Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Just Thinking

I just finished reading a Holocaust memoir that really just made me think. A Polish family hid 18 Jews in a bunker under their house for 18 months. With Nazis often living in the house. It was absolutely a miracle that they survived there's no question about that. Reading the story made me wonder what I would do in such a situation.

I'm always glad when I read Holocaust memoir type books that I've never had to deal with such a time. And every time I read one I wonder if I'd be brave enough to hide or help a family in such a scary time. Or would I feel like I have my own family to take care of and I couldn't put them in danger in order to save someone else?

My other thought was how would I handle having to hide like that? Their situation in the bunker was almost as bad as the concentration camps (*almost*) with lice, sores, little food, poor sanitation, boards and a little straw to sleep on, no air circulation, etc. Could I do it? Would I be willing to put up with that and hope for a better day?

These are some of the questions that come up for me. I don't know what the answers are and frankly I hope I never do have to know the answers! But it does make me wonder.

3 comments:

Celeste said...

What was the name of this book> It sounds really interesting. After reading these sorts of books I am always left thinking how can people do these things to eachother?

Carrie said...

"Clara's War" by Clara Kramer. I always wonder how people can do these things too.

Sue said...

What a hard situation to be forced into. I always think I'd do the right thing but as you say, would you feel like you could compromise the safety of your family. But as Brother Valduga testified in Sacrament meeting John 15:13 "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."