Voice of Witness

     Voice of Witness is a nonprofit that writes down stories of the unjust and the untold. They have "amplified hundreds of seldom-heard voices, including those of wrongfully convicted Americans, undocumented immigrants, and people in Burma, Zimbabwe, and Columbia." On the Book tab, I recognized our class book as the first one listed. I'm guessing this book is their main one since it has documents collected over the span of ten years. It's going to be really interesting to read about a different kind of unjust other than the Holocaust. Especially since the Voice of Witness doesn't focus on one group of people. Displaced in Columbia was hard to watch as I learned that Rodrigo Mejía and 4 million Columbians have been forced to flee from their homes. The para, guerrilla, and Columbia's own government are trying to be the top dog. Families have a hard time sleeping at night because they are so worried for what can happen. Not only in Columbia, but all over the world. Their non-profit organization is so powerful because they are stories coming from real people and their real situations. 

     I'm excited yet nervous to read our Voice of Witness book because I know it's going to be an eye opener. People around the world struggle every single day to make ends meet and I'm fortunate enough to go to college. It's not fair that fathers can't sleep at night because they are afraid for their loved one's. I have a cozy dorm room and a cafeteria right outside to fulfill my needs. But who is fulfilling there's? Their own country won't take care of them; so what are they supposed to do? Not to say that the U.S. doesn't have problems, because there are plenty of stories in the book. VOW opens the eyes to many, and I can't wait for it to open mine!

Amateurs

     I had no idea what Amateurs was about when a friend asked me to join them last week. All I knew was that it was a show and it was free. As we walked into the theater, I noticed the stage was used not only for the set but for the audience as well. It made me very excited as we took our seat on stage. The set included the open living room of a couple who were hosting the cast from the Timberly Troupers musical. It took me a while to understand that the couple that lived there were actually a couple and not a man and his caretaker. The first scene consisted of getting the house ready for the party like putting out chairs (which the husband did all night), bringing food out, and cleaning. The second half of the first scene is where all the party guests arrived. This is where we met Jacob Rosen (playing the role of Nathan Miller) and later his puppet Horace who's face is the cover of Amateurs. The group talked about their play and eventually brought up stories about past relationships and careers. At the end of the first act, the critic finally arrives. Everybody pesters her about giving them a glimpse of her review. She never gave in of course, but had a heart attack before she could really begin to enjoy the party. After intermission, the critic is gone (in the hospital) and the rest of the party seems to gone as usual. Awkward relationships form between a girl and Horace; relationships also break with Mona and this older man. After all the chairs were brought out, someone finds the critic's review. One guy in particular goes absolutely berserk and nobody can calm him down! It was annoying because he wouldn't listen to anybody and calm down. The play came to an end with Horace forgotten and alone on the couch.
     Amateurs has to be one of the weirdest shows I've ever seen. There was so much going on it was hard to follow. I have to admit: at some points during the show, I was really confused. It was either a sexual joke or random topic (like infected gums) that would throw me off. Everybody in the cast did a good job acting, but it the couples in the play didn't seem believable. With one set for the entire play, I don't know how they all memorized their lines! I spoke with Jacob Rosen the day after and congratulated him on that exact point about memorization. He said it was particularly difficult since he had to memorize his own characters lines as well as Horace's (the puppet). From the cover, and going in to the play with no background, I presumed it would be about a creepy puppet. This was not the case at all! Overall, I didn't like the play as much as I would of hoped. However, I loved the guest star (the one who was constantly grabbing chairs) and Jacob Rosen as his character seemed the most real.

Online Source #5

Five Types of Motivation for Rescue:
1) Moral rescuers

• Had a sense of right and wrong (empathy)
• If they were asked to help, they would never refuse
• Idealogical, religious, and emotional types of morality

2) Judeophiles

• Loved Jewish individuals or people (interactions/relationships)
• Guilty if didn't help (empathy)
• Sheltered those they knew (friends and loved ones)

3) Concerned professionals

• 5% of rescuers
• Diplomats, doctors, nurses, social workers
• Saw them as clients in need

4) Network rescuers

• Motivated by fear of Third Reich
• Focused more on stopping Hitler than rescuing Jews

5) Child rescuers

• Motivation to please their parents with their actions
• Guides, courriers, agents who would take families out of ghettos
• Felt proud and important 

Story: Raoul Wallenberg was arrested by the Soviet liberators as a spy and thrown in jail; never heard from again.

Call to Action Day

     Call to Action Day was a wonderfully planned event put on by our very own Professor McGarry! Our class was fortunate enough to have close and personal interviews with Holocaust survivors. Even though the events took place long ago, our interviewees had recollections of that dreadful time. I got the privilege of hearing from Ursula Pederson and her journey from Poland to England. She was nine years old at the time her parents placed her on a kinder-train. Ursula wasn't aware of what Hitler and the Nazis were doing to the Jews. She described her feelings as sort of a "numb state". Ursula's mother was Jewish but not her father which made the situation a little more safe for her family. Her mother died of typhus after the war and her father was taken and never seen again. Ursula was picked up by a family in England who lived on a farm in the countryside. She felt isolated as she did not speak the language. However, the Red-Cross was able to float letters back and forth between Ursula and her parents before the war began. Ursula's rescuers were always able to find her safety as she lived in ten homes throughout the war. When the war finally subdued, she requested a Visa to come to America. It took over three years, but in 1949 at the age of nineteen, she sailed over on the Queen Elizabeth. When Ursula landed, she reunited with her younger sister and her uncle and aunt with whom she lived with.
     It was rough listening to Ursula as she described the emotional state she was in. She neglected the facts as a defense mechanism when she was younger. Her parents never told her why they were sending her away which made Ursula angry. It was hard for her as a child because she didn't understand why these events were happening to her. She was finally able to accept it when she revisited Poland this last May. It's now a closed book and Ursula can find peace. She finds calm in calamity with her artwork. She said, "as long as I have my art, tea, and some music...the rest of the world can go to hell". I thought this was a humorous statement as she finds joy in the simple things. Ursula can adapt to situations easily, and that's what I think makes her so respected. I really enjoyed learning about Ursula's and who she is because I believe we are quite similar. Calm, cool, collected, shy, compassionate, mentally tough, and doesn't ask for help. No human being should ever go through such a trauma, especially a child who will remember certain events for the rest of their life. Tears were shed, memories were revived, and hope was latched on to.

New Interview Questions

Fanny Krieger

1. How old were you when the events took place?
2. What were your parents occupation's?
3. Was your family religious?
4. Do you remember how school was like after Hitler took control?
5. Did you go straight into hiding or wait a bit?
6. How did the people of France treat you and your family?
7. Were you ever short of food or other necessities?
8. Were you ever separated from your family while in hiding?
9. How did your "rescuers" treat you?
10. How did you cope with the Holocaust emotionally? Did you have hope?
11. Has fly fishing helped in any way, shape, or form?
12. Do you believe people are born good or evil?
13. Have you returned to France since you've left?

Moses of Rovno

     In The Moses of Rovno by Douglas K. Huneke, I read about a German Christian who risked his life multiple times to save hundreds of Jews during the Holocaust. His name was Fritz Graebe and from childhood he was taught to place himself in other people's shoes. Therefore, it was natural for Fritz to stand up for the Jews. In one circumstance during a meeting, Fritz stood up for a local Jewish business owner who disappeared. This led to being put in jail for a couple of years. Later on, Graebe Fritz became a structural engineer for railroads under the Third Reich. He jumped through loopholes to attain as many Jewish workers he could get. He forged papers and created a rescue network that ultimately saved the lives of many Jews. Fritz had the capability of bribing and fibbing to get what he needed to keep Jews safe. The Jewish workers were hesitant at first as they thought Fritz might be faking his generosity. But, he opened many other sites and was able to earn the respect from the Jews. After about a year's work, Fritz heard news of a "Jewish Action" that was to take place. Which is basically a ruthless killing spree and destruction of a town. Graebe Fritz left his wife and son to protect the Jews in Rovno. That night, he ran back and forth, placing himself between Ukrainian militiamen and the powerless Jews. Graebe managed to march them out of town to safety where he was named, "the Moses of Rovno"(63). However, there was an Action that took place in Dubno before Fritz had heard any word. By the time he got there, about 1,500 Jews were already dead, including the Jews under work permits for the railroads. At that moment, there was nothing Fritz could do and those images of that night would haunt him for the rest of his life. Nazi's ripped babies out of mothers hands and cracked their skulls on the sidewalk. They rounded up families and told them to undress before they shot them and piled them into a grave. There was one bullet for each Jew and some weren't even dead in their own grave. Fritz recalls one scene vividly:
                     In a soft, inaudible voice the father said something to his son which
                     caused the boy to look toward heaven. The father's hand moved gently
                     to the boy's head. The other hand pointed to heaven as the father again
                     spoke. The boy was fighting his tears and trying to maintain his dignity.
                    They were so brave. (74)
     I'm still in the midst of reading the book and admire learning about the risk Graebe Fritz took. The Moses of Rovno is a tough book to read because there are so many emotions. I must admit that I've cried on multiple occasions while reading about the torture the Jews had to go through. Nobody should ever be treated the way they were treated. I had to pause and reflect upon how hard their lives were in order to stay alive. Fritz is truly an inspiration as he used his job for good. He was in a position to provide Jewish families with hope and that's exactly what he did despite the consequences. Fritz described that by helping families, he was reminded of his own family which made him push further. I wonder why killing Jewish children didn't affect Nazi's with their own children. Fritz Graebe is a hero and I am honored to interview his son on "Call to Action Day".

Rescuers - #2

     In the next section of Rescuers by Gay Block and Malta Drucker, we read about the altruists of Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Hungary. Besides Germany, Poland had the largest number of Jews killed. If anyone were to help hide Jews, the Nazi's had no problem hanging the rescuers in front of town. This was used as a scare tactic to keep the local Aryans from helping the Jews. It seemed as though countries didn't agree with Hitler but they were scared of Germany's power. Hungary for instance, made laws that you couldn't beat Jews. This of course made Germany angry and accusations flew in both directions. 
     Every story is different and that's what makes this book so mind boggling! How did the rescuers do it and how did the rescued respond? Rescuers had to be confident and good actors in order to save Jews as well as their own lives. When a Gestapo entered Gitta Bauer's house, he shuffled through their bookshelf looking for Mein Kampf. He tried to be tricky and ask why the family didn't own Hitler's book. The mother responded with: "You look to me as if you have read only Mein Kampf and nothing else!" The rescuers had to be quick witted to throw off the Nazi's. 

Rescuers - #1

     In the book Rescuers by Gay Block and Malta Drucker we find many recaps of altruists who have saved the lives of Jews. The book is cut up into excerpts by location from which the rescuers hid Jews. This collection of stories is so unique because everyone has a different perspective. This section focused more on Belgium and groups who worked underground. The CDJ for instance relocated children to different hiding places and helped Jewish families with financial aid. France itself tried to stay on good terms with Hitler; however, the French people were able to rescue may Jews. Germany was probably the worst place to be a Jew as Hitler's headquarters were there. Surviving the Holocaust involved a race against time, luck, and connections.
     I remember hearing about a young women who saved Ilse for 9 months. It was interesting because she noted that "marriages where the woman was the Jew were in less danger than vice versa." Ilse's rescuer didn't want to accept her medal because she feels too ashamed to be German. Madame Orsi and madame Guth risked everything to help the Jews. They sold their jewelry and rationed their food. They both realized that everyone isn't as nice as they once thought. Even though they struggled, they would do it all over again. And that's the beauty of an altruist!

From Clouds to Dust

     Matt Black's collection in the Wiegand Gallery was made up of about 20 images of migrant labor in California and Mexico. Black describes it as "the place of the cloud people" for they are pushed north to work in California. He has been working on his collection for the past 20 years since he got out of college. The gallery demonstrates all the indigenous regions near the Central Valley. The Valley represents 40 billion and half of US food production. Black chose to print his photos in grainy black and white because he tried to capture a vision of the past. Generation after generation repeating it's schemes in the society. Matt Black is reporting through his photos to make people question if there should be change.
     I enjoyed visiting the Wiegand Gallery because the pictures were truly eye-opening. Most all of his photos had the scene suffering and hard work. One picture that stood out to me was the one of the man blowing on a tuba as the town was celebrating a day of the saints. However, I noticed that none of them looked happy to be there eve though it was a celebration. Perhaps it was a celebration of mourning like the people of Párá did for Dorothy Stang? Another photo that stood out to me was the one of 3 migrant workers plowing a field with a black lab in the middle of the picture. The dog has it's tongue sticking way out which tells us a lot about the weather. There is no shade and the migrant workers are wearing big hats to try to protect them from the heat. My favorite photo is with the two men picking plums. The camera angle gives the picture a cool perspective. It makes us wonder who the man is on the ladder.