Blog #6

In the movie, One Survivor Remembers, the most powerful scene in the movie was when Weissmann was separated from her mother by the SS at the train station. I can’t imagine being forcibly separated from either of my parents, and not know our fate. My heart would be broken, and I would be worried constantly. The lesson that I took from that scene was that I shouldn’t take anything for granted. I suppose it would be one thing if the Nazi’s just dehumanized people by shaving their heads, starving them, making the work in labor camps etc., but separating parents and children is way over the top.

I’m not sure if making up fantasy bets about the end of the war with a friend in the camp, or any other distraction technique like Suze and Gerda used would work for me. If I were to try to distract myself I would probably start with food like the girls did. I would dream about the smell of frying butter and adding things like, bacon, perogies, and of course wings with extra hot sauce. While I imagined eating that I would be flying a plane or riding my horse as fast as I could through the front field at the farm. These are all things I take for granted. I could probably live without them, but if someone took me from my parents, who I also take for granted sometimes, I would feel like I was going to die.

I think persecution happens all around the world, in varying degrees to almost every group of people. There are bullies on playgrounds and there is political intolerance. If you live in a bad zip code, or drive and old beater car you can be judged. If you live in an enormous mansion, or look different than what most people consider to be normal, you might be harassed. I believe discrimination and persecution have been around forever, and will sadly continue to be. Sometimes I think being pushed into diversity and political correctness creates discrimination. For instance, right now there is a lot of talk about not calling a Christmas tree a Christmas tree. For politically correct reasons, we are supposed to call it a holiday tree, so we don’t offend anyone, and to be more inclusive. Personally, I would like to be able to call a Christmas tree what it is. We all know what holiday is being celebrated. I feel like my holiday is being discriminated against because people are so sensitive about what others do, or what they have. The issue doesn’t just include Christians. I’ve also heard that we should call a Menorah a holiday light. It’s very hard for me to understand why we have to change words, or meanings of things, that have been in place for thousands of years, so we don’t hurt someone’s feelings. Wouldn’t it be easier if we all just accepted what we each have, and celebrate each thing as it has been done traditionally? If you choose not to participate, that would be equally as acceptable. Just don’t dilute or change something into something else that it was not originally intended to be.

In this movie Kurt Klein is a hero to Gerda. He rescues her from the camp as she is dying. When they go on to fall in love, it makes me believe that even in the darkest moments in your life there might also be hope to begin something wonderful again. I hope that I can make the world a better place by just being me. I can do small things like listen to someone’s problems, and try to help them, offer a smile to a stranger, help someone with work in their house or yard that they can’t do by themselves anymore, or anything else I am capable of right now.

Primary Source vs. Book

While coming home from Vac to Budapest, Marika and her father read in the newspaper that Hitler claimed half of Poland, and he was heading for Hungary. Apa tried to tell Marika that things might get bad for Jews in Budapest. In Marika’s mind, she denied her father’s warning like she denied everything else that felt bad to her.

Within a short time, Apa’s fears came true. By the end of 1943, the German’s defeated Stalingrad, and soon German forces occupied Hungary. Jews were being rounded up and sent to live in concentrated areas called ghettos. Even though Marika had done a wonderful job forging the new birth certificates that stated they had no Jewish ancestry, Apa and Uncle Lipot felt it was best that they lay low and hide. By 1944 every other Jewish store owner, like the baker and the grocer were forced to close up their shops. Marika’s worry that her best friend Zsofi would be taken away came true. The Hungarian police came and took her family as part of an anti-Semitic round up. They were put into a forced labor camp. Marika prayed for their safety every moment she could. She felt guilty because she looked the way she did, had the opportunities she had and most of all that she couldn’t get Zsofi’s family forged documents.

Even the best forged documents couldn’t change the name of Apa’s company, Schnurmacher,Pal and Company. The name was a dead giveaway. No one would use their services. No one would dare take the chance.

UNITED STATES HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL MUSEUM. “HUNGARY AFTER THE GERMAN OCCUPATION” HOLOCAUST ENCYCLOPEDIA. HTTP://WWW.USHMM.ORG/WLC/EN/ARTICLE.PHP?MODULEID=10005458.ACCESSED ON 12/1/11