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Portraits of Survival Selfless Volunteers Share the Lessons Learned from the Holocaust
Dr. Stan Ostern (Left), Holocaust Survivor with students
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“For the survivor who chooses to testify, it is clear: his duty is to bear witness for the dead and for the living. He has no right to deprive future generations of a past that belongs to our collective memory.” — ELIE WIESEL
[1928-2016]
HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS AND REFUGEES
Back Row, Left to Right: Freddy Caston (z”l), Helga Carden, Dr. Bernie Penner (z”l), Julianne Heyman, Mike Wolff, Dr. Stan Ostern, Josie Martin, Regine Pringle, Ken Hartoch
Seated, Left to Right: Maria Segal, Margaret Singer (z”l), Erika Kahn
PORTRAITS OF SURVIVAL: Selfless Volunteers
Share the Lessons Learned in the Holocaust
SINCE 2003, PORTRAITS OF SURVIVAL: LIFE JOURNEYS DURING THE HOLOCAUST AND BEYOND has sought to educate and inspire the Santa Barbara community, motivating various groups of all ages and backgrounds, including those in our schools, and religious, civic, and social action organizations to heed the lessons learned in the Holocaust. Most importantly, as issues of marginalization, bigotry and hate continue to be evident in our communities, these lessons continue to have relevance for us today in every corner of our lives.
The thousands of students and others who have had the opportunity to visit Portraits are always especially impacted by Upstanders: Courage in the Face of Evil, an addition to the exhibit included in 2012. In this portion of the program, they learn of those who had the strength and moral character to stand up for what was right, even at great personal risk to themselves and their families. From these examples, we all learn how we might make a difference in our own lives, even in small ways. The question we must all ask is: WILL WE STAND BY WHEN WE SEE INJUSTICE? OR WILL WE STAND UP? The cornerstone of these lifechanging visits to the Portraits program has always been the courageous and selfless volunteers — the Survivors themselves. When the Survivor docents choose to share their story of survival — and heartache — over and over again, it is anything but easy, often taking a physical and emotional toll. But as difficult as it is, they do so willingly. We have often heard them say things like: “I do it for the kids.” Or: “History must not repeat itself — I must speak to whomever will listen.”
But as the years move forward, fewer Survivors are able to share their stories, and thus the experience of hearing from one of them directly becomes even more precious. In fact, many Survivors did not choose to speak for many years after their horrific ordeal — many did not feel anyone would believe them, or others, just wanted to move forward, without focusing on the past. But for some, there seems to be an urgency to speak now, while there is still a chance. We are fortunate to be incorporating a comprehensive digital archive of our local Survivors’ narratives in our forthcoming Center for Jewish Education. And the impact upon those who hear their testimony is clear — they will never forget it. It is always gratifying to hear the reactions of those who experience the Portraits program and living history directly from a Survivor. JFS Director Ruth Steinberg remembers one teacher said as she was leaving with her group of 60 students that she found the program “thoughtful and personal, giving just the right context.” She felt that her students “learned more in two hours hearing from the Survivors and interacting with the exhibit than the four weeks of text research.” Many comments from students have been meaningful, but one really stood out and indicated that we had done something right when he said: “I’ve been bullied before. Today, I learned that you shouldn’t judge people by what they believe in and its important to try not to make fun of people. Thank you for teaching me to stand up for others. Even something small can make a difference.” Tikkun Olam — Repairing the World — before our very eyes.
