RE: Romanian Holocuast
All,
I had written this in response to Hegma's thoughts a while ago and just
found it. Please excuse the delay in sending but I wanted to share.
I've been reading passionately your thoughts and messages regarding this
issue. After my visit to Czernowitz in April, I came away with some
resolutions that I never expected. As a second generation survivor, the
title has always driven me to try to understand the part of human nature
that allowed these horrific events to occur and to somehow understand why
this happened. My second generation status also made me understand my role
which is to pass on the stories so the world will never forget!!!! I always
told myself and my children that if it hadn't happened I wouldn't exist!
I've tried to reconcile that with my love for the Jewish tradition and
religion. How could God allow this to happen? I've gained strength from my
parents who survived to tell and taught me how to live!
As a result, the search for information finally brought me to Czernowitz
where I forced myself upon folks living in my mother's home. I met some
incredible people who say they were never taught about the Holocaust under
the Soviet Regime and to this day don't really understand the repercussions
of that terrible episode in human history.
The non Jews that I met in the Ukraine are a different generation. I found
myself feeling sorry for them because they were stripped of their
connections to their land and community. All the the people I met in
Czernowitz were born there but not from there. Their parents were relocated
from somewhere else and they were envious of my connection to and family
history with Czernowtiz. Imagine!!!!
My mother and her family suffered in Czernowitz but survived and now I find
myself in search of information about my grandfather who was sent away to
Siberia after surviving the war. I spent much of my time in Czernowitz
trying to get information from the authorities (almost 70-year old
information) about why and where and the oddest circumstance is that the
local authorities are still hiding the crimes of their past. It has taken
almost a year and a trip to CZ to get it.
My grandfather's file was part of the pile that was "rehabilitated." One
authority actually told me he wasn't guilty and was exonerated!
We visited Lvov (my father's home town) as well and had the same experience=
s
with the present generation. They all say they were ignorant until recently
about the real events of the Holocaust. Some still choose to keep their
heads in the sand and others' thirst for information.
Cora's analogy makes so much sense! But without the Jews as scapegoats ther=
e
will be others who suffer. When we were in Budapest, the papers were filled
with new incidences of hate crimes against the gypsies. I had a weird
feeling that history was repeating itself.
I have been fortunate to make the acquaintance of Zoya Danilovich and her
friend Lydia who works in the archives and who have helped me find the
information that I have been searching for. They are representatives that
new generation. And with the advice of another new friend from the National
Holocaust Museum have retraced the events of my grandfather's arrest. It's
amazing that the files still exist but are still held in secrecy. My
constant vigilance led to my success!
But it has led me to believe that there are still many who don't understand
or know the real truth even at this time in history. While on our trip to
Czernowitz and Lvov we enlightened a few and hopefully those few will tell
others and the real history will trickle down to a larger populace.
I too believe that constant vigilance is the only way.
Ilana Gordon
On Sun, Jul 12, 2009 at 9:06 AM, Hegma <hegma2_at_pacific.net.au> wrote:
> RE:(Mimi's post)
> Not all Romanians participated in Fascist
> murders. We survived at home in Botosani, as did
> most other Jews in the Romanian "regat",- the
> heartland of the kingdom, -thanks mainly to
> Madame Lupescu's intervention with the king. My
> maternal grandfather and aunt were not so lucky
> in Bucovina's, Ciudin.(See memorial in album
> below.)
>
> RE" To my knowledge, non of the leaders of Jewish
> communities in the countries ruled by fascist
> governments complied with these governments for
> private gain or advantage. Most of them complied
> with the orders they were given, because they saw
> no way not to. Many did all they could to
> persuade government and church officials to
> intercede on behalf of the Jewish population."
>
> There were the "Judenraht" in some places and in
> Greece, one Rabbi in Thessalonika actually handed
> over his list of Jews to the Germans because he
> couldn't believe that the "feine leute" of his
> Alma Mater could be lyng murderers. He was
> exonerated in an Israeli Court in the '50s for
> being "na=EFve".
>
> Only constant vigilance will help us from such a
> future Holocaust,- Jewish or other.
> See Melbourne, Australia's "Walk for Harmony"
> today, with tens of thousands of people from
> hundreds of ethnic communities saying "No to
> Racism"
>
> You are invited to view Aussiehegma's photo
> album:
> <
> http://picasaweb.google.com.au/lh/sredir?uname=3DAUSSIEHEGMA&target=3DALB=
UM&id=3D5357460088449861809&authkey=3DGv1sRgCK3IsLiB_PzKyAE&feat=3Demail
> >WALK
> FOR HARMONY in Melbourne, Australia.
> Also our 2008 photo album:
> <
> http://picasaweb.google.com.au/lh/sredir?uname=3DAUSSIEHEGMA&target=3DALB=
UM&id=3D5216936818524972001&authkey=3DGv1sRgCNzPqLLj4dy1tAE&feat=3Demail
> >To
> BUCOVINA, UKRAINE
>
> Malvina Malinek
> Melbourne., Australia
> <http://anivlam.blogspot.com>http://anivlam.blogspot.com
>
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Received on 2009-08-21 18:37:19
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