Shannon Still

UWRT 1103 Section 007

Professor Wertz-Orbaugh
1/25/16
Weekly Writing 2: Survivor Testimony
As Reva Kibort spoke, her testimony reminded me that real people went through
unspeakable things. It can be easy for me to remember facts, but I can not forget that
the Holocaust caused emotional damage as well as physical. Honestly, I did not like the
parts when Kibort started to cry. It seems easier to skip over any emotional aspects of
the Holocaust, but if I do that then I will miss a crucial piece of history of mankind.
I was shocked at the treatment her father received after his death. That man
risked his life to save his daughter, but the only recognition he received was a grave
with around five hundred people. Death became a constant part of Kiborts life. She
spoke of people being taken and killed with such a calm demeanor that it gave me
chills. I do not know if I could speak about anothers murder with such frankness.
Another thing that bothered me was the fact that Kiborts mother had to take care
of six children by herself in a war-torn area. The mother was a homemaker who
probably had no easy way to make money. I have never experienced a moment where I
had to steal coal or smuggle food in order to survive. I can barely imagine what the
mother must have felt when she had to tell her six year old to go play and forget about
her hunger. How can someone tell their child that they have absolutely no food for
them? How can a person stand by and watch a loved one slowly starve to death?
An impressive aspect of the testimony revolved around the family trying to shield
the children from the terrible truths. It might have been easier to let the children know
what was happening, but they must have been worried about preserving the childrens
innocence. It most likely put a lot of burden on the adults to keep a sense of normalcy,
especially in the ghettos.

Shannon Still
UWRT 1103 Section 007
Professor Wertz-Orbaugh
1/25/16
Weekly Writing 2: Survivor Testimony
I never thought that the invading Germans were anything other than vicious
monsters destroying everything in their path. To hear about German soldiers feeding the
Jews and acting civil, maybe even friendly, is hard to grasp. I have always pictured
German soldiers acting like miniature versions of Hitler. Maybe some of the soldiers
tried to help the Jews; maybe some cried after they murdered a group of helpless
people.
I know that another holocaustic event is possible, but I can not imagine it
happening. I have heard of how we are doomed to repeat history, but how can someone
attempt to wipe out an entire group of people after hearing the horrible stories from
Holocaust survivors? I hope that I am never alive if something like the Holocaust should
happen. I wonder if it would be easy to see an authoritative figure begin to think in
similar ways to Adolf Hitler. I assume it would be easier since it already happened once,
but even the Germans did not realize how evil Hitler had become prior to the Holocaust.
I can not quite grasp how a persons life can be normal and carefree one day and
the next day their life has been torn apart. Kibort was an average child, but war
destroyed her life. War made her see people die, family members being dragged away
to work camps or eminent death, and it forced her to live in conditions unfit for most
animals. I have never fully considered what war-torn areas experience. Most people
describe war as if there are rules, but war is messy and it changes peoples lives,
usually for the worst.