USC Shoah Archive

     The USC Shoah archive is a very useful tool as it has collections from all different types of tragedies throughout history. I started with searching for a certain place which took me to Detroit, Michigan. Vivian Spitz was a war crimes trial participant. I learned that her dad was the town drunk and hung himself in his cell when she was only 17. She sat in on a big case and since that particular trial, people asked her to speak about it. I then found myself listening to Stefan Kosinski who was a homosexual survivor. His families home was seized in Poland and the food was rationed so he didn't get the right nutrition he needed. He was able to get a job as a choir boy and would deliver messages for the director's wife.

     I then continued on to the index, where I came across "abductions." Gary Matzdorff told a story of how he was a young boy and his friend's bicycle got run-over by a Japanese truck. The driver came out in uniform and tricked the kid into kidnapping him. His family fled from Germany to a ghetto in China as they were Jewish and were trying to escape the Nazi control. 

     Next, I found Julia van Nordan who was arrested for aiding the Jews. She was a school teacher who had connections with her Jewish students. She explained that society was able to come to the camps and try to figure out if their friends or family were in the camp according to the numbers they received. She had such good connections that the resistance gave her weapons! The German's didn't seem to mind that one of their Nazi's was killed by the resistance which surprised them. She lived in  hiding for a month in an apartment because the Nazi's new she was part of the resistance. They had a false wall where they printed fake coupons and identities. 

     I wish I had all the time in the world to listen to more testimonies but alas, that is impossible. The Shoah archive will be a useful tool as we continue to learn more about the Holocaust.

Besa

     Norman Gershman decided to adventure out on a little project. He wanted to travel to Albania and listen to the stories of Muslim rescuers who saved over 2,000 Jews during World War Two. As an artist, Gershman also took photographs of each of the rescuers. Albania is one of the poorest countries in Europe but they seemed to have the biggest of hearts. The king of Albania at the time made orders to not turn away any Jews. With that, over 400 passports were handed out, and some even received visa's. Like all Jews in Europe at that time, they had to blend in to their surroundings. Most Jewish women would have to put on a hijab to blend into society. Jews also had to eat cheese with their meat even though that is forbidden in Jewish culture. Muslim families would even hand over their businesses to Jewish families so they could work and seem like they belong. As someone stated in the movie, "let them kill our family before they kill our guests". It was particularly hard for the children as they learned quickly when to be quiet and when not to make eye contact. They were given to Muslim families so their lives could be saved. One of these children happened to be Aaron who was placed in the hands of the Hoxha family. Aaron's parents had to flee but his father left 3 important Jewish books in the hands of the Hoxha's. Mr. Hoxha ended up dying but made his son promise him that the books will get to Aaron. This type of promise is called a Besa, which is what the movie title happens to be. A "besa" is keeping a promise no matter how hard it is to keep. It was Hoxha's mission to find Aaron even if Aaron didn't want the books back. When they were finally able to meet up in Israel, Aaron wasn't fond of the idea of thinking back to those tough times. Turns out, his parents didn't treat him with any affection and he felt disconnected. The beauty is, Hoxha's parents came in and treated him like one of their own. Remembering his past brought Aaron to tears and Hoxha felt like he passed the torch as he completed his best. However, it wouldn't of been made possible without Gershman, as he searched for these Albanian rescuers and their stories.
     I loved this movie because Norman Gershman had such a great idea and actually put it to action. Traveling to Albania and finding rescuers had to of been tricky, but he did it nonetheless! Each story is unique and that's what made the movie so appealing. Especially learning about new cultures and religions. I think it's important to not only observe how the rescuers felt but the Jews as well. The movie allowed us to see both sides and then come together in harmony at the end. I loved Gorshman's idea to photograph each rescuer with a pose or item that tells a story. It makes the situation that much more meaningful. We can learn a lot from the Albanian's who saved over 2,000. Where can we get that strength and courage? Well, we get it from examples and Besa was that example!

Man's Search For Meaning - 94

     In this section of Man's Search For Meaning, Frankl describes how bad the camp really got. It was luck that chose who would live an who would die. After volunteering for a position as a typhus doctor at a new camp, Frankl remembers that "cannibalism had broken out"(56). He could of starved to death but fate brought him to a new camp. Another instance was when transporters came to supposedly "rescue" the prisoners. Frankl was left in the last group which fortunately saved his life as the rest of the transports were burned in tents. Many a time, Frankl and his friend planned to escape but of course that can be very risky. It all came down to decisions and mental toughness. Even through rough conditions, the prisoners tried to make their suffering worthy of an achievement. Those who gave up hope seemed to die off quickly as there was nothing left to hold on to. Their bodies are weak, so they have to rely upon the spiritual and psychological part to get them through. Frankl felt compelled to give a few words of encouragement to his hut as they went a day without food to protect a fellow prisoner. He talked about the future and sacrifice. But most importantly Frankl reminded them, "that which does not kill me, makes me stronger"(82).
     Frankl describes the minds of the guards and is baffled on how man can treat men like animals. He goes on to say that their are two types of men, "the "race" of the decent man and the "race" of the indecent man"(86). When Frankl and is peers were set free, they couldn't feel any sense of pleasure. They forgot the feeling of happiness, it had to be relearned over time. A beautiful quote is said by Frankl as he realizes that freedom is really his: "I called to the Lord from my narrow prison and He answered me in the freedom of space"(89). After liberation, many prisoners were bitter and used their story as an excuse for bad behavior. Others had a hard time copping with the reality that their loved ones weren't there to welcome them home. Frankl gives us detailed snapshots of how life was really endured during and after the Holocaust. It truly is fascinating since the prisoners could feel no joy as that white flag came up.

Man's Search For Meaning - 41

     In "Man's Search for Meaning" by Victor Frankl, we learn about what it was like first hand in Auschwitz. Frankl explains everything about the camps from the first train ride, to building railroads, to food rationing, and so forth. Lucky for Victor Frankl, he was sent to a labor camp instead of a gas chamber like most of the Jews. He mentions the tricks he was taught in order to stay alive: "Shave daily, if at all possible, even if you have to use a piece of glass to do it"(19). This allowed the men to look younger and more capable of sticking around for work instead of being thrown into a gas chamber. Frankl witnessed so many horrors at Auschwitz that it became normal. Men would scavenge the shoes off of a dead man in hope to avoid frostbite. But who can blame them? They were merely trying to stay alive! Everyday was a struggle mentally and physically. Frankl was able to keep himself focused on the beauty of nature around him. The mountains and sunset gave him a glimpse of hope to carry on. However the main aspect that kept Frankl working was his beloved wife. They were parted physically but he knew they were together spiritually. Frankl would talk to her while building railroads to keep himself occupied. Nobody should ever go through such a trauma but Victor Frankl did, and he overcame it. Not only that, but he built up the strength to write about it and share his work with the world.
     The whole book up to page 41 has been really depressing. I can't put the book down, because it's truly unbelievable how the Jews were treated. It's amazing how eager the German people were to look for a hero, that they were brainwashed by Hitler. Victor Frankl constantly describes the land around him and is awestruck by it. I too sometimes have to just pause and take in the beauty of nature. Food was also a big problem in Auschwitz as they were malnourished and expected to work all day. The horrors Frankl and the other prisoners went through just stops you in your tracks when you think about it. But how come the Nazi's didn't stop in their tracks when they were rounding up their neighbors? This is why Man's Search For Meaning is so important.

From Cruelty to Goodness

     In Philip Hallie's article, From Cruelty to Goodness, Hallie starts off by describing the research he's done on negative ethics. He learned all about the different definitions of cruelty which eventually led him to study the hurting of human beings. Many times throughout history, there have been moments where one group of people are stripped from all human qualities and treated like animals. Whether it be the Holocaust or slavery, Hallie paints us a picture of cruelty towards the victim. We would think that kindness is the opposite of cruelty, but Hallie explains that it is not. The only good that can come out of cruelty is freedom. The people of Le Chambon were able to give the Jews freedom as they kept treated the children like their own. As Hallie went further in his research, he realized that good can come out of evil. It's the matter of choosing to look for the goodness or not.
     I enjoyed the examples Hallie gave as he talked about cruelty and goodness. It painted a clear image to what it must of been like during those times. It was confusing when Hallie mentioned that kindness is not the opposite of cruelty because it's true in a sense. A Nazi for instance can be kind for one day and then totally change the next day. Kindness doesn't guarantee freedom, which was mind boggling as I read that passage over a couple times. I think it's important that Hallie included the story of the villagers in Le Chambon. It reflects that their is hope for humanity and it teaches us how to act when others are in need. Hopefully from these experiences and these articles such as Philip Hallie's From Cruelty to Goodness we can learn to overcome nature's evils.

Done!