by Mary K. Clark

Though stories may not be shared in spoken or written word, they often are shared between the lines – between moments – seemingly invisible, yet ever present.

These are some of my musings after coming upon Holocaust survivors:  Harrowing Ordeals still largely untold written by Petula Dvorak of the Washington Post.

There are only a few hundred thousand Holocaust survivors left in the world. Israeli historians estimate that 32 survivors die every day in their country.

As they age, the memories become more gauzy. And sometimes, the resolve to leave the worst memories behind wins.

The fear, of course, is that as the survivors age and die, the palpable, very human retelling of that tragedy dies with them.

There are many good reasons to share or not share a story.  For some it takes time and for others telling the story is healing, for example, in the article, Holocaust survivor shares gritty story  in Wheeling by Melissa Silverberg in the Daily Herald we find:

It took Sidney Finkel more than 50 years to talk about the horrors he experienced firsthand as a Jewish boy from Poland during the Holocaust, but once he began telling his story to younger generations he was finally able to start healing.

The human voice is powerful.  So is silence.

Under what circumstances do we share or keep silent on stories previously untold?

– Mary

 

 

©Copyright 5/12/2012 by Mary K. Clark.  All Rights Reserved.