Holocaust Survivor and the Queen Mary

[ITG]

On Monday, my 1st period class did a video conference with a Holocaust survivor who actually came over to the US on the Queen Mary. When he mentioned, I literally gasped and he stopped and paused, to which I replied, "I've been on that ship." One of those funny moments. My class probably thought I was entering Geekville for a second the way I got excited at the mention of the ship. Anyway, just thought I'd share.

The organization that put this on is in New York:
http://www.holocaust-nassau.org/

Over the past 2 days, I've met 5 survivors via video conferencing. Isn't technology wonderful! One of the men actually escaped the Triblinka extermination camp and lived to tell his story to us at age 81. Hearing these stories firsthand was amazing. Some of the survivors we met with didn't make it to concentration camps but escaped just in time. I wish I could come into contact with more of these survivors as they all have amazing stories to tell.

 

[MDFrench]

Sounds like you're learning a lot from the comfort of home ITG!

I'd like to hear more about this when you have the time.

Mike

 

[ITG]

I guess I'm lucky that we have a video conferencing room at school. When I heard we could sign up for that program, I couldn't resist. Sure anytime you wanna chat about it, I think you have my number and/or email.

There's a neat website that I had my kids go to and do a report on a child of the Holocaust. Go to:
www.graceproducts.com
And then click on the brown icon that says "Forget Me Not: The Anne Frank Story."
There is a list of kids (with pics) of various children who either died or survived. In fact one of the survivors mentioned one of the Hornemann brothers when they were talking to us.

 

[Viola]

Some of the survivors we met with didn't make it to concentration camps but escaped just in time. I wish I could come into contact with more of these survivors as they all have amazing stories to tell.

Some times they never do tell them. I had an uncle I remember well from my young-childhood who's parents managed to bribe/smuggle him (in his late teens) out at the last minute. He never saw them again. He met my aunt, also a German Jew, here. That was the part I knew from when I was small.

The part I never knew until last year was that he got here, signed up for the Army upon arrival, was shipped back to Germany post haste for his language skills and was in the OSS. No one thought that was worth mentioning!