Jews, who were dehumanized and murdered in ways beyond evil. Jewish families were immediately separated and those that could not work were gassed. However, perhaps even more disturbing is that family members walked towards their death believing they would see their families again.
The stories that resonated with me the most were those that focused on losing family members so suddenly. Irene Fogel Weiss spoke about her brothers and sisters, and how she still remembers being separated from them, looking to see where they had gone. "The pictures only came to light 25 years ago and, despite them showing moments from around 45 years before that, they completely captured the entire experience as it had been in my mind all that time." (qtd. Irene Fogel Weiss) Even decades after, tiny details become crucial memories in someone's life. I was also struck by Joseph Mandrowitz's story. "I had had parents, two brothers, three sisters, two nephews, two nieces, an aunt, an uncle, and all of them died. I found out the rest of my family were taken to Treblinka in 1942." (qtd. Joseph Mandrowitz) He lists all the family he had, then reveals that none of them survived. If I could meet either Irene or Joseph, I would ask them if the pain ever lessens from losing your whole life.
I have learned that many of the survivors cope by keeping their distance from the past. They have made new lives for themselves in raising families while others have found job helping others. What I found interesting was that many survivors keep their horrors to themselves. Susan Pollack keeps her stories away from her children so not to traumatize them. "They’re entitled to a carefree youth, I always thought, and I didn’t want to be spreading bitterness and hate." (qtd. Susan Pollack) After reading these stories, I realize that these survivors will carry an enormous burden with them for the rest of their lives and people can do little to erase the horror they experienced.
I like how SungMi told about the survivors keeping their distance from their past. She sees how they want to keep all the memories to themselves and limit how much they want to tell their children or grandkids. It made me think about how Susan Pollack never wanted to traumatize them and keep them carefree, not having to think about what she went through.
DeleteNi Lam
ReplyDeleteFebruary 22, 2015
English 2 Honors
Mrs. Dima
Reading these stories made me realize that the worst effect the Nazis left on these survivors weren’t physical, but mental. They dehumanized Jews to the point where they didn’t even feel like anything was real anymore. “Such a simple thing, but he told me: ‘I have a daughter like you,’ and how vital that statement of his was to my sense of becoming a human being again.” (qtd. Pollack). Susan Pollack had a struggle with trying to become mentally stable again. Although her physical wounds heal, what got her to walk were the healing words of the doctor. His simple words, made her feel human again. She was able to become better mentally, and that eventually helped her walk again. I’ve learned that, nothing is worse than losing faith in humanity, and losing your ability to trust in others. The Holocaust left these survivors so traumatized and it left such a huge scar, that it hindered their ability to trust others. Imagine living everyday with your guard up, not being able to relax just because of the thought that something so disgustingly horrifying might happen again. It will wear you down, and you won’t be able to enjoy life to its fullest extent.
Henry Korman’s story really stuck with me. His story shows the other side of the spectrum and what the effects of it lead the rest of his life to be. Many of the other stories said that they wanted to start a family and to be able to live a happy life, and to carry on their family. It was optimistic in a sense. With Henry, he explained to us that he had to desire in starting a family of his own for the fear of losing family again. His story on how he’s living now really shows how not everyone thinks optimistically. His mindset was different from others. It showed that he was never able to forgive humans for the Holocaust, and that he really had no faith in humanity. “I now live in Hanover, Germany, which doesn’t feel strange to me to be living in the land of the murderers,” (qtd. Korman). Korman basically conveys to the readers that he was used to living in a world full of murderers. He was numb to that feeling already. Later on he explains how the Germans would rather listen to his stories than the people in the US. He still resents the US and it is rather obvious. In a sense, I feel like he is subliminally conveying to us that the reason he would rather stay in Germany was because the US was a bystander until 1944. The US knew what was happening and yet they didn’t stop it. A bystander is just as bad, maybe even worse, than the perpetrator because they could have stopped it but didn’t. I feel that Henry is so real to himself and his story was powerful to me because his mindset is similar to mine. If I was to ask Henry one question, it would be, “do you regret not ever starting a family?” Just to see how he would react, and if he still would stick to his initial thought of not wanting a family because he left fear overtake him.
I’ve learned that each and every one of these survivors managed to move on with their lives because they didn’t want to live their lives in vain. Rather than moping around, they lived for their loved ones. They wanted to make sure that they lived a good life to show that they were grateful for being the few that survived the Holocaust. They share their stories because they know that this whole situation is with them forever. Instead of avoid it, they decided to face it and teach others how cruel humans can become and how one can get so caught up with hatred that it could eventually lead to genocide and dehumanization.
Nicholas Mayne
ReplyDelete2/23/15
English 2 Honors
Mrs. Dima
What these stories taught us about about how Jew were treated by the Nazi's were that it was similar to a living hell. They were millions of Jews killed whether in the death camp or outside the death camp. It was unbearable to these Jews. Nazi's were trained from children to adults to hate Jews no matter what, so it became a on flowing wave of no remorse to kill these people. it was like second nature to Nazi's. I believe some would sit back and even watch those who were sent to gas chambers suffocate to death without them even knowing. it was completely horrifying, even for me to read these stories when i wasn't there. It was even worst to know that you wouldn't see your family again. Irene Fogel Weiss stated "My sister was sent with my mother, while I went to the opposite side. That was the first chance I had to survive ;I’m leaning inwards to see where my little sister has gone. From theses stories of these holocaust survivors i learned that They were treated lower than dirt in a way. I say this because they were killed with no remorse at all, they didn't care for there lives and it was just terrible how people can be this way.
I selected Eva Umlauf story, and what i learned from this was that she was actually borned on a labor camp. she was very young when she arrived at Auschwitz. Her mother was four months pregnant when they arrived, but it was crazy that if they arrived just two days earlier, we would have been gassed immediately. So, they are lucky to what happened to them. That is why this story was so powerful to me because her experience when she was very young wasn't ordinary. One question that i would ask is they you ever think you would survive Auschwitz ?
What i learned about how these survivors coped and moved on with their lives after liberation was that they tryed to make the rest of their life positively successful without thinking about the negative. Yes, I believe it was hard for them but they managed to do it.
Alyssa Pagan
ReplyDelete3B
What these personal stories left with me was the strong sense of unknowing these survivors had as the holocaust was happening. They didn’t know if their loved ones were alive they were taken away and uninformed. They were in such a horrifying miserable situation and weren’t even sure of what was going on. One story in particular that really struck me was of the very young baby Eva Umlauf who was barely two years old in Auschwitz was how even at an age were one can hardly talk she could still have these feelings of being there. “although I haven’t got memories as such of the time I spent there, something is triggered deep inside me, both physically and in my inner being.” (qtd + Eva Umlauf) Eva chose to become a psychotherapist which I found so enlightening. She wants to reach out and help those who have suffered what she was tossed into at such an early age. Her empathy is empowering to her cause. Her story and all of the stories mentioned show how it took more than physical endurance and to survive, what they were going through was so unbelievably painful most would rather die. People were being ripped away from everything they had come to know. Just thinking of a young two year old in such a setting is surreal. How detrimental that would be for anyone but especially a child, to have to start to develop in such a setting where at any moment your parents may be torn away from you.
I found many of the survivors who shared their story in this article went on to record their experience and share it with the world through writing. I find this critical to keeping what happened to them a part of history and not just being brushed aside as a tragedy that happened long ago which is what many uninformed people think. When in all reality the holocaust did not even happen that long ago. Mordechai Ronen’s autobiography is to be published in december.who vividly remembers his time in Auschwitz with his father.”I remember the chimneys with dark, thick smoke rising from them; dogs barking all the time...The electrified fences instantly killed anyone who touched them. Perhaps these were simply acts of suicide.” His memory is so powerful to show that the time there was so miserable people would rather end their life. By keeping his story alive by recording it and making it known as like many other survivors are it leaves a mark something that people can’t take away. His memory of what he went through won’t just die with him.
Noraida Santana
ReplyDeleteEnglish 2 Honors
Mr. Loureiro
4B
-What do these stories teach us about the treatment of Jews by the Nazis? What did you learn from their stories about their experiences during the Holocaust?
-Select one story that resonated with you. What did you learn from this story? What made it powerful to you? If you could ask this survivor one question, what would the question be?
-What did you learn about how these survivors coped and moved on with their lives after liberation?
These stories taught me that the Nazis had treated the Jews horribly. Throughout the Holocaust they have been evicted of homes they lived in their entire lives and had precious belongings taken away from them. It was a scary thing especially at such young ages.
A story that really stood out was Irene's story. This was something that stood out to me because she was a young girl like me and it made me realize how lucky I am to have been not born in that time period. She had to go through such horrid things in her childhood. A question I would like to ask would be if she could change any decision she made during this period of time. I would like to ask this because at a time like this every move you make is very important and could probably affect your life.
I learned that at the beginning they were a little clueless and did not know what would really happen next to them. They would then learn that their every single move would be followed and could affect whether they would live or not. After liberation they did not want the world to forget this and how millions of innocent people were killed in the Holocaust. They all remembered it clearly and never wanted to forget what they went through.
Camaron Thomas
ReplyDeleteEnglish 2
Mrs. Dima
Period 3B
The Nazis treated the Jews terribly. The Nazis treated the Jews as if they were subhuman. This is because the Nazis thought that they were superior to the Jews. I learned that the bad treatment of the Jews started before the Holocaust or World War II even started.
I chose Irene Fogel Weiss' story. I learned from her story that some countries (such as Hungary) allied with Nazi Germany in order to make if difficult for the Jews. This story was powerful to me because Irene Fogel Weiss experienced the holocaust at such a young age yet to this day, she's never been to a psychologist, she doesn't feel the need to go to a psychologist, and she doesn't plan on going to a psychologist. Also, Irene never cried despite seeing columns of mothers and children. If I could ask her one question, it would be "How and why aren't you traumatized despite what you've seen and experienced?"
I learned that most of theses survivors coped better than expected and have moved on (somewhat). They also don't let what they've experienced in the past hold them back.
I agree with cam on everything and i like how you added background knowledge to your response increasing reader knowledge and thickening the plot. But i disagree on the part in which you say that they didn't let the past hold them back because they were traumatized, they just went through hell and to say that most survivors don't like to talk about their experiences and how many are scared to go back to visit the camps.
DeleteCarlos Flores
ReplyDeleteEnglish 2
Mrs.Dima
Period 3B
The Jewish were treated rather awful by the Nazis. It almost as if the Jews were human any more. They were treated terribly and grossly. To think back on why the Nazis did this act of hatred. I always ask my self “why could it be?” . If you ask me this has to be the point in history that most touches me inside and gives me the chills. I would consider this history as a living nightmare. In one of the stoies it staes that if a Jewish dint march they would be killed right there.
“When my limit in the hospital was up, they sent me to the gas chambers. There I met Dr Mengele, who asked me what was wrong. I said: “You can see, I’ve been beaten up.” Instead of sending me to the gas chambers, I was sent back to the hospital, presumably he saw the potential for labour in me” the story of Joseph mandrowitz touched me the most especially at the moment above. Was Joseph was given a second chance from above or was their Nazis actually trying to help? Well these are the wonders that make me think. Also its crazy how badly Joseph was treated. Another part that i want to talk about is how he was striped from his family at this point forever because after he left/escaped he no way to track back to any relatives. Joseph describe the us as a heaven later. Also Joseph only visited back to the ashuawats twice to think that tis man lived through his nightmare and how after ll these years it still haunts im to this day and it even haunts me just t think about these dark time.
I would like bring the point out how clever the Nazis were. Keep everything in order and to prevent the people of knowing and how they would throw the weak away and keep the strong for labour.
just to let you know i already have did the assighnment earlier and its just as i relized i forgot to write a response to someone so,as i am looking for my response it was not their and it seem to have deleted as i signed into my gmail. Well i learnes my lesson about writing the answers in the cite itself.
DeleteJailynn Vidro
ReplyDeleteMr.Loureiro
period 4B
what these stories left for me was how life really was in the concentration camp and how horrible they were treated.
a story that stood out to me was Eva Umlauf story because she wants to help others who suffer from physcological issues and it just seems so brave of her to have gone through so much and is willing to use her experiences to help others become better. I learned that after the holocaust it was difficult because no one really knew what to do. They had spent their whole lives in hell and now they were expected to move on . So i am aware that there was that bit of how do we go on after witnessing all we have seen.
Noraida Santana
ReplyDeleteMr. Loureiro
Period 4B
These six survivor stories taught me that all these people have lived in a horrible time. I learned that all of them had gone through fatal events at such young ages, some remembering every detail and others too young to even remember. I learned from these stories that even small acts of hate could lead to largely scaled events that can hurt millions of people. A story that resonated with me was Irene Fogel Weiss' story. This was a story that that stood out to me because it shows how even a girl her age can go through something like the Holocaust. She remembers things very clearly about her experience even though she was very young. She never wanted therapy after being liberated either because she feels the need to let this event live on in our world's history. A question I would like to ask her is if she would change any decision she made during this time period. I want to ask her this because when you are going through an event like the Holocaust everything you do will be counted on whether you live or not. I learned that after being liberated these survivors immediately wanted to find any surviving relatives because that was pretty much the only thing they all had left after being released. Each and everyone of them wanted to find away to help others or share their experiences with newer generations, whether it'd be talking to high schoolers or helping with other's psychological health they just don't want this even to ever die.
Nathanael J. Matos
ReplyDeleteMr. Loureiro
Period 4B
Prior to reading these stories, I had already had some sort of idea of the atrocities committed by the Nazis. That being said, reading six firsthand accounts of individuals that had suffered through the pain of being torn from their families, forced to starve and live in tenement-like barracks, and seeing hundreds and hundreds of dead bodies on a daily basis is another thing entirely. When I began reading, I couldn't help but think how depressing the assignment was. But, as I continued it didn't bother me nearly as much, I had numbed to the depression. It got me thinking about if the people in Auschwitz had numbed to the pain and rampant death. I feel like they must've in order to not have lost their sanity, if they even still have it. The mental trauma probably cut deeper than any physical wound could've.
I found it interesting how Mandrowitz was saved because of his trade. He had a skill that quite literally saved his life. Dr. Mengele saw a use in him beyond the basic labour and decided that he was worth the effort of sustaining his life. I want to say that it was some faint spark of compassion for someone of the Jewish faith that stayed Mengele's hand, but I know that it was for his own twisted and demented purposes. The only reason Mandrowitz survived is because he was allowed to live.
The story that resonated the most with me was Eva Umlauf's. It just goes to show how horrid that time was when someone that was merely an infantile can remember the hate that was synonymous with the time. Her juvenile mind couldn't understand at the time, but as she grew older she began to understand how and why things were the way they were. It made it easier for her to move on and cope with her feelings. She barely had any memories to be traumatized from so it stands to reason that she (and her sister) would not be living in pain or hate despite their (limited) experience with antisemitism.
Many of the survivors decided against going to therapy, which I found queer. They didn't want to have someone psychoanalyze them while they were opening their hearts. They felt that they would have to deal with it their own way, either by starting their own family or (in Eva's case) becoming a psychotherapist herself. However, Henry Korman chose to not procreate, for fear of passing on his hate and pain to his children, which I also found curious.
Alerys Malpica
ReplyDelete3B Dima
Reading these stories made me realize that back then life was horrible and bad. Many died, including loved ones of many. I learned that every family got separated and were numbered to be soon die, depending on physical appearances. Many Jews were heading to gas chambers or the crematorium to die. Nazis had no sympathy for the news or there family. They would murder newborns, childrens, womens, and elders. Hitler would only kill those who did not have blonde hair and colored eyes, which in my opinion made no sense because he himself did not have blonde hair or colored eyes. He thought that the jews were children from the devil. The story that spoke out to me more was from Irene Fogel Weiss. It showed me that anyone could lose there family in just 3 seconds. I learned that there were no laws that could have protected the Jews from any harm. One question I would ask is, "Why didn't you try to stick up for your family? Or even run away?
Kennedy Chapman
ReplyDeletehttps://t.co/Z4hJqEymDy
This video is about being a bystander and if you don't help the victim your help the rapist. When I first watched the video after every event that happened the rapist said "thanks for keeping your mouth shut" and made me think and feel like I was apart of the situation for not helping the victim and I was just watching the video. I choose to write about this issue because rape is not just an ordinary thing it's something that will follow you for life and change the way people view you. At first I would have preferred to be a bystander because I didn't want to get involved but it made me realize by even seeing the situation I was involved. We as individuals have the responsibility to address every and any social injustice situations. People only want you to react when they are in a situation and need help. The comment under the video says "if you don't help him your helping her" putting you in a situation where you think back to a time you saw someone needing help and didn't help them but you helped the person harassing them. Sometimes situations are hard to address yourself but there is always someone you could tell so they address it for you.
Hi
DeleteFuck Rod
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