A Survivor's Story

For the past 3 days I have been at a forum offered (and required for my program) by Loyola Marymount University and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington DC. The program has been filled with amazing speakers Thursday and Friday (I'm not going to lie I was a little bored and pooped out yesterday) and today we closed off the forum with a survivor testimony.

The entire forum was amazing but this took it over the top. Henry, a Polish survivor, came and spoke about his 5+ years that ranged from being placed in a Polish ghetto at age 11 (almost 12), to a slave labor camp, to Auschwitz-Birkenau, and finally to the death march that eventually led to his liberation by American troops at the age of 17. He weighed only 70 pounds at the time of his liberation and the holocaust took the lives of his mother, 3 sisters and nieces and nephews. The only survivors were his 2 brother and his sister (who was already in America before the start of the war).

 His story drew silence in a room full of chatty teachers for nearly an hour. He was so engaging it felt as though time flew by. I barely moved for fear that my distraction and wiggling would force me to miss something in his testimony. I got to have my picture taken with him (an honor not everyone in the room did, surprisingly) and gave him a great big hug, a heartfelt hand shake, and a thank you for telling his story.It truly was an honor seeing him speak today. As time goes on I realize that not everyone will get the opportunity to hear a survivor's story in person. Henry left his enthralled audience (full of teachers) with the thought that teachers are essential to keeping his and other survivors' stories alive. The most beautiful thing about meeting him was that he was so incredibly friendly, humorous, sweetest and a little bit sassy (there could be a lunch date if I go to DC) despite all the obstacles that had shaped his development as a human being. Truly humbling.

If you would like to hear Henry's story he speaks at the USHMM in DC every Friday (amazing for an 82 year old!). You can also read his story at http://www.ushmm.org/remembrance/survivoraffairs/meet/detail.php?content=greenbaum and see his podcast on his attempted escape from the slave labor camp at https://www.ushmm.org/museum/publicprograms/programs/firstperson/podcast/detail.php?EventId=9DD9BA02-90DA-408C-BA1D-ADD93ECB7B95

It was a beautiful end to the week on campus and I made great new friends (one's even a DG and I am going to snap her up to advise with me!)

BEAUTIFUL day on campus!!