Notes

These are some notes I collected from 2 videos from our documentary. The first group of notes is from the video labeled "The Message."

MESSAGE

- This film records the oral histories of six survivors of the holocaust who today make toledo their home. It records their memories through a process of collaborative dialogue with youth of the Yad B'yad religious school of toledo. The stories of our survivors echo those of survivors across the globe. Yet, this project brings the larger themes and events of the holocaust to a local and individual level of engagement. 

- The film fosters dialogue between the survivors and today's younger generation in order to create personal awareness. Viewers are asked to bear witness to the survivors and, through this human connection, the project provides the canvas for this interaction and witnessing to continue for years after both the survivors and the original witnesses are gone. 

How did you maintain hope during the holocaust, to what or who do you attribute your survival?

- Strong instinct, do everything you can for survival, never alone, fight, make friends, not alone, help to someone else, one more day is worth everything, live day by day, will to survive, luck, people who took risk to take in, 

What message do you wish to leave us about the holocaust?

- what can happen to people, that are picked on, looked at for being funny, and respect others, stand up and let people know that your jewish, people become aware if you lay low and look the other way

- don't be afraid to tell your friends that there wrong,

- learn about it and teach this to others, be kind, don't follow the crowd, crowd moves in 

- believe in yourself, look forward and don't let the past influence your thoughts, what can you do to better your life

- love, and knowledge can save you

- those who forget repeat the past 

- Remember this, never forget.

The second set of notes is from the video about the camps. 

CAMPS

Describe your transport experiences, what would your true destination and what happened when you arrived?

- Horrible, 7 or so days in a train, cramped, 

- Kettle cars, distance 400 miles, took 5 to 6 days 

- train was bad, lots of people died just on the train

- we didn't know our destination, had to poop, pee in the train.

- Auschwitz (wrong spelling, but popular camp)

- shouting for no reason

- almost unreal experience

- treated like animals

- given striped jacket and pants

- walked into camp and got their stamps