Today, my roommate and I went down to the lobby area around 9AM. (Orientation did not start until 11.) We actually witnesses a proposal from a guy who had champagne and rose petals leading to him on the floor of the lobby. It was super cute because he was shaking, he was so nervous! His girlfriend came in from a shuttle - and I'm assuming that she did not know he was there because she was really excited to see him! He couldn't get a single word out - he just went down to his knee and proposed! My roomie and I kept looking around thinking we were on candid camera since we were stalking some guy's proposal....lol....
We got to spend half of the day at the US Holocaust museum. Our task was to look at each artifact and decide why we felt that artifact was chosen for that specific exhibit. It really made me look at the exhibit in a different perspective and I learned a lot by asking myself that question. Did you know that the artifacts in the main exhibit is only 10% of the artifacts they really have? The other 90% of artifacts are located in a warehouse. There is only so much room - but knowing that really made me think why DID they choose the artifacts that they used?
The highlights that I noticed that my students would probably really like was one of the leaflets from Sophie and Hans Scholl. Sophie and Hans were members of the White Rose. This organization created anti-Nazi pamphlets and spread them all over college campuses. They were caught, and as a result, they were executed. Unfortunately, the courts were controlled by Nazi judges - their fate was already known before they even went on "trial." I also noticed a political cartoon regarding the Evian Conference. In 1938, President Roosevelt called a meeting of many nations to come together to try and open their doors to the Jewish people. In reality, no country wanted to open their doors to Jewish immigrants. (Quite sad because Hitler used this as an opportunity to say that we denounce him for his treatment of the Jews but no one else wants them either!) Also, one of the only countries that was willing to open its door to the Jews was the Dominican-Republic....and that's only because their government wanted to "whiten" their culture. Anyways...the political cartoon was posted in the New York Times. It has a young man slumped down on a sign that pointed in many different directions and said "Non-Aryan." Well, Aryan is the word Germans used to describe the perfect race....so clearly, American press has picked up on the stereotype as well, and it goes to show that America did know that Jews were being persecuted as early as 1938. However, it is still that mentality of "it's not us, so it's ok..."
That was just a small tidbit of the highlights from the USHMM. I could go for days, but I must move on. We got back to the hotel around 5 - just in time for us to catch the game on the massive screen that the hotel rolled out in the lobby. Of course, I went upstairs to watch it because I figured someone would probably have to call a mental institution if they saw me screaming at the screen in public! Proud of Tim Howard... He kept us in the game and more!
We had a wonderful dinner - each of us got an appetizer, meal, and dessert! I tell you, this Union County girl has no idea what words were used in my meal or what was even in it, but boyyyyy it was nice! Felt like I was eating uptown! I met a guy friend who teaches in NC as well, and we were cracking up about how we would totally be content with McDonalds. Lol. Hey - dollar menu is the way to go! We leave the Palomar hotel tomorrow, but wow...absolutely gorgeous and I know I will never be able to afford a hotel (or food...) like this on my own!!
After dinner, we got to hear Mr. Henry Greenbaum, a survivor of Auschwitz-Birkenau and Flossenberg, speak. I would be lying if I told you I did not cry during his story. He is one of 9 children - all but himself and his brother and sister perished. His father died right before the Nazis came into Poland, and his mom also perished at Treblinka. He tried to escape in one of the camps, and a bullet grazed his head as he tried to escape. He was sent to Auschwitz to work in labor - he was sent to Buna to work in the quarry - and he also helped to lay put the road for IG Farben during his time. He was then transferred to Flossenberg and was forced on a march in 1945 when the Americans encroached. He marched from mid-February to April 25th and had no food except for a potato. Can you believe being on a forced march for that long with no food?! He is an amazing person and is a hero. He told us when the Americans came in and rescued him, he kept calling them angels. He was just so precious. The coolest part is he has never been back to Poland or Flossenberg; however, he will be going back next week! Annually, Flossenberg asks for the survivors to come back from a memorial they have. He has never been, but this year, he has decided to go. Flossenberg pays for the whole trip for him and one other person. He will be taking his sons with him. He told us he has four generations of family - sons, daughters, grandchildren, and even great grandchildren. He is such a special man, and I wish him luck on his journey back to Poland.
Well, that was my day! Tomorrow is the big day! We get to fly to Europe! You will probably not hear from me tomorrow or the day after that. On the Fourth of July, we will be at Bergen-Belsen, which will be our first site we visit in Europe. You will hear from me on Friday!