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The night sky from Alisa's apartment
During dinner, I sat next to Georgiana* (but she went by "Georgie"). Little did I know how lucky I was to be sitting where I was.....I began to chat with Georgie. She so resembled my Grandmother, it was uncanny. I asked if I could have a picture with her to show my Mom. She complied but told me that she wanted to put her "eyebrows on" for the picture. She also asked me to fix her hair so she would look the most like my Grandma as possible. She asked me many questions about my Grandmother and Mom. As we exhausted that conversation, she began to tell me about her life. She openly began to share...
"I've lived in Israel for over 50 years. I grew up in Romania. I speak Romanian, English, Hebrew, and Italian. When I lived in Romania, we used to have a curfew. It wasn't a curfew just for my family, it was for all Jews. We weren't allowed to be on the streets after the curfew. If we went out, we would have been taken to a extermination camp, arrested, or just shot on the spot. Even I had to wear the yellow star on my arm..."
It was during this sentence that I realized that I was sitting with a Holocaust survivor. I almost couldn't believe that this was the reality of my life at that moment.
"The curfew was strictly enforced and the German military roamed the streets. My mother was very foolish at night. She would go out. She never really talked about why, but we needed food. She may have even worked, I don't know. She would take her yellow star off. We all had to wear them on our upper arm (She asked me if I knew about Jew's having to wear the yellow star.). Even little babies had to wear them. I think what saved my mother from suspicion was that she didn't really look Jewish. So, each time she risked her life to go out. I think she was very foolish, because my father was gone and I was left behind when she went. My father was gone because he had been taken to a Nazi extermination camp (this is what she called it). He was in a camp and I was with my mother. I don't know why my mother was never caught by the Germans. My father did survive. He was released...."
At that moment she shifted in her seat and looked down into her lap. I saw her begin to rub her hands together. She blinked and then focused on something on the table. I said nothing. I couldn't begin to imagine what she was thinking, but whatever it was I knew it was a secret in her heart. She said nothing but I saw a hundred memories in her eyes. It was then when she changed the subject. She turned her body toward me. She looked directly at my face.
"Sara, do you know what it's like to be hated? We Jews are hated around the world. That is why we seem like this: she then put her hands up by her face and formed two fists. With her frail hands, she did her best impression of a boxer, defending himself in a match. We really aren't accepted. We have to protect ourselves from that hatred. Any person can be convert to Islam or Christian and they can live anywhere. They are accepted. They can move to any place. They can even move here (in Israel), but we are still hated in our own land. But not us, we cannot do that. Why are we hated? They (people other than Jews) want to annihilate us. They want to do this: she took her hand as if she was holding a knife and acted as if she was cutting her belly from one side to another."
She went on with this topic for a while. She told me of other past memories and more about her life. She chose to share a special gift by telling me about her experiences. Her perspectives were truthful, blunt, and impacting.
She went on with this topic for a while. She told me of other past memories and more about her life. She chose to share a special gift by telling me about her experiences. Her perspectives were truthful, blunt, and impacting.
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Me and Georgiana
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This was not the first time I had heard a Holocaust survivor story since being in Israel. The first time occurred about two months ago. After a hike at Ein Gedi, I overheard (eavesdropped on) a man sharing his story with a hiking companion. They were on the trail about 10 feet behind....
"I was moved around from home to home so I wouldn't get taken. I was eight. I even had to act like I was from another religion with one of the families I lived with. I was moved around many times because the families were afraid for their lives by housing a Jewish child. When I was finally caught, I waited with others to be taken to a extermination camp. We were made to wait for a train to take us. When the train came, they packed us in like we were cattle. They shut the door. We couldn't sit. Every one was tightly pressed by the others around them. We didn't take off right away, so we just stood because that is all we could do. When the train finally started to move, a small window on the top of the box car was opened. I was with my mother in the car. She told me that she was going to throw me up on top of the box car through the small window. She told me that I was going to be tossed off the side. I was hoisted up and thrown off the train. She told me to run for my life and not to stop. She did it to save my life."
These two people had to survive to live. They had to fight to live. They had to fight to live under evil conditions that no one should have to. I do not pretend to understand, but I have thought about Georgie's words, "Sara, do you know what it is like to be hated?". I supposed I can say "yes", but not in the way that Georgie was speaking of. I do not know that kind of hate or what it is like to live with the memories of it.
The hike at Ein Gedi. You can see the Dead Sea in the background.
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I think about the battle that happened during the Holocaust and the hatred behind it. Hitler deemed that the Jewish people should die. He hated them. And while there were survivors, their lives were tainted and stained with the memories of it. As I look and experience the present battle of terror that is being waged against people in the Middle East, I see the same thing. ISIS has captured much of Eastern Syria, the innocent civilians in Gaza ruled by Hamas, the Christians being murdered in Iraq, and the attack on Israel from Hamas. The heart of the terrorist, whether ISIS, Hamas, Radical Sunni Muslims, Hezbollah, Al Qaeda, etc., wants to take the lives and the land of these people. They are doing so because of that same "type" of anti-Semitic hatred. It is all encompassing, a goal-oriented pursuit. I am not letting the "cat-out-of-the-bag" by saying that. The extremist, radical ISIS (or as they call themselves, Islamic State) have made it no secret about that being their goal.
In the following link, please take note of the true heart of ISIS at 2 minutes and 30 seconds.
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Mudar Zahran, a Palestinian-Jordanian journalist, activist and voice for many Palestinian Arabs writes:
“Do you guys think that we love seeing Hamas terrorists hiding among our crowds....Of course, that doesn’t mean most of the population in Gaza is ready to ally with Israel or even return to Israeli rule. We have to be clear; Palestinians hate Israel,” Zahran reminded his Israeli readers. “This might change in thirty years or so, but they hate Israel. So Gazans hate Israel, but for sure and I can authoritatively say this, they hate Hamas even more now. Hamas was provoking Israel, Hamas wanted the war,” insisted Zahran. “I am in touch with people in Gaza constantly, and those people have had enough of Hamas.”
Zahran went on to explain that in the Gaza war, Hamas’ strings were being pulled in service to other regional powers with a score to settle with one another.
As for Israel? Zahran appeared to be fairly clear-headed on that score.
“You know what is the only country around that treats us as human beings?” he asked. “Ironically, it’s Israel. Israel is the only sane partner with whom we can sit with and say, ‘Let’s make peace.’ They are the only partner that actually labels a Palestinian, even a terrorist, as a human.”
'We Elected Hamas, We Made a Mistake', Wednesday, August 13, 2014, Israel Today
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I cannot help but to share what I am seeing and experiencing while in the Middle East. Its affect is and will be worldwide. Terrorism is never isolated. If a hatred is strong and a desire to rule accompanies it, it becomes a dangerous and chaotic situation. That situation, combined with mob mentality and a complete disregard for all human life, has a potential to present the world with an apocalyptic-type event.As I look upon the faces of those who have been affected by the various terrorist battles, I see fear and a longing for help and rescue. Did you know that a helicopter crashed because Iraqi refugees swarmed it? They cried and wailed, shoving their children and babies onto it as it touched the ground. They were desperate for help and rescue.
I do not claim to be a Bible scholar, but I have seen the hand of God protect Israel. I know He cares for innocent people and those caught in evil situations. He says,
"Comfort, yes, comfort My people! Cry out and say: Prepare the way of God! Make a way in the desert and a highway for Him. Lift up your voice and do not be afraid. The Lord will come with a strong hand and will give strength to the weak. To those who have no might, He increases strength. Do not be afraid, I will strengthen you. Yes, I will help you. Behold, all those who were incensed against you shall ashamed and disgraced: They shall be as nothing. Those who contended with you, who war against you, shall be as nothing. I will help you." Isaiah 40 and 41
I am just one person, but I have a voice. You, reading this are just one person but you have a voice. We have to choice to use it, especially during desperate times when human value is on the line. We have a voice to help, speak truth, speak good, and to pray. The first step in solving any problem is recognizing there is one. Not one person who ever made a difference for a whole generation kept silent.
Perspective: http://redalert.co.il/
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