#169: Holocaust Shadows III - The Survivor

From History For The Curious by R Aubrey Hersh;Mena Reisner.

• Published: Wed, 30 Jul 2025 21:51:20 +0100
• Duration: 57:54
• Audio: https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/7ycsrshf7kzdr6ah/HC063_-_Ep_169_-_Holocaust_Part_3_Assembled_mixdown6wwzk.mp3
• Page: https://rabbiaubreyhersh.podbean.com/e/169-holocaust-shadows-iii-survivors/
• TorahApp: https://torahapp.org/share/p/3P_history-curious?e=rabbiaubreyhersh.podbean.com%2Fda5735ef-6065-3f27-af59-3c57c66eae85

We speak of 'Holocaust Survivors' without understanding what they survived, without knowing the trauma and guilt they carried.  A young 16-year-old girl (now 97 years old) was taken through the cruelty of Auschwitz - and asked by Mengele to decide the fate of her own mother. 

1. How did she find the strength of mind? How did she become a beacon to others, learn to redefine freedom and turn her wounds into a source of hope? 

2. And how should Tisha B'Av redefine our understanding of exile? 

Chapters:

00:00 The Journey Begins: A Survivor's Tale

19:04 Reunion and Resilience: Finding Family After the War

24:55 Life After Liberation: Struggles and Triumphs

28:05 Facing New Challenges: The Fight for a Future

28:10 The Decision to Leave

30:23 The Escape Plan

31:53 A New Life in America

33:20 Confronting the Past

36:55 Lessons from Auschwitz

43:08 Moving Forward from Trauma

55:00 The Power of Belief