http://gmc.onelane.org/2008/04/14/a-stop-at-a-concentration-camp/ The Greater Middletown Chorale in Vienna. And Salzburg. And Prague. Oh, my! Wed, 19 Nov 2008 12:37:35 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 http://gmc.onelane.org/2008/04/14/a-stop-at-a-concentration-camp/#comment-34 rickpug Tue, 22 Apr 2008 16:28:50 +0000 http://gmc.onelane.org/?p=51#comment-34 I cannot even begin to enumerate the emotions and thoughts that were in my head leading up to that visit and the experience that day. What I will share is, that although raised Catholic, I was drawn to the Holocaust from a young age. I became intensely aware of the fears of such atrocities that I oft attributed to childhood or neuroses. And yes, I dealt with my feelings in all too many different ways through the years, but most of which was a powerful draw to pay homage and, in some small way, undo the terrible acts of man's inhumanity against man. Yet shame pervades. I felt only a small portion of that shame in making a large portion of our group have to wait for some of us in departing. If indeed this was only a small portion of what it felt like to be branded a Jew in those times, the feelings of helplessness and isolation were certainly a part of the experience. I so very much thank those who helped make the Mathausen Tour possible, and especially to Matt McCaffrey for words of solace and memory. I for one, whether in feeling weak, walking up a flight of stairs of in thinking about the ongoing acts of inhumanity today, will hopefully never forget. But I am left with one burning question: "What would I have done?" I cannot even begin to enumerate the emotions and thoughts that were in my head leading up to that visit and the experience that day. What I will share is, that although raised Catholic, I was drawn to the Holocaust from a young age. I became intensely aware of the fears of such atrocities that I oft attributed to childhood or neuroses. And yes, I dealt with my feelings in all too many different ways through the years, but most of which was a powerful draw to pay homage and, in some small way, undo the terrible acts of man’s inhumanity against man. Yet shame pervades. I felt only a small portion of that shame in making a large portion of our group have to wait for some of us in departing. If indeed this was only a small portion of what it felt like to be branded a Jew in those times, the feelings of helplessness and isolation were certainly a part of the experience. I so very much thank those who helped make the Mathausen Tour possible, and especially to Matt McCaffrey for words of solace and memory. I for one, whether in feeling weak, walking up a flight of stairs of in thinking about the ongoing acts of inhumanity today, will hopefully never forget. But I am left with one burning question: “What would I have done?”

]]> http://gmc.onelane.org/2008/04/14/a-stop-at-a-concentration-camp/#comment-33 Adam Perrin Tue, 22 Apr 2008 01:50:26 +0000 http://gmc.onelane.org/?p=51#comment-33 As someone who was raised a jew in the conservative tradition, I was exposed to the horrors of the Holocaust from an early age. The Sunday school curriculum included the classic "Night" by Elie Wiesel and of course "The Diary of Anne Frank", both of which left me shaken. I am of course hardly alone in this experience. It is one thing however to experience the nightmare of genocide through the written word or visual media, another thing entirely to place oneself at the very site of unspeakable atrocity. Having an opportunity to tour an actual concentration camp was something I have always had on my bucket list. I am grateful for the opportunity to experience Mauthausen first hand and will never forget it. Among the barracks and gas chambers and rock quarry, which Matt described so well, one could truly sense the spirit of those who endured profound suffering. As my wife and I walked the grounds, we repeatedly exchanged thoughts on man's incredible capacity for evil. At the same time, as we walked through the Memorial field, we felt a true sense of the power of redemption, and man's incredible capacity for forgiveness. Such experiences as this inevitably enhance one's appreciation for what we have and how lucky we are to be living in a just society where extreme acts of evil are quickly quashed. To maintain such perspective, we must never forget the horror of the Holocaust. Never forget! -Adam As someone who was raised a jew in the conservative tradition, I was exposed to the horrors of the Holocaust from an early age. The Sunday school curriculum included the classic “Night” by Elie Wiesel and of course “The Diary of Anne Frank”, both of which left me shaken. I am of course hardly alone in this experience. It is one thing however to experience the nightmare of genocide through the written word or visual media, another thing entirely to place oneself at the very site of unspeakable atrocity. Having an opportunity to tour an actual concentration camp was something I have always had on my bucket list. I am grateful for the opportunity to experience Mauthausen first hand and will never forget it. Among the barracks and gas chambers and rock quarry, which Matt described so well, one could truly sense the spirit of those who endured profound suffering. As my wife and I walked the grounds, we repeatedly exchanged thoughts on man’s incredible capacity for evil. At the same time, as we walked through the Memorial field, we felt a true sense of the power of redemption, and man’s incredible capacity for forgiveness. Such experiences as this inevitably enhance one’s appreciation for what we have and how lucky we are to be living in a just society where extreme acts of evil are quickly quashed. To maintain such perspective, we must never forget the horror of the Holocaust. Never forget! -Adam

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