Holocaust?!?!?!?

Question

Ever since I learned about World War 2, and the Holocaust (in 6'th grade) I've been so interested in it. Now I'm an 18 year old high school senior, and I was wondering if there are ANY holocaust survivors who would be happy to share with me THEIR story. (we can talk through e-mail. It's [e-mail]) You don't HAVE to be Jewish, but if you were in ANY of those concentration camps, labor camps, etc, and you experienced what happened I'd love to hear your story. I perfer Jews to tell me their story, but its okay if your not. Toda Raba (that means "thank you very much" in Hebrew.)
~Joie

Answer 1

I applaud your interest in this subject. As time passes people tend to forget these events and even try to erase there happening.
Since the holocaust happened over 60 years ago finding survivors is going to be increasingly difficult. I can not help you in finding survivors, but I can offer a few points of interest. The BBC began a series in the late 1960's early 1970's about WW2 titled World at War, with the advent of DVD this series is available on DVD and many book stores and libraries have it. They did a special set on the Holocaust and included in this set is a number of interviews with survivors along with some footage of film of the camps and events of that time. I found a few interviews very stirring and horrific.
I was stationed in Germany in the US Army from 1984 -1990 and was able to travel, visits, and even talk to some of the people who survived these times. Most of the people that I knew then have passed.
If you ever have the opportunity visit one of the sites and be a witness to history yourself.
There are many revisionist and many comparisons have been made to the holocaust in an attempt to negate what happened, dispute what happened even deny what happened.
I wish you good fortune on your endeavor.
I hope these links may help.

http://www.holocaustsurvivors.org/

http://remember.org/

http://www.holocausttestimonies.com/

Answer 2

What they said about the Holocaust museum. The biggest / most well-known one is in DC, but there's one (I think in Indiana) that was founded by one of the sets of twins experimented on by Dr. Josef Mengele.

You may want to google information about The Shoah Foundation. Around the time he did Schindler's List, Speilberg realized before too long, all of the Holocaust survivors would be gone, so the Shoah Foundation has worked to gather and catalogue visual/audio recordings of survivors telling their stories.

Many survivors don't want to open up about what they went through (many didn't even tell their spouses or children when they were grown about what they went through), so finding someone to have a one-on-one conversation with could be difficult. There are some who still visit schools or otherwise give public speeches about what they went through to raise awareness, so you may want to try to google something like that.

BTW, the museum founded by the former patient of Mengele focuses on the victims forgiving their tormentors, so if you could contact someone out there, they may have an easier time conversing about what they went through. Could be wrong, though.

If you ever get a chance to visit Europe or the Middle East, look into visiting Auschwitz (part of it is a museum now), the Anne Frank House, and/or Yad Vashem (I don't know that I have that right. It's been a long day. The place in Jeruselum dedicated to the Holocaust, with the blvd. lined with trees planted in honor of the Righteous of the Nations (people who aided Jews in the Holocaust)

Answer 3

Other folks have given you some great suggestions regarding contacting various holocaust museums. If you aren't close to such a museum there are many oral Jewish history projects that are recording and transcribing peoples experience with the holocaust.

A google search oral Jewish history project or oral holocaust history will will give you access to a lot of information and transcripts. Another good search term is Shoah as there are several Shoah projects that are working to get holocaust memories recorded before the people who witnessed it first hand die of old age.

If you don't have access to a Holocaust museum or university project you could check with senior services in your community as well as the local Jewish community.

Best of luck.

Answer 4

Have you tried contacting Holocaust museums? They have programs where survivors speak to guests and they might be able to get you in contact with some survivors. I know there are Holucaust Museums in Washington D.C., Germany (at the camps) and Amsterdam.

Good Luck.

Answer 5

if you try visiting a holocaust museum (if one is around where you live) you can talk to many survivors about their experience. the one here in Dallas is run soley by holocaust survivors. i went one time and learned alot. it was really interesting.