Henry Golde: Holocaust Survivor
Sarah Spaulding
Issue date: 4/6/09 Section: Features
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Golde made an appearance on campus on Tuesday, March 31, 2009 to speak about his experience as a Holocaust survivor.
He was born in Poland and lived in a city just west of Warsaw. Of the 3,000 Jews that lived in that town, only 50 survived the Holocaust. Golde lost his entire family due to the war.
Before the war, Golde attended a Jewish public school, where he was bullied and even suffered from abuse by his Christian classmates.
After being hit by a rock by one of the kids, Golde ran to his father's barbershop to receive whatever medical attention he could. Golde recalls that above all, his pride was hurt.
When he asked his father afterwards why the boys picked on him, his father replied, "you are one of the chosen people."
In Golde's hometown, there were two regiments of Polish armies. Everyone felt confident that the army would protect them during WWII. Golde even felt jealous; he wanted to fight in the war.
Golde started to see many different colored uniforms come in and out of his town, until finally, he saw the black uniforms of the SS (Shutzstaffel) - ardicthe elite army of Hitler.
Overnight, Jews lost their rights and were forced to wear the yellow star of David; yellow being a symbol of cowardice.
Golde was just 11 years old when his family was taken to a holding camp in the middle of the night and all of their possessions were taken away.
After the holding camp, his family was sent to the barracks where sanitation was horrible, as Golde recalls.
They were then sent on a train to the small town Galicia, Poland. Here, a selection was made as to who would go to the extermination camp and who would go to the concentration camp.
Jews sent to the extermination camp were killed in the gas chambers, and Jews sent to the concentration camp worked until they were unable to and then they were shot in the field.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
cheri johnson
posted 4/20/09 @ 10:32 PM CST
truly an amazing account of survival. we need never to forget the horrors of war, in hopes that by just knowing some of the most cruel acts of evil are real! to hear live facts from HENRY GOLDE, can only leave one speachless. (Continued…)
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