Stand Up...

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.