Responses to other Survivor Stories

Like Genevieve, I thought that I would go ahead and post on our blog my responses to the blogs of other students, because I think that what I've learned from hearing other people's stories is related to what I have learned from Frieda.

Tuesdays With Murray

I found Murray’s story very interesting because he does not consider himself to be a typical Holocaust survivor. He does not believe really in remembering the Holocaust, and that was such a difference from the survivor I interviewed, Frieda, who consistently warned about the importance of remembering the Holocaust. Murray however, seems to take the approach that the Holocaust is something that happened to him, and that it will probably happen again, and that it is easier to try and forget horrible things than to try and dwell on them.
I guess that in a way, I can understand how he feels. As Arthur pointed out, how much does it really matter to Murray which concentration camps he stayed at, or what his birthday exactly is? Knowing this information won’t bring his family back. Different people grieve differently, and for Murray, it seems that he would rather distance himself from the past and focus on his current family, which he feels is most important. In some ways, I think that this might even be healthier than what some Survivors do when they dwell on the Holocaust and can’t move on. Murray has chosen to move on, and to do that, he believes he must put the Holocaust entirely behind him.

Experiences With Mr. Joseph Aleksander

Before reading Mr. Aleksander’s story, I read Murray’s, so it was interesting to see the huge difference in perspectives that the two men have. While Murray believes that the Holocaust is his own personal experience, and that there is no need to speak or dwell on it, Mr. Aleksander, like the Survivor I interviewed, Frieda, believes strongly that the story of the Holocaust needs to be told. I also found it interesting that he believes that this story should be told in whatever ways and media possible, including fictional accounts of the Holocaust, which can be controversial. Furthermore, Mr. Aleksander might be the first person I’ve ever encountered who not only did not admire Elie Wiesel, but actually resented what he’s doing. While Mr. Aleksander believes that it is important to spread the story of the Holocaust, he believes that it is the Survivor’s duty to not make a profit out of it, but tell their story for free. I really found this idea of a “Survivor’s duty” interesting, because I had never heard of the belief that Survivors have an obligation to humanity to spread the story of the Holocaust, however, I can see why someone who had endured something so horrible would believe in the necessities of sharing these experiences with others.

Overall, this whole experience has been incredible. I could have never hoped or expected to have learned so much or be so touched by an academic course.

Posted by Ariana Quiñónez