Essays in Remembrance…
Stand Up in the Face of Injustice
by Maxine Wiesenfeld
Running
through forests, hiding from officers and most importantly, fighting
back. These are the things that many Jews during the time of the
Holocaust had to experience. The Holocaust mainly affected Jews in
European countries approximately seventy years ago. Throughout this
time in modern history, Jews were exiled from their neighborhoods, and tortured
in horrible ways. By the end of World War II, more than six million
Jews had been murdered by the Nazis. From the Holocaust, we can learn that that
standing up for yourself and for your beliefs is extremely important. Through
numerous first-hand accounts, it can be understood how a number of very brave
people stood up for themselves in a multitude of ways during this difficult
time in history.
As
a grandchild of survivors, I am fortunate. I can remember with vivid
clarity all of the Saturday afternoons spent listening to the stories my
grandparents told me about their experiences. They’ve all touched my
heart in amazing ways and I am extraordinarily proud to belong to belong to a
family filled with brave survivors. From their memories and experiences,
I have learned the true meaning of courage and how valuable it is to fight for
what you believe in. It is my mission to share the plight of my
grandparents (all four are Holocaust survivors; three are still living today)
with as many people as possible so that the atrocities of the Holocaust will
never be repeated.
My grandfather, David Lungen, now 84 years of
age, grew up in a small town called Rubzevitch, in Poland. He survived the war as
a Partisan, living in the forests with his brothers and many other Jews
attempting to survive. During those years, he proved himself to be a very
courageous man. He did not sit back and try to forget what was going
on around him, interested only in his own survival. Instead, he
fought back. He and his group hid in the forests and would sneak up
on Nazi officers in order to steal weapons and food. My grandfather
encountered terrible violence with the Nazis that resulted in many deaths. One
major encounter my grandfather had was with a Nazi family. They knew
that my grandfather and his family were hiding out, and they ratted them out to
the government. This was very dangerous because he could have been
potentially killed. Thankfully, he managed to survive along with his
brothers. My grandfather, David Lungen, is a tremendous person and a great
example of a hero who fought for what he believed in. The youth of
today can take a lesson from my grandfather’s brave
actions. Although it may be simpler and safer to sit back and do
nothing in the face of adversity, the only way to bring about true change and
to reach your full potential is to stand up in the face of injustice and do
whatever possible to make things right.
My grandmother, Chana Koffler also had many rough
experiences during the Holocaust. She grew up in the town of Stanesti, Bukovina. She
lived with her family consisting of her mother, father, and
sisters. They lived a very nice life until the beginning of the
Holocaust. During the war, my grandmother’s entire family was
ordered out of their home and sent to a concentration camp. While
this was all taking place, a particular woman stood out. This woman
was my great grandmother, Sara Dermer. She was my grandmother’s
mother. She got up and yelled at a Nazi officer in attempt to bring
about justice. She bravely said in front of all, “Look at these
innocent children and their mothers. Whatever will happen to us, will
happen to your children and your wives.” (Koffler 7) With
that, the Nazi officer punched her in the face. Although my great-grandmother
was physically assaulted for speaking up, I am very proud of her brave act and
to call her my great grandmother. Because my great grandmother had
the courage to stand up to that Nazi officer, the group of women and children
who had moments before been about to be abandoned in a burning building had
their lives spared. My great-grandmother is proof that a single,
courageous voice can save lives.
Although
there were many brave survivors in my own family, there are also other, more
well-known individuals who suffered in the Holocaust. A famous young
girl growing up during the time of the Holocaust was Anne Frank. She was a
young teen and just like many, she fought for what she believed
in. She grew up in Amsterdam, located
in the Netherlands. Her
family did not want to go to a concentration camp, so they decided to
hide. They hid in a secret room with a door hidden by a
bookshelf. They took in a few other families, also trying to not get
caught by the Nazi officers invading the town. Before they went into
hiding, Anne Frank’s family made their apartment look like they had left
suddenly, so suspicion would not be aroused. The family lived in
this hiding place for approximately two years until the Nazis discovered
them. They were taken to a concentration camp and the only survivor
was the father, Otto Frank. Today, the world knows a lot about their
story because of a diary that was found. Anne Frank wrote this
diary, and it discusses her life in hiding and everything that happened. It
is very important to see that although most of the Frank family perished, they
did what they could in their situation to stay alive.
While I grew up with much of this knowledge being a part
of my identity, I realize that many other children did not. The
majority of people in our society do not have a Holocaust survivor for a
grandparent, and I have four. It is extremely
important to educate people of all religions and nationalities about what
happened during this sad time in history. If people do not know
about this miserable tragedy it could happen again to another group of people.
In order to combat prejudice, one must stand up for
themselves whenever there is injustice. Whether this is at school,
online, or in any public setting, one must speak up. If you do not
speak up about your true feelings on a subject, that could be
dangerous. The Holocaust really escalated because of prejudice and
people not stopping it. There were many events that happened beforehand
that foreshadowed this terrible event. It is important for everyone to stand up
for what is right, even if what is right is not popular.
Works Cited
Koffler, Chana. CHANA: A Remembrance. New Jersey; The
Wordsmithy Press, 1996. Print.
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