Charlie Rose Science Series
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04/27/2000
Joanne Weiner Rudof, Martin S., Edith P.
A discussion about the Holocaust
Keywords:
A discussion about the film "Witness:Voices from the Holocaust", which features 19 accounts from survivors of the genocide and challenges simplistic notions of Holocaust heroism and survival by revealing the diverse experiences of actual survivors. Joining the discussion are Joanne Weiner Rudof, archivist for the Fortunoff Video Archive, the world's first and oldest archive for Holocaust testimonies, and two survivors, Edith P. and Martin S.
Edith P.
Edith P. is a Holocaust survivor. She was born in eastern Czechoslovakia, the youngest of six children from a middle class family, and never perceived antisemitism during her youth. Her family emphasized education and love for family, principles which have guided her life. The Hungarian occupation in early 1944 brought further difficulties for the Jews. But despite rumors of atrocities in Poland and her father's position on the Judenrat, they did not suspect their fate.
The Jewish community was forced to live for two weeks in a nearby brickyard, under terrible conditions. In June 1944, they were taken to Auschwitz. Separated from her family, Edith was shaved, given camp clothing, and assigned to a block. Her sister-in-law found her there and helped her move so they would be in the same block, where Edith remained for over six months.
Edith was transferred to Salzwedel with her sister-in-law, and they worked in a munitions factory. After she obtained a job in the kitchen, she became herself again, because she was not always starving. Determined to conduct herself so her family would be proud, Edith shared extra food with her fellow prisoners. They were liberated on April 14, 1945 by American troops. Among the troops was the first African-American she had seen in her life, to whom she feels eternally grateful. She emigrated to the United States, married an American, and had three daughters.
Source: http://www.library.yale.edu/testimonies/excerpts/edithp.html
Edith P. is a Holocaust survivor. She was born in eastern Czechoslovakia, the youngest of six children from a middle class family, and never perceived antisemitism during her youth. Her family emphasized education and love for family, principles which have guided her life. The Hungarian occupation in early 1944 brought further difficulties for the Jews. But despite rumors of atrocities in Poland and her father's position on the Judenrat, they did not suspect their fate.
The Jewish community was forced to live for two weeks in a nearby brickyard, under terrible conditions. In June 1944, they were taken to Auschwitz. Separated from her family, Edith was shaved, given camp clothing, and assigned to a block. Her sister-in-law found her there and helped her move so they would be in the same block, where Edith remained for over six months.
Edith was transferred to Salzwedel with her sister-in-law, and they worked in a munitions factory. After she obtained a job in the kitchen, she became herself again, because she was not always starving. Determined to conduct herself so her family would be proud, Edith shared extra food with her fellow prisoners. They were liberated on April 14, 1945 by American troops. Among the troops was the first African-American she had seen in her life, to whom she feels eternally grateful. She emigrated to the United States, married an American, and had three daughters.
Source: http://www.library.yale.edu/testimonies/excerpts/edithp.html
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