Engaging a Practice
For many years after the Shoah, few survivors spoke publicly about their stories. That changed in the mid-1990s, when Steven Spielberg founded what is now known as the USC Shoah Foundation – The Institute for Visual History and Education, an organization that orchestrated the audio-visual recording of over 52,000 survivors worldwide.
Since then the primary way survivors share their stories has been through speaking engagements – most of which are scheduled by local schools or non-profit organizations for International Holocaust Remembrance Day (Jan 27) or Yom Hashoah (“Shoah Day”; April/May). As these speakers age and pass away, video recordings of their stories are becoming increasingly vital for education.
Paula Burger (1934-2019), a longtime resident of Denver, survived the Shoah as a small child. After Paula’s mother was killed during their time in a Polish ghetto, Paula’s father arranged for her (age 8) and her brother Isaac (age 3.5) to be smuggled out. A few days later, all three reunited in the woods of Poland where they joined the Bielski Partisans and survived until the end of the war. They then stayed in a Displaced Persons (DP) camp for 4.5 years until they were granted entry to the United States.
First, read the brief article “The Bielski Partisans” at www.encyclopedia.ushmm.org then watch Paula’s testimony (52 min.) followed by Q&A courtesy of the Holocaust Awareness Institute at the University of Denver’s Center for Judaic Studies. What about Paula’s story stands out to you? What are her view of the past and her survival? Of the role of humankind and God in the Shoah? What is her message for you today and for future generations?
