There were several notable quotes from today's "Living On" documentary, but the one that always stands out to me the most is when Harry Snodgrass says that Hilter only needed about 200 people to agree with him and the rest to just be too afraid to speak against him. Can you imagine? The deaths of 12 million, only because 200 would agree with him? But see the key is not in the amount who agreed with him, but in the amount who were too afraid to speak against him. We are a couple of weeks away from our personal responsibility portion of the course. As we progress to that point, I want you to note and consider these issues, to grapple with where your responsibility for those other than yourself really begins.
Another thing that has always struck me about "Living On" is the images and stories of the liberators. To me, their eyes are even more haunted than those of the survivors. Their stories are difficult, their emotions in many cases more raw. I think it's because they were "just passing through" whereas the survivors had lived it for so long. Like Felicia said in the documentary, they were so completely unprepared for what they saw. They really had no idea what to expect when they came upon the camps, didn't even know what they were. We will discuss liberation next week and there is a quote on the outside of the USHMM that speaks to the response of the liberators.
I don't have any questions to pose in this post, but I would like for you to respond to the documentary. I wish all of you could see the exhibit. I might check and see where it is right now. Road trip, anyone?
10 comments:
I really enjoyed that documentary about the Shoah survivors from Tennessee. What struck me the most, as you Mrs. Davis, was the testimonies from the liberators. I mean all of them struck me it's just that the liberators have such a different testimony to tell.
Like you said they would just walk in the middle of no where and find concentration camps. I mean just imagine what they thought when they found the "living dead" humans that were gostly just at fence to the camp. No liberator had even imagined what they were going to see.
Yay, a road trip! When are we leavin'? :)
-Josh
The liberators' stories struck me the hardest also. It's so amazing to me that for the 6 or so years that this went on, many people had no idea that Jews were being persecuted to the point of death and dragged to gas chambers solely because of their lifestyle. Just because Germans were anti-semitic didn't mean they knew exactly what was going on behind closed doors. I can't imagine how I might have felt as a liberator to see how much pain and suffering was plaguing Europe behind my back.
... I pretty much just repeated everything both of you already said I didn't even realize it. I guess maybe because we've focused so much on the survivors that it really hits you hard to hear it from a less severe point of view. Less severe, but no less traumatic and haunting. When I heard them speak it was almost like they were still in complete shock after all these years.
I think the main reason why the liberators stories hit me so hard was because, like you said, they had no idea what they were getting into. At first you think it's just a wharehouse or something, then a POW camp, then you see walking dead men around you and you had no idea that you were in for that. I don't know. It's just hard to imagine being caught so off guard.
I enjoyed both the rescuers, helpers, and liberator stories as well. I had somewhat of an idea how hard it was to help Jews, especially if they were living with you. But, i had no idea how extremely difficult it was. One of the stories that surprised me the most was the one about the guys family who owned a factory. It was amazing they kept, helped, and fed more than 60 jews. I can't even think how hard it must have to been to provide the food/waterl, get the food/water, provide blankets/beds,etc... it just blows my mind. I would like to know how many people there were who were rescuers or helpers.
BRIAN WROTE THIS I FORGOT MY PASSWORD> NO BUENO!! :(
The part about only 200 people had to agree with hitler and the others remainded silent and afraid really stuck me. Think about if 200 people had decided to rise against Hitler and disagree what could've happened. It makes me wonder whether 200 disagreeing could've stopped him and given courage to the other silent by-standers. It may always be a mystery to us about the past, but in the future when horrible things happen and evil people come to rule we must remember that even 200 people could stop it.
-Brooke E
What really struck me when we were watching the "Living On" videos were the testimonies of the liberators. As you said, they were just passing by doing their duty when they found these camps and ghettos full of innocent people that were in horrible conditions. If I ever came upon a situation with circumstances like this, I couldnt't imagine what I would do.
Also, just think what would have happened if 200 or more people would have spoken up... would we even have this class?
I agree that the liberators' stories were very striking, more so than the actual survivors, but what really jumped out to me from the video were the expressions on the faces of the all the people involved with the project. Each portrait told a story. Even though the Holocaust happened more than a half century ago, the pain and suffering is still evident on each of the faces in the portraits. Most of the survivors' eyes looked hollow and weary, whereas the liberators eyes appeared shocked and confused. It just really showed me how much, despite the passage of time, emotions from the Holocaust still linger with its victims.
I agree that the faces of the liberators stood out the most to me. There was one man who seemed especially "haunted" by what he had seen. I can't even imagine being a liberator and not knowing what to expect upon my arrival...I thought all of the clips were very eye-opening. It is incredible to be able to watch video-to hear and see-ACTUAL people who were effected by and lived through the Holocaust.
Also, I'm all for a road trip! :) Just let me now when and I'll be there!
Ive gotta say that the liberator stories stuck out the most to me. just the idea of running upon something like that. honestly i dont think my mind could even begin to picture something so horrible. Not to mention they had no idea what to do about them.
I really enjoyed hearing the speakers story of her life during the Holocaust. Hearing a survivors acount is very different from reading the books. Don't get me wrong, the books can be very powerful too, but listening to an actual survivor is something else. Hearing their words of the hell they had to go threw is some really touching and powerful stuff. I hope I get to meet some more survivors in the near future or somewhere down the road. Their tales must never die. - Micah Kidwell
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