Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Friday, December 9, 2011
Monday, November 28, 2011
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Survivor Testimonies- Ariel Lathrom
Malka Baran
Born in Warsaw, Poland, Malka Baran had an enjoyable childhood, full of good memories that would soon be shadowed by the Nazi invasion. As a child she lived in a small apartment with her family and attended a private school. Times were fairly peaceful for her. One night, she was awoken by her parents and told to get dressed. The SS German soldiers chased her family, as well as many others, out of their homes and marched them away. Not long after, she would be separated from her mother, only to never see her again. She was moved to a ghetto where she did labor for the German Army. During this time, her brother and father were shot and killed while working. She was moved again to a labor camp where she was forced to do more work. She explains that there was a woman hiding her baby from the Germans. Malka took care of the child when the mother could not. This experience helped her through those trying times. When the camp was liberated by the Russians, she was rescued and worked in a hospital kitchen to help her rescuers. At this place, she had experienced kindness for the first time in four years. Recalling this made her cry, but they were tears of happiness at the kindness of others. Malka had moved to Austria to work, and then moved to Israel, where she would live for years and years. She went there illegally, by train and walking over entire mountain ranges. She lived out a great portion of her adult life here, at the new home of the Jews. Her sad experience has long been over, but she still bears the scars of the loss of her family and her years of labor and torment.
"I remember seeing babies, this was a horrible thing, thrown against the wall and they're killed after the attack."
"I was extremely passive. I really couldn't care if I die or live."
Edith Coliver
Edith Coliver lived a relatively peaceful life, doing mostly work and studies. She was born in Karlsruhe, Germany where her life was simple and secure. She attended school and played with neighborhood children often. She was interested in sports and had many hobbies. She was ten years old when the Nazi's began their occupation of Germany. Because Jews began losing their rights, she had to leave her school and studies. In order to continue her education, her parents sent her to England, the first of many places she would travel to. Her family knew people at the school she attended, making it easier to get in. She was moved again to New York, where she saw the Statue of Liberty for the first time. She describes it as a beautiful sight. Comforting feelings overcame her to know that the Americans were against Hitler, and supported the liberation. After living in New York, she moved again to San Francisco, California. It was here that she attended Berkley. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa and had impressive grades. Her intelligence one day earned her a job working for the United States Senator. She later became a translator, which she had wanted to do. This job brought her back to Germany for a short time, where she witnessed the liberated concentration camps. Translating also brought her to the official trial of Hermann Goring, as well as other ranking Nazi members. Edith explains how Goring killed himself before his execution. She lived out her life working hard and traveling after she had married. She had been to the Phillipines, Greece, various parts of the United States, and other countries as well. The most recent job she had was working for the Free Asia Foundation. At the end of the interview, she tells the interviewer the only members of her family that were killed were some of her uncles. Being far from the Nazi's choke hold, she still suffered losses as others did.
"And I did see the Statue of Liberty. It was a wonderful, you know, sort of a dawn's early light. It was a marvelous experience."
"So, I considered myself very lucky."
Born in Warsaw, Poland, Malka Baran had an enjoyable childhood, full of good memories that would soon be shadowed by the Nazi invasion. As a child she lived in a small apartment with her family and attended a private school. Times were fairly peaceful for her. One night, she was awoken by her parents and told to get dressed. The SS German soldiers chased her family, as well as many others, out of their homes and marched them away. Not long after, she would be separated from her mother, only to never see her again. She was moved to a ghetto where she did labor for the German Army. During this time, her brother and father were shot and killed while working. She was moved again to a labor camp where she was forced to do more work. She explains that there was a woman hiding her baby from the Germans. Malka took care of the child when the mother could not. This experience helped her through those trying times. When the camp was liberated by the Russians, she was rescued and worked in a hospital kitchen to help her rescuers. At this place, she had experienced kindness for the first time in four years. Recalling this made her cry, but they were tears of happiness at the kindness of others. Malka had moved to Austria to work, and then moved to Israel, where she would live for years and years. She went there illegally, by train and walking over entire mountain ranges. She lived out a great portion of her adult life here, at the new home of the Jews. Her sad experience has long been over, but she still bears the scars of the loss of her family and her years of labor and torment.
"I remember seeing babies, this was a horrible thing, thrown against the wall and they're killed after the attack."
"I was extremely passive. I really couldn't care if I die or live."
Edith Coliver
Edith Coliver lived a relatively peaceful life, doing mostly work and studies. She was born in Karlsruhe, Germany where her life was simple and secure. She attended school and played with neighborhood children often. She was interested in sports and had many hobbies. She was ten years old when the Nazi's began their occupation of Germany. Because Jews began losing their rights, she had to leave her school and studies. In order to continue her education, her parents sent her to England, the first of many places she would travel to. Her family knew people at the school she attended, making it easier to get in. She was moved again to New York, where she saw the Statue of Liberty for the first time. She describes it as a beautiful sight. Comforting feelings overcame her to know that the Americans were against Hitler, and supported the liberation. After living in New York, she moved again to San Francisco, California. It was here that she attended Berkley. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa and had impressive grades. Her intelligence one day earned her a job working for the United States Senator. She later became a translator, which she had wanted to do. This job brought her back to Germany for a short time, where she witnessed the liberated concentration camps. Translating also brought her to the official trial of Hermann Goring, as well as other ranking Nazi members. Edith explains how Goring killed himself before his execution. She lived out her life working hard and traveling after she had married. She had been to the Phillipines, Greece, various parts of the United States, and other countries as well. The most recent job she had was working for the Free Asia Foundation. At the end of the interview, she tells the interviewer the only members of her family that were killed were some of her uncles. Being far from the Nazi's choke hold, she still suffered losses as others did.
"And I did see the Statue of Liberty. It was a wonderful, you know, sort of a dawn's early light. It was a marvelous experience."
"So, I considered myself very lucky."
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
A Film Unfinished - Ariel Lathrom
Anymore, I am not surprised by the cruelty of some people. We have a history full of violence and brutality. Although it doesn't surprise me anymore, it never ceases to disturb and disgust me. "A Film Unfinished" was the first to surprise me in a while. The film exposed the true intentions and actions of the Nazi's in the Warsaw ghettos. Because I live in a relatively peaceful place, it's hard to empathyze with the victims shown in the film. I have money, shelter, good food, and material possessions. I could never imagine living without these things. The victims in the film seemed to be without some or even all of these things.
I figured my initial reaction to the film would be anger toward the Nazi's, but instead I was only sad. When I see people doing aweful things, or just the effects of them (such as the extreme poverty in the film), I can only wish to help. I never could have, even if I wanted to, but I still sympathize with the victims who lived through the poverty and brutality.
While some images in the film were sad, others seemed like it was nothing more than everyday life, like people walking on the streets or going to the store. Even though this footage was somewhat decieving, you can still see the sadness in their faces, especially the children's faces, because they probably don't understand the situation. There was so much footage, but almost no one was smiling. Almost no Jew seemed like they were having a great time being filmed.
When I learned that a lot of the "normal" seeming scenes in the film were staged and used actors, I was deeply annoyed. It raises questions for me. Why would they choose to film in the first place if it's so difficult to hide the sadness in the faces of the people on the streets? And, of course, "Why do any of those things at all?" While the film was informitive and interesting, it always evoked more questions than it does provide answers. I can only keep wondering how people would do those brutal things that they did to their fellow men and women.
My reaction to the film ends with my palm to my face and a sad, drawn-out sigh.
I figured my initial reaction to the film would be anger toward the Nazi's, but instead I was only sad. When I see people doing aweful things, or just the effects of them (such as the extreme poverty in the film), I can only wish to help. I never could have, even if I wanted to, but I still sympathize with the victims who lived through the poverty and brutality.
While some images in the film were sad, others seemed like it was nothing more than everyday life, like people walking on the streets or going to the store. Even though this footage was somewhat decieving, you can still see the sadness in their faces, especially the children's faces, because they probably don't understand the situation. There was so much footage, but almost no one was smiling. Almost no Jew seemed like they were having a great time being filmed.
When I learned that a lot of the "normal" seeming scenes in the film were staged and used actors, I was deeply annoyed. It raises questions for me. Why would they choose to film in the first place if it's so difficult to hide the sadness in the faces of the people on the streets? And, of course, "Why do any of those things at all?" While the film was informitive and interesting, it always evoked more questions than it does provide answers. I can only keep wondering how people would do those brutal things that they did to their fellow men and women.
My reaction to the film ends with my palm to my face and a sad, drawn-out sigh.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
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