Holocaust Survivor Speaks Out

Photo: Ater Wiener and Lillian Love
Photo credit: Becca Martino

One of the few remaining Holocaust survivors spoke last week in Albany.

On April 28 Holocaust survivor and author of "From a Name to a Number" Alter Wiener shared his story on the Linn-Benton Community College campus.

Wiener came to tell his story initially because he wanted his children and grandchildren to understand a different perspective and gain an appreciation for their life. As he has shared his story with more than 300 audiences universities, colleges, middle and high schools, churches, synagogues, prisons etc…
Wiener stressed the importance of education and the importance of tolerance.
He shared his truth and set the record straight that this 83 years old man survived the Holocaust; He lived to tell the story because there are people today that deny the holocaust ever happened.

As a child, Wiener lived in the same town as Pope John. About half of the town was Catholic the other half Jews. They were able to live together peaceably.

On the Sabbath His family always had one or two sometimes three homeless persons at their home to share their meal. Education was very important to his family and he went to school six days a week.
He lost his mother at the age of four and his father remarried and she cared for an older brother, him and his younger brother until Poland was invaded by German soldiers.

It stated 0n Sept. 11 1939 when his father was murdered at the age of 13.
Months later a town member took him and his stepmother for the exhuming of many towns people who had been thrown into a mass hole like they were rocks. most people had decomposed so they were unrecognizable but, there was some jewelry that identified his father that his stepmother identified.This traumatized Wiener at such a young age.

Than His older brother was taken away a year later. Next it was his turn at age 15 and he was deported to Blechammer a concentration camp for Jews. He was surprised to meet his brother there and found him unrecognizable for he had been reduced to skin and bones and eventually died of starvation; like so many Jews did existing on bread made from sawdust and soup that was mostly water.

Wiener survived a total of five concentration camps. "I'm not normal I have physical and mental scars." Wiener said

There was one German woman at a factory where Wiener was sent to work that taught Wiener a very important lesson. " There were signs on the factory walls that said to the German workers Don't give anything.
Don't have eye contact.
Don't talk to the prisoners, and if you do you are doomed." Wiener said.
One German woman had eye contact with Wiener and pointed her finger at something. Wiener very carefully when no one was looking, went to see what she was pointing at and he found a sandwich with cheese and meet . "There was a sandwich there for me everyday that I was there." said Wiener and he asked himself ,Why would anyone risk their life for me not just once but 30 times? "She is my hero for the rest of my life. She is a righteous German." said Wiener.
The lesson is this"You will find good men and woman in every culture." Wiener said.

He shared an experience he had after sharing his story and a young student came up to him and said to him, "I promise I will try to be like that woman for the rest of my life. " This brought me to tears"said Wiener.

In spite of having everything taken away from him.
His name to become a number.
His family killed.
No pockets (nothing to put in them)
No towel
No toothbrush
No tooth paste
No pencil or paper
No woman or children
Not even a mirror to see himself.
Being freed eventually and unable to recognize himself.
Then their is the 21 people that were on trial for war crimes in Nuremberg and The leader of Iran and the present Pope that denies the Holocaust ever happened.
In spite of all this Alter Wiener inspires audiences and gives us hope. Encouraging our young to attend school and to appreciate life. To see peoples characters and not judge anyone because of the clothes they wear, the color of their skin, their eyes or their religion.
He stressed an attitude of tolerance and showed us the ability to forgive.
We never know what will happen to us their is always hope and the audience at L.B.C.C. showed their appreciation at the end of his speech. The line stretched around the stage while people waited patiently to thank him with hugs ,words and received his autograph. The forum was filled to capacity with around 300 people.

The question and answer period lasted an additional hour after his talk.
Here are a couple of quotes taken from this time.

Question:"What did you dream when you were in the concentration camp" asked Kaedence Eaton
Response: "I didn't dream I had nightmares it is very hard to sleep when your starving." said Wiener
Question: "How could a supposedly civilized society go along with Adolf Hitler's madness without anyone saying he was wrong?" Ruy Lopez asked.
Response: "There is a saying by Voltaire" Wiener replied, "Those who can make you believe atrocities can make you commit atrocities"
"German people had been raised to live in fear, if anyone spoke against Hitler they were reported and sent to die." said Wiener.
"The ability to speak out is very precious" said Wiener
What away to end the event, remember the holocaust don't be afraid to speak truth and go to school to learn how to find it. Ignorance (which is not understanding) and not knowing how to love are our enemies.
Several times Wiener repeated the statement that, "Hitler did not know how to love".

PRODUCT OF THE ASHES

Photo credit: "Holocaust Memorial on the Danube River" by alexap, courtesy of Flickr.com

Out of the fire of the holocaust to the land of the free, this is where my mother brought me. I am the product of the ashes of the Holocaust. My mother left me to grow rootless in a land where I had the freedom to search for my purpose in a place of unlimited possibilities.

My mother, sister and I arrived in New York City on a ship. It was 1957, I was 6 months old; I crossed the ocean in a little basket. We were sponsored to the United States by The Protestant Minister in Hood River Oregon, (this is how the letter was addressed) the mail carrier selected the minister that would receive my mother’s letter and request for assistance. Of all the ministers in Hood River, This one was a peace activist and an active participant in the civil rights movement.

My mother was a fearless survivor, intelligent, young and beautiful, She met a commercial fisherman in Portland, married and moved to her dream house on 35 forested acres, 5 acres of pasture, our own personal spring, a creek that ran beside our property and into the river where we spent every summer. I am grateful for the choices my mother made; her dream house became my escape from the insanity she left me in; with my motherless 2-year-old brother and abusive resentful stepfather when I was five years Old.

I grew up with multiple housekeepers, and we (my brother and I) just came with the house. What I learned from them is priceless. I learned about different classes, diversity, religions, and other cultures. I tasted a plethora of different kinds of foods. I learned that my stepfather was an asshole and the people that lived with us affirmed this because, not one stayed for more than 9 month. They all left and I decided I did not have to live there either.

I started running away from home when I was five. The first time, I took the school bus to the end of the line and went home with a girl from school. I told my story repeatedly, no one believed in getting involved. I always ended right back where I came from. The older I got the better I became at running, I even flew to Anchorage, Alaska with fake I.D.

I learned a lot about how to survive, and that being young was a commodity. There are good and bad people in every race, and class. Your religion, political status, education, or financial position does not define your character. I believe my mother survived much the same way as I did on the streets hiding and in fear for her life.

I was fortunate to have survived and to have had people in my life that really cared about me. Who taught me about Gandhi, Martin Luther King, and to always question authority; no one person has the whole truth, it lies in all of creation; it is through educating ourselves, overcoming our prejudices, and honoring life that we can find it. The United States allows me the freedom live my life with integrity.

I am a daughter of a Holocaust survivor, a granddaughter of Anti-Semitic grandfather, a mother of three bi-racial children, two who are Muslim, one who is Christian, I have another child with a father who was Italian and his father had his own seat on the New York stock exchange. I have five grandchildren one lovingly being raised by his two same sex fathers. This would have never happened without the freedom to follow their own hearts. I love them all. I love you. You are all my family.