Gerda Weissmann (Blog #6)

Today in class, we watched a documentary about Gerda Weissmann, a Holocaust survivor. She shared her experiences as a Jew during the war, and described the terrible conditions of the camp where she stayed. I think the most powerful part of the movie was when she discussed the Death March experience. Even through the cold weather, with death surrounding her at all times, she was able to survive with the help of her ski boots. Before they were deported on June 28^th, 1942, her father suggested that she wore her ski boots. She wondered why at the time, but thanked him during the Death March. I think that this scene in the film encouraged perseverance. Gerda demonstrated growth throughout the war, and her experience in the Death March was just another example of how she matured. When the Weissmann’s went into hiding in the basement of their home in Poland, Gerda was afraid and unsure. The Nazis actions towards Jews didn’t help, either. In this documentary, the living conditions that Gerda endured were horrendous. Very little food, wooden barracks, and lots of work were just a few of the ways the Nazis dehumanized Jews. Gerda was able to withstand all of it with help from her parents (they helped prepare her for what was to come) and from her friends whom she met at the camp. I also think these people were the heroes of the film, along with Gerda herself.

If I were taken away to a terrible place like Gerda, I think I would fantasize about sleep. As middle school students, we are definitely unable to sleep 12-hour nights during the week, but on the weekends, most of us get to sleep as long as we want. Gerda’s situation was totally different than ours is today. She slept much less, and had to do physical labor all day long. She also slept on flat, wooden barracks with 5 or 6 other people in all weather conditions. Today, we have heat and air conditioning in our homes, as well as a warm, comfortable bed that awaits us every night before we go to sleep. I think I take these things for granted, because I never really thought about how lucky we are to have such nice things. Every morning when I wake up, my mom has a bagel waiting for me in the kitchen. It has become such a small part of my routine that I haven’t had the time to recognize all of the kind things she does for me, as well as the fact that I have food and a home to live in.

There are many forms of genocide and persecution in the world today. There are also many stereotypes, which shape our actions. After 9/11, most Muslims are thought of as terrorists. For a long time, Blacks were considered inferior to Whites in our country. Currently, in Darfur, there is genocide. These are just a few of the problems we have had even within the last 50 years. I think advertisements and media that encourage tolerance and acceptance towards other races and cultures can help to prevent this.

I learned a lot about personal experiences while watching this movie, and it made me think a lot about my life today compared to life during the Holocaust.