My Nana Evelyn’s family experienced tremendous anti-Semitism in Russia. After a Christian neighbor made excuses, Nana Evelyn’s mother was quick to note we all have free will. We make choices. Flash forward to World War II. The idea that Nazi killers were forced to kill Jews is a myth. They, like all of us, had choices.
My husband and I were incredibly moved by the “Shoes On The Danube” sculpture in Budapest. It memorializes the murder of Jews on the banks of the river. While visiting the sculpture, we realized something else that added to the horror.
If you are in Amsterdam, The Dutch Resistance Museum is worth a visit. The children’s section was one of my favorite parts. It highlights the varying wartime experiences of Dutch children including a Jewish girl who went into hiding and was denounced, and the daughter of Dutch Nazi Party members. The adult viewpoints and attitudes of these two children are fascinating and surprising. One felt forgiveness and garnered joy from everyday life; the other was bitter and painted herself a victim.
The Dohany Synagogue, located in Budapest, is the largest in Europe. Built in the 1850’s, no one could have been predicted Adolf Eichmann would one day establish headquarters within this stunning building. Modern day Hungarians have different versions of what took place.
In March, 1938, a few days before Purim, Germany annexed Austria. Violence and terror ran amok. Although most people assume German Jews and Austrian Jews had similar experiences, the Austrian Jewish experience was quite different. History, along with suddenness of change, ravaged the Austrian Jewish world in an instant.