Holocaust Lecture

Last Thursday, which actually was my birthday, I had the opportunity to listen to a guest lecture from Theodore Weiss, President of the Holocaust Education Foundation. People have asked me why I chose to spend my birthday night listening to something so depressing, but I figured it won’t be much longer until there are no Holocaust survivors left and I wanted to make the most out of the chance to learn from one firsthand.

Instead of needing to give background information about Theodore Weiss, his story provides all the background anyone should need. The title of his lecture was “Memories” and he spent the better part of 2 hours just recounting his experiences as a Jew during the Holocaust. Forgive me if not all the information I give is 100% accurate according to his story, I am merely going off my memory of what was said and it has been about 5 days. Also, his accent was a little difficult to understand at times, so if I mispronounce or misstate anything it is purely unintentional. For this purpose I am going to write this from my point of view as the listener, instead of statement of fact.

Weiss started off by telling us that growing up as a Jew was difficult, but for the most part life was pretty good. He grew up in a village located in what is now modern-day Hungary. He came from a very large extended family, I believe he said that he had 10 aunts and uncles and 72 cousins. His family worked on farms and for the most part, food and the necessities of life were plentiful. Being Jewish during this time, it was common to be harassed and occasionally beat-up. This was just accepted in the community and over time Weiss said he learned to defend himself.

As time passed however, things continued to get worse and worse for him and his family. Eventually, the Jewish citizens in the village were forced to wear gold patches of the Star of David so they could be easily located when it was time for certain events to happen. Taxes became heavy and the life resources that were once ample became scarce. It got to the point where Weiss and his family had hardly enough to eat and survive.

One day, while just going about the normal daily routine, soldiers showed up. Weiss told us that he and his family were blindfolded and taken from their home. Not knowing where they were going or what was going on; they were placed on a train. When they had arrived at the destination they were lead from the train and placed into a long line. Weiss was able to stick with his family until now, but that would soon change. The place they were at was Auschwitz-Birkenau, which was among the largest concentration camps during the war. According to Weiss, the camp was separated into two distinct camps, Auschwitz being the “work camp” and Birkenau being the “death camp.” When his family arrived at the end of the line, they were separated into two separate lines, one to Auschwitz and one to Birkenau. His mom and sister were placed in the line to Auschwitz and Weiss, his brother, and his dad were placed in the line that lead over to Birkenau. He hasn’t seen his mom and sister since.

As Weiss, his brother, and his dad were being lead down the road to Birkenau, the soldiers just grabbed his brother for no apparent reason and shot and killed him. He was able to stick with his dad through the first night, but the next day they were separated and that was the last they ever saw of each other.

Imagine that, having your mom and sister drug away never to be seen again, your brother killed right in front of you, and your dad soon to be gone forever. I don’t think I could ever comprehend something like that. And for what? Because of your ethnicity, heritage, whatever?

Weiss was now all alone, I believe he said he was somewhere between the age of 11 and 12 at this time. Every night in Birkenau all the prisoners were lined up and the soldiers randomly selected people to be taken to die, whether by firing squad or by gas chamber. There was a name for this but I couldn’t understand what it was called. Weiss was able to survive for a while luckily, but the night came when he was chosen. Once the chosen were marched into a barrack, presumably a gas chamber, they were arranged and lined up. Weiss remembers there being two windows opened in the back of the chamber for some reason. He said that all of a sudden the man next to him in line made a run for the window. Weiss followed him and they both proceeded to dive out the window and out of the chamber just in time.

He didn’t know what possessed him to do it. At the time, being a young boy, Weiss didn’t know they were going to die in that barrack. Something possessed him and he made a move.

At this time, the allied troops were closing in. Weiss even said that after his later research, the war might have even been over at this time and Hitler already dead. Nonetheless, the Jews were still being persecuted and killed. Before the camp was taken, the inmates were loaded up and led on the “death march.” Weiss remembers this as being the most terrible thing ever. It was the winter and they were forced to march without food for days. Only an average of 2 out of 10 survived the march. After, if I remember right, a week or so of marching, he and another guy decided to sneak off the road and find a place to lie down and die.

They found a dirt road somewhere off the beaten path, and laid down. Soon after, a truck full of American soldiers passed by and instead of just driving on, stopped and helped them. They were taken to a hospital and the doctor refused service since the two were Jews. The American soldier demanded they be treated and after some commotion, Weiss and the other man were admitted into the hospital and treated.

Weiss spent 6 weeks in the hospital, recovering from various diseases such as Typhoid and others due to malnutrition. After he was recovered enough, he was admitted to a type of boarding facility, where he could be educated and somewhat provided for. An opportunity to move to Canada came up and he took it, sailing across the North Atlantic and into Halifax. Not liking the people in Halifax, Weiss continued over to Montreal. He had no high school diploma or anything like it, but being exceptionally good at math, he was accepted into Cargill University, and later Harvard.

The main message of his lecture was that one should never forget the capacity of the human species to do evil, and likewise the capacity to do good. He cites the example of the American soldier who went out of his way to help. The soldier didn’t have to do it, but it was how he was raised. The soldier’s mother told him when he was young, that the second he doesn’t stop and help someone in need, he is no longer her son.

I look at Theodore Weiss and admire him. Not for what he had to go through, but because of how he overcame it. We all have bad days and sometimes we feel that nothing could possibly get any worse. I look at this man and think, “I have had the easiest life ever.” Sure I may have a lot of homework and am wondering if I can get it done in time, but at least I don’t have to wonder whether or not I am going to be killed tonight. I may have car problems that get frustrating sometimes, but I have never had to walk for days, even weeks, in the cold without food…I have a car.

There are so many things that are taken for granted every day that would have been an absolute luxury to these people during the Holocaust.

He said it has happened before, and it can happen again. Be thankful for the way things are today because it could be a lot worse.

Salt Lake Tribune article.