Julia Duran: It Is Up to "You"

            Today we traveled by van to Skokie, IL to visit the Holocaust Museum, where, prior to touring the museum, we would hear Magda Brown, a survivor, speak. I listened to Magda Brown a few years ago when she visited Methodist College.  Her speech was very moving and I always wanted to see the museum, but I never had the chance before. I did not know what to expect for our visit.  The museum felt like a fortress in some ways because it was constructed mostly of concert and simple lines; the colors were mostly gray and black with very dim lighting and the mood was very somber. It was a stark contrast from the sunny day outside. It was if a mood or feeling settled around me that was a reminder of why we took this journey; the reason a museum such as this exists is because of the near extinction of a race of people.

            Magda Brown talked about how young she was when she went through that timeframe before and leading up to her time spent in the concentration camp. She talked about being spoiled and the only girl in the family, so she had many nice things and wanted for nothing. Until her neighborhood was turned into a ghetto for all the Jews in the surrounding areas. She had 40 people assigned to live in her home. She talked about that day being the day she learned how to share, because there were girls her age that needed clothes or shoes. This made me think about my life and my children and how they have more than they could even ask for. What would I do if faced with the same situation and would they so generously give away their belongings to complete strangers? I would like to think they would, but as a parent I cannot imagine the struggle these Jewish parents faced trying to remain strong for their families knowing that they would most likely die. Magda talked about when she was separated from her parents and that she did know until later that it was the last time they would see each other. She must have felt devastated when she realized what happened to them and that she was all alone. 

            After Mrs. Brown finished her presentation, we went through the museum. It felt like a journey through that time; it was laid out in such a way that took you from the beginning to the end of the Holocaust. There were pictures, artifacts, and videos of Holocaust survivors talking about their experiences. As I walked through the different areas I found myself reflecting on my own children and what would I do if faced with the same situation. There were videos that showed mass graves and people being shot in such a way that they rolled into the grave almost as if they buried themselves. One father spoke of throwing his daughter into the grave and then lying on top of her amongst all the bodies, waiting for dark so they could try to escape. At one moment a German solider stood on top of him and was using his bayonet to try and find anyone that survived the shootings. I cannot imagine being inches from death, hiding in a grave with my daughter. Would she be able to stay quiet and not freak out or would she be paralyzed by fear? Those are feelings I never wish to experience but sadly there are many other nations that still suffer similar horrors and fears.

The ending video had a strong message: never again. In closing it left it up to ‘you’ to make sure this never happens again. I think one thing I can do is encourage others to visit the museum to experience this part of our past, so we can try and learn from the past and stop repeating these horrific injustices on humanity.