Mrs. Levenethal welcomed me into her home with a warm and inviting smile, Tiffany already having gotten there. We sat comfortably in her living room but I began to feel nervous, however, she was the kind of woman that puts you at ease quickly. I asked her to tell us what she remembered of the war, and her response was “I remember everything.” Well it is something one can never really forget. The afternoon with Beba was enchanting. Her story enveloped me with sentimental feelings, and engraved in my mind a day I will not forget. Looking back on the day, I am reminded of her generous personality and wonderful spirit. Meeting Beba was an honor; I was very much looking forward to meeting with her. She was an extremely delightful, sweet, smart woman. She knows five languages fluently, and has a Bachelor of Social Working. She also had a sense of humor that I liked very much. She made Tiffany and I giggle a few times. As Tiffany mentioned, she was concerned with our lives as well. We had a chance to tell her our plans for the future and she was delighted to hear that we were ambitious young women. Her story moved me and provided insightful information about the horrific events that took place. To me she was a very brave woman having worked in the underground organization, and attempting to help other Jewish families. I was curious to find out if her grandchildren took any interest in her experience and during our interview, I asked Mrs. Leventhal if they were curious about her story and the holocaust and she said, “Yes very much, they often ask questions.” It was interesting to know that she shared her story with them, since we have been taking a look at how it affects second and third generations. Beba really recognized the war breaking out when she came back from graduation, and I could not imagine what a devastation that must have been coming from a happy event to such a horrifying nightmare.
She pointed out an art piece above the fireplace, and informed us that her uncle (that helped her come to America) had given it to her. As she said this I can see in her eyes that she missed him very much. It was so good to see an 87 year old holocaust survivor that, in spite of the difficult experiences she undertook during Nazi Germany’s occupation, has flourished into a happy wife, mother, and individual. Tiffany and I had the privilege to meet her husband “Lee” as she calls him, as well as viewing some family photo albums. I concluded from these photo albums that she had a very close and intimate relationship with her family and friends. Mrs. Leventhal had a beautiful home that she and her husband were staying in at the Pacific Palisades. She also took us into her library where there were a ton of books; we came to find out that it was her favorite pastime as well attending the theater. She told us about a movie that she was going to view, that is part of our class assignment called “The Defiance” and stated that the movie very much resembled what her experience was like in the underground organization she was involved with. The afternoon with Beba was a great opportunity to receive testimonial information about the Holocaust, and I am thankful to Mrs. Leventhal for spending time with us to tell us her amazing story, and I am equally grateful to Dr. Clark and Dr. Levitsky for allowing us to do such an educational project.
I would love to keep in touch with her. She has that sort of personality that one would want to be in contact with. As we were leaving her, we exchanged hugs and it did not seem to me that I had just met this woman. Her warm personality makes one see what a precious human being she really is. She is a charming woman, and her story made me realize how relevant witness testimonies are to have a good understating of the Holocaust. It gives a whole new light to what people went through.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment