Contacting our survivor was something that was slightly unnerving. Our classes had been warned that some people would be very standoffish, and not want to discuss what happened to them during the time of the Holocaust.
However, once our first email to Robert (Bob) Geminder was sent, my nerves eased immensely. Bob was welcoming, warm, open and has created an amazing life full of fun and interesting characters. His daughter and dog met us at the door of his Palos Verdes home, and then he escorted us straight into the living room.
I remember we had been compiling a list of questions to ask in case there was a lull in the conversation. However after asking the first question, "when were you born" and Bob talked almost uninterrupted for about 2 hours.
His daughter served appetizers and made sure that everyone had water or anything that they want to drink, and they entire family made our group feel very welcome and comfortable about discussing such an awful event in history.
Bob's story amazed me. Not only is he a survivor of the holocaust, but his mother and brother survived with him. Plus, he was a child while this all happened.
The most spectacular part of his story is when he had to stay in an attic out in a barn alone. On many occasions, the family whose barn it was (and who knew he was there) forgot to bring food out for him. So he would have to sneak out and eat the left over pig slop and raw eggs. The funny part of this part of the story is when Bob stopped here and said "see you can eat raw eggs. I did and I'm still here."
The way that Bob described his story was full of color and small parts of joy. It was also very inspiring. To know that a boy of 9 years old saved his family by opening a cattle car door as the train stopped is amazing.
He did say, numerous times, the only reason he is still alive is luck, and his mothers bravery. With his emphasis on this luck and bravery, we decided to name our book and blog "Luck: A Survivors Story" which almost all survivors will tell you is the reason that they survived as well.
However, the most inspiring part of all of this is to sit across from him and his wife and see how normal and well adjusted they are. Bob has an amazing sense of humor and absolutely loves life to the utmost extent. While thinking of today's society, where almost 75% of teenagers suffer from "clinical depression" and then seeing a man who watched his father die of a heart attack when he (the son) was 6, and then was forgotten in a barn for two months when he was 9, and then hid in a basement about a mile away from Auschwitz until the war ended, and this man has so much live and color, the teenagers of today's society have absolutely nothing to be depressed about.
Bob is an amazing man, an amazing story teller and has surrounded himself with life, and warmth and color. My only wish is that more people get to meet him and hear him speak of his amazing journey as a child.
20 April 2010
First Impression
The first impression I had of this class was last fall when I saw the flyer for it up in the hallway. I realized that my senior seminar was going to be probably the most depressing and at the same time most interesting class I had taken during my college years.
Then I got to class, and realized that on top of all other scary issues of the class (the topic, the number, the fact that it meant I was going to be leaving college all ready) we were told that the class was to be team taught with a teacher from a college on the other side of town.
The classes from CSUN and LMU meet via confrence call, and LMU students will forever remember CSUN shouting "We can't hear you... speak up!"
As the class starts to come to end (only three weeks left at the time of this post) I look back on this class with probably more fond memories than any other class at college. Between the stress of technology and how it never wants to work for you no matter how nicely you ask it to, to the random conversations that happen during a Skype session (while we were supposed to be discussing something from class) to actually sitting down, meeting each other and sharing one of the most emotional experiences of our lives during the interview of our survivor.
The work load at first was daunting. Journals every week, massive amounts of reading, two big projects, a blog and a term paper. Then suddenly, the only real daunting part of the class became our term paper.
Through this class I have gotten know students that I have had classes with before and never really spoke to, as well as meeting new students and not just from my class but students from LMU as well. This class (exluding the technical issues) has been one of the most eye opening and rewarding class taken during my college years.
Then I got to class, and realized that on top of all other scary issues of the class (the topic, the number, the fact that it meant I was going to be leaving college all ready) we were told that the class was to be team taught with a teacher from a college on the other side of town.
The classes from CSUN and LMU meet via confrence call, and LMU students will forever remember CSUN shouting "We can't hear you... speak up!"
As the class starts to come to end (only three weeks left at the time of this post) I look back on this class with probably more fond memories than any other class at college. Between the stress of technology and how it never wants to work for you no matter how nicely you ask it to, to the random conversations that happen during a Skype session (while we were supposed to be discussing something from class) to actually sitting down, meeting each other and sharing one of the most emotional experiences of our lives during the interview of our survivor.
The work load at first was daunting. Journals every week, massive amounts of reading, two big projects, a blog and a term paper. Then suddenly, the only real daunting part of the class became our term paper.
Through this class I have gotten know students that I have had classes with before and never really spoke to, as well as meeting new students and not just from my class but students from LMU as well. This class (exluding the technical issues) has been one of the most eye opening and rewarding class taken during my college years.
class reflections
To tell you the truth, I'm not sure what I expected from this class in the starting of it. It really annoyed me that we would have to talk to people via video cam, as well as use technology in ways that seem so strange to me. I also couldn't stand the idea that we were being used as guinea pigs for an experimental class. Maybe part of it is that me and technology haven't really seen eye to eye. But I think it is also that I as a student have been taking traditionally taught classes for so long that I have become too comfortable with its format. Maybe that is why I didn't like the class for the first few weeks. But as the weeks passed by, I found myself understanding how invaluable this class truly is, for students often enjoy learning about things outside of their culture. I have realized that this class is my chance to learn about something I thought I knew generally, but actually don't even know how deep the subject of the holocaust truly goes. I have to say that although the technology has found a way to interfere with our class on several occasions, I have enjoyed the class nonetheless. From watching the presentations to talking to people on skype, I believe that this class isn't only invaluable because of its rich subject. It is invaluable because it is preparing me for the way school is going to be taught in the future. This class is so innovative and such a change from the paper, midterm, paper, final class where you don't even talk to other people unless it's for the sake of arguing against them. This class dares me to think and go outside of box, outside of my comfort zone, and yet it somehow doesn't run too wild. I'm so glad I have been able to meet such intelligent people, and am glad I was able to go the my survivor's house, for I have learned new things and have come to understand others better, including my survivor partners like Luz, whose goal of becoming a teacher like Bob has inspired me to help others and be more selfless, and Sara, who has shown me to stop caring what other people think and simply have fun in life. In a sense, I think I strangely needed a class like this, for although I still don't really like technology, I have developed a new appreciation for it. This class has felt like a wild ride, one that is nearing its stop. And what more perfect timing than my last year in college. Although I wish I could have delved even deeper into this class, and although I wish I didn't come to every class half dead due to taking 8 classes, I could honestly say that it has been fun.
interview
After we sat down and got comfortable, Bob began to tell his story.
Robert Geminder was born in Wroclaw, Poland on August 3rd, 1935, to his parents, Mano and Bertl. Bob had a brother named George and was born into a wealthy family. In 1939, the Second World War began and Nazis forced his family to get out of their house when he was barely 4 years old. Bob wasn't able to take anything with him and they all ended up walking towards Warsaw, which took them a few months to get to. The family settled down in Stanislaw, where Bob's grandmother, Golde, along with some of his aunts, uncles, and cousins were also staying. But in 1940, that changed after Germany violently threw the Russians out of Poland. His father, Mano, in an effort to prevent his family from being injured or killed by the explosions and bullets, tried covering up their window with a mattress to protect them from shattered glass. As Bob was helping his father protect the family, Mano had a heart attack and died. After the Nazis succeeded taking over Poland, they forced the 20,000 Jews from Stanislaw into the town square and eventually the cemetery. Although Bob was too small too see what was happening, he heard the sound of rapid gun shots being fired and people falling to the ground. So many people died that day that there were only about 8000 left from the original 20,000 Jews. The only reason his family survived was because they were one of the first people to go, meaning that they were in the front while the people in the back were being killed. The Nazis told the remaining Jews to leave. The Jews were so scared that they started running frantically, and the confusion separated Bob and George from his mother, Bertl. Luckily though, Bob's grandmother, Golde, found them and took them to their Bertl, who thought all three were dead.
A few days later, they had to leave again because the Nazis came back. Bob asked his mother why there were fences. She explained that the fences contained a ghetto that was packed by Jews. The Nazis forced the adults to march everyday while Bob and George stayed with Golde, unable to go outside due to the diseases floating around. One day, Bertl and her friend, Emil, came home, devising a plan to get out of the ghetto, since they believed something bad was going to happen and there was no way she was going to let her kids die. Even so, Golde, refused to leave because she didn't want to defy the Nazis. One day though, Nazis came into their home with dogs that were trained to find kids, since kids were seen as useless people who couldn't work. Golde quickly put the kids in the closet and placed pieces of wood against the door. After about ten minutes of searching, the Nazis left. They were safe. The dogs were not able to smell the kids due to the wood. A few weeks later, Bertl and one of her friends hid Bob and George under their skirts while they marched out of the ghetto for daily work. Luckily, no one saw them because they were in the middle of the crowd. Bertl later hid both of them in an abandoned closet, where she later returned to pick them up and quietly leave to meet Emil at the train station. They took a train to Warsaw, but a few weeks later, the Nazis killed everyone in the ghetto, including Golde.
The family was able to settle down in Warsaw because Emil's sister lived there. She was Jewish, but no one knew this due to the fact that she married a non-Jew, which is why they called her a gentile. They were able to blend in by pretending to be Catholic, but one day Bob became very ill. The problem was that the only way to save him would be to go to the hospital, but if he did, the doctors will know he is Jewish because Jewish kids get circumcised. What this means is that they might tell on him. Although this could happen, Bertl only cared about her kids, so she took him to the hospital under a fake name. She told him to only speak Polish, but the doctors eventually found out that he was Jewish anyway. Even so, they didn't turn him in. It was luck that those doctors didn't do so. After Bob got better, he helped care for other patients as a thank you to the doctors and nurses for not turning him in. Later, Bertl found a family willing to take care of her children in exchange for some of her land. The boys eventually blended in with the family by going to Catholic Church on Sunday and playing with the other children. But one day, George accidentally left his hat on for prayer, which Jewish people do and not Catholics. This drew the attention from others, and Bertl was forced to come back and take only him away, since she could only take one at a time. Bob, due to the George incident, was forced to stay in the hay loft because it became too dangerous for him to be inside the house anymore. Bob wasn't allowed to come down during the day, and I could only imagine how bored he must have been just laying there hidden all day. One day, the family taking care of him forgot to feed him, and Bob, feeling a combination of bravery and hunger, climbed out of the window and ended up eating pig food. The same situation ended up happening again later, and Bob this time ended up eating raw chicken eggs. A few months later, Bertl returned to get him, but she made a remark on how dirty Bob was. She told him that he was so filthy that lice are jumping off of him. After she cleaned him, they headed back to Warsaw.
During the winter, their family put a Christmas tree up in order to look like they are Catholic. Bertl found a way to make money on the black market. She took tobacco and made cigarettes to sell. Both Bob and George even ended up "borrowing" potatoes from other farms. In 1944, the Russians wanted to take Poland back. People knew of stories about how vicious the Russians were. Although they ran through Poland, they stopped across the river from Warsaw and waited there. All of these actions went against everything Bertl thought would happen. The reason she moved her kids there was so they would be better protected from Russians and Germans. The Polish underground rose up against the Nazis because they wanted Poland back. This caused a battle that ended with the Germans destroying most of Warsaw and putting its people in cattle cars. The family witnessed both Polish and Jews being placed in these cars. They waited until they saw a cattle car with no ceiling, which Bertl was grateful for because "at least they will be able to breath." As they rode on standing due to no room, Bertl eventually realized where they were headed: Auschwitz. Bob was really tired since he was still just a 9 year-old kid and had to stand all day. For some reason, the cars stopped 100 yards away from that dreadful doom they were headed to, and Emil came up with a plan. He told Bob that he is going to lift him out of the car in order for him to open the door for them. Although he was weak and tired, Bob somehow opened the door. Bertl told others to run, but they didn't listen. Bob took a 6-foot jump and ended up hurting his knee. Even so, the family ran, leaving the door open and running fast, for they knew that all the people in the car were going to be killed. They quickly found a farm house and told the old farm house man that they were a part of the Polish underground so that he would protect them. The moved a rug in the living room and removed the floor boards in order to show them his secret staircase. After hiding, they heard Nazis come in the house demanding to search the house for 4 fugitives who ran out of the car. Since these Germans were train workers, they didn't have dogs, so they were not able to find the family and just gave up. It was luck that the Germans didn't have dogs with them, who would have surely smelled them.
A few weeks later, Germany surrendered, and the family thanked the farmer and left the farm house. They stayed in Poland for a while, and people saw them as heroes. But Bertl didn't want to stay in Poland because the government has changed in Poland and because times were too hard there. They decided to go to Germany, which wasn't going to be easy. Emil hired a guide to get them to Germany, but they didn't have a place to live. They were put into a camp that houses displaced persons. This was the first time Bob had ever tried a banana. Finally, they no longer had to "borrow potatoes. Eventually in the camp, Emil and Bertl decided to get married. Almost two years after living in the camp, Bertl decided that they were going to America. She had relatives in Pittsburgh that would let them live there with them. The only problem was that in order to enter America, they had to be healthy, which luckily after all that they went through, they were. Both George and Bob were enrolled in school and forced to learn English in order to communicate in this country. They were so bright that Bob even ended up graduating early. Bob eventually graduated from College with a degree in engineering. Bob ended up meeting Judy in a party one night. What's interesting is that Bob came with a date, but Judy's date couldn't take her home, so Bob ended up taking both his own date and Judy home. Four years later Bob and Judy ended up getting married. I guess you can say it was luck.
Robert Geminder was born in Wroclaw, Poland on August 3rd, 1935, to his parents, Mano and Bertl. Bob had a brother named George and was born into a wealthy family. In 1939, the Second World War began and Nazis forced his family to get out of their house when he was barely 4 years old. Bob wasn't able to take anything with him and they all ended up walking towards Warsaw, which took them a few months to get to. The family settled down in Stanislaw, where Bob's grandmother, Golde, along with some of his aunts, uncles, and cousins were also staying. But in 1940, that changed after Germany violently threw the Russians out of Poland. His father, Mano, in an effort to prevent his family from being injured or killed by the explosions and bullets, tried covering up their window with a mattress to protect them from shattered glass. As Bob was helping his father protect the family, Mano had a heart attack and died. After the Nazis succeeded taking over Poland, they forced the 20,000 Jews from Stanislaw into the town square and eventually the cemetery. Although Bob was too small too see what was happening, he heard the sound of rapid gun shots being fired and people falling to the ground. So many people died that day that there were only about 8000 left from the original 20,000 Jews. The only reason his family survived was because they were one of the first people to go, meaning that they were in the front while the people in the back were being killed. The Nazis told the remaining Jews to leave. The Jews were so scared that they started running frantically, and the confusion separated Bob and George from his mother, Bertl. Luckily though, Bob's grandmother, Golde, found them and took them to their Bertl, who thought all three were dead.
A few days later, they had to leave again because the Nazis came back. Bob asked his mother why there were fences. She explained that the fences contained a ghetto that was packed by Jews. The Nazis forced the adults to march everyday while Bob and George stayed with Golde, unable to go outside due to the diseases floating around. One day, Bertl and her friend, Emil, came home, devising a plan to get out of the ghetto, since they believed something bad was going to happen and there was no way she was going to let her kids die. Even so, Golde, refused to leave because she didn't want to defy the Nazis. One day though, Nazis came into their home with dogs that were trained to find kids, since kids were seen as useless people who couldn't work. Golde quickly put the kids in the closet and placed pieces of wood against the door. After about ten minutes of searching, the Nazis left. They were safe. The dogs were not able to smell the kids due to the wood. A few weeks later, Bertl and one of her friends hid Bob and George under their skirts while they marched out of the ghetto for daily work. Luckily, no one saw them because they were in the middle of the crowd. Bertl later hid both of them in an abandoned closet, where she later returned to pick them up and quietly leave to meet Emil at the train station. They took a train to Warsaw, but a few weeks later, the Nazis killed everyone in the ghetto, including Golde.
The family was able to settle down in Warsaw because Emil's sister lived there. She was Jewish, but no one knew this due to the fact that she married a non-Jew, which is why they called her a gentile. They were able to blend in by pretending to be Catholic, but one day Bob became very ill. The problem was that the only way to save him would be to go to the hospital, but if he did, the doctors will know he is Jewish because Jewish kids get circumcised. What this means is that they might tell on him. Although this could happen, Bertl only cared about her kids, so she took him to the hospital under a fake name. She told him to only speak Polish, but the doctors eventually found out that he was Jewish anyway. Even so, they didn't turn him in. It was luck that those doctors didn't do so. After Bob got better, he helped care for other patients as a thank you to the doctors and nurses for not turning him in. Later, Bertl found a family willing to take care of her children in exchange for some of her land. The boys eventually blended in with the family by going to Catholic Church on Sunday and playing with the other children. But one day, George accidentally left his hat on for prayer, which Jewish people do and not Catholics. This drew the attention from others, and Bertl was forced to come back and take only him away, since she could only take one at a time. Bob, due to the George incident, was forced to stay in the hay loft because it became too dangerous for him to be inside the house anymore. Bob wasn't allowed to come down during the day, and I could only imagine how bored he must have been just laying there hidden all day. One day, the family taking care of him forgot to feed him, and Bob, feeling a combination of bravery and hunger, climbed out of the window and ended up eating pig food. The same situation ended up happening again later, and Bob this time ended up eating raw chicken eggs. A few months later, Bertl returned to get him, but she made a remark on how dirty Bob was. She told him that he was so filthy that lice are jumping off of him. After she cleaned him, they headed back to Warsaw.
During the winter, their family put a Christmas tree up in order to look like they are Catholic. Bertl found a way to make money on the black market. She took tobacco and made cigarettes to sell. Both Bob and George even ended up "borrowing" potatoes from other farms. In 1944, the Russians wanted to take Poland back. People knew of stories about how vicious the Russians were. Although they ran through Poland, they stopped across the river from Warsaw and waited there. All of these actions went against everything Bertl thought would happen. The reason she moved her kids there was so they would be better protected from Russians and Germans. The Polish underground rose up against the Nazis because they wanted Poland back. This caused a battle that ended with the Germans destroying most of Warsaw and putting its people in cattle cars. The family witnessed both Polish and Jews being placed in these cars. They waited until they saw a cattle car with no ceiling, which Bertl was grateful for because "at least they will be able to breath." As they rode on standing due to no room, Bertl eventually realized where they were headed: Auschwitz. Bob was really tired since he was still just a 9 year-old kid and had to stand all day. For some reason, the cars stopped 100 yards away from that dreadful doom they were headed to, and Emil came up with a plan. He told Bob that he is going to lift him out of the car in order for him to open the door for them. Although he was weak and tired, Bob somehow opened the door. Bertl told others to run, but they didn't listen. Bob took a 6-foot jump and ended up hurting his knee. Even so, the family ran, leaving the door open and running fast, for they knew that all the people in the car were going to be killed. They quickly found a farm house and told the old farm house man that they were a part of the Polish underground so that he would protect them. The moved a rug in the living room and removed the floor boards in order to show them his secret staircase. After hiding, they heard Nazis come in the house demanding to search the house for 4 fugitives who ran out of the car. Since these Germans were train workers, they didn't have dogs, so they were not able to find the family and just gave up. It was luck that the Germans didn't have dogs with them, who would have surely smelled them.
A few weeks later, Germany surrendered, and the family thanked the farmer and left the farm house. They stayed in Poland for a while, and people saw them as heroes. But Bertl didn't want to stay in Poland because the government has changed in Poland and because times were too hard there. They decided to go to Germany, which wasn't going to be easy. Emil hired a guide to get them to Germany, but they didn't have a place to live. They were put into a camp that houses displaced persons. This was the first time Bob had ever tried a banana. Finally, they no longer had to "borrow potatoes. Eventually in the camp, Emil and Bertl decided to get married. Almost two years after living in the camp, Bertl decided that they were going to America. She had relatives in Pittsburgh that would let them live there with them. The only problem was that in order to enter America, they had to be healthy, which luckily after all that they went through, they were. Both George and Bob were enrolled in school and forced to learn English in order to communicate in this country. They were so bright that Bob even ended up graduating early. Bob eventually graduated from College with a degree in engineering. Bob ended up meeting Judy in a party one night. What's interesting is that Bob came with a date, but Judy's date couldn't take her home, so Bob ended up taking both his own date and Judy home. Four years later Bob and Judy ended up getting married. I guess you can say it was luck.
first impressions
I'm not quite sure how to start, so I'll just try getting started. My whole experience with my holocaust survivor, Bob, was both enjoyable and strange (in a good way). First of all, I've never heard of a place called Palos Verdes (it was a long ride but the breeze was nice) before, and when Sara and I arrived early, something flew by the car and it scared the living daylights out of me, hahaha. It turned out to be a peacock! I've never seen a peacock before, and I was in utter amazement. The way they flew, their bright colors, and their long tails left me speechless. And then the weirdest thing ever happened. I heard a meow! Bob latter told me that peacocks make those sounds, and I couldn't help laughing because I thought there was a cat outside. Anyway, after Sara finished taking pictures of those birds, Luz finally came. I guess she was shocked to see peacocks too, hahaha. We went to the house and we finally met Bob. There was something strange about this whole meeting. I came prepared to meet a holocaust survivor, but here in front of me was a regular happy man. As we entered, we were again surprised by an animal, but this time it was a dog named Charlie. Wow, that dog was so hairy! He was so hairy that he had more hair than me, lol. As we got comfortable and ate some of Bob's delicious finger food (Luz ended up eating 4, lol), Bob gave us his holocaust survivor story. Although he told his story in a chronological and historical way, I could see the emotions he was feeling through his face.
Sometimes he tried being very serious, but others you could see his sadness for those that he lost, as well as his love for his wife, Judy. Throughout his story, I myself experienced moments of happiness, as well as sadness. But it didn't hurt that we were all laughing throughout, enjoying what I thought would be a very serious and depressing interview. I would have never guessed that a person could be so happy and have such a wonderful home full of loved ones after going through such a life-changing event. But here he is, bob, a regular cool guy who has recently graduated from LMU and has decided to quit being an engineer after forty years because in his words, "he was bored with it." Bob deciding to become a teacher has really inspired me because it lets me know that even at the age of 75, a person has a lot left to offer to the world. Although I was initially amazed by the peacocks, they didn't even enter my mind after meeting Bob. And I have no doubt in my mind that when we said our good byes and left his home, I have just been told one of the greatest stories I will ever hear in my life.
Sometimes he tried being very serious, but others you could see his sadness for those that he lost, as well as his love for his wife, Judy. Throughout his story, I myself experienced moments of happiness, as well as sadness. But it didn't hurt that we were all laughing throughout, enjoying what I thought would be a very serious and depressing interview. I would have never guessed that a person could be so happy and have such a wonderful home full of loved ones after going through such a life-changing event. But here he is, bob, a regular cool guy who has recently graduated from LMU and has decided to quit being an engineer after forty years because in his words, "he was bored with it." Bob deciding to become a teacher has really inspired me because it lets me know that even at the age of 75, a person has a lot left to offer to the world. Although I was initially amazed by the peacocks, they didn't even enter my mind after meeting Bob. And I have no doubt in my mind that when we said our good byes and left his home, I have just been told one of the greatest stories I will ever hear in my life.
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