Today, I began to delve into the research portion of my project. I got my first glimpse of how emotionally heavy this project will be. I started off my day by interviewing the granddaughter of a holocaust survivor. It was interesting to hear how events so far removed from her have affected her being and presence everyday.
Her Grandmother's story, a holocaust survivor:
Her Grandmother was a Ultra-Orthodox
Jew in her 20s when the Nazi's invaded their boarding town of Miory, Belarus. She and her mother hid in a local families barn, while the rest of her family was separated and hidden. When the Nazi's came through she hid in the stables with the animals; her mother came looking for her calling out "Gita, Gita.." but she knew something was wrong so she didn't come out. Then her family was rounded about and murdered. Later that night, she ran out into the woods and found Jewish people hiding out. They lived in the harsh conditions of the woods for the 2 years after. They sent out men on missions and some would come back but most wouldn't. Only 30 people survived out of the entire village. When she got news that the war was over, she returned to her town, but was still unsure of the Nazi presence so she moved to a displaced-persons camp, where she met her husband who worked in a work-camp in Siberia for 6 years. He died recently after due to liver complications he developed at the camp. Right after they met they got "married out of convenience" because they heard married couples got easier passage to the United States. They settled in Brooklyn, New York in what now is a Hassidic, ultra-orthodox, community.We then started discussed how it has affected her, the granddaughter of the Holocaust survivor. She discussed how she carries around a constant anxiety because of this "sense of impending doom" or as she likes to call it a "sense of impending Jew." She described this constant feeling of being on edge as being "truly ingrained in her DNA."
It was interesting to see how this fear and experience transferred down three generations. Surviving the holocaust is something the entire family will continue to experience and live with from generation to generation.
Thank you for reading!
*names and specifics are not included out of respect for the interviewee.
How do you envision using captivating stories, like this one, to judge public opinion towards Jews before and after the war?
ReplyDeleteThese stories are not being used as part of my research or to specifically answer my research question. Due to my own interest and the groups I am part of I have been given opportunities to interview survivors. I think part of this project is bringing true awareness to the public about the Holocaust. I plan on doing this by sharing survivors' stories. Although, these stories aren't directly intertwined with my research, I think they tie in well and can teach the public a lot!
DeleteMy research project, my involvement with the Martin-Springer Institute, and my internship at The United States Holocaust Museum are all related and work together; but, they are all separate projects.
DeleteWhat a cool, insightful experience. This is a hard, humbling project to take on becase You get to learn personal experiences about the Holocaust. How have these interviews inspired/impacted you thus far?
ReplyDeleteIt has inspired me in many ways. First and foremost, I have been inspired to constantly be following current events. This is important because in order to ensure an event like the Holocaust doesn't occur again you must be aware of what is happening in the world around you. One must be able to recognize when tragic events are being repeated or smaller events leading up to them appear to avoid 'history repeating itself.' Learning to recognize these signs has been the most inspiring project yet! Listening to survivors and hearing there stories is life-changing.
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