April Voytko Kempler's Blog, page 5

2nd Annual Holocaust Remembrance Day Event Guest Speaker: Me!

 

April 7 is a special day for me and Joe. This year we were invited to speak at the Second Annual Holocaust Remembrance Day event at the University of Nevada, Reno. This is event is sponsored by the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute in partnership with the University’s Interfaith Students Club. We were invited to speak on the theme Genocide. We have been generously given twenty-five minutes in which I will speak for ten minutes about Joe’s history and the six concentration camps he was imprisoned in as well as a plug for Joe’s memoir THE ALTERED I. Then I thought it would be neat if Paul (Joe’s youngest son) would speak for five minutes on what it was like to have a Holocaust survivor as a father and how genocide has affected his life as a second generation Holocaust survivor. And the crowning jewel of our presentation: Joe will have ten minute for a Question and Answer session. I think this will be a stupendous opportunity to spread Holocaust awareness as well as share Joe’s story. I’m nervous but happy and greatly honored that we were asked to speak at this important event.

 

OLLI_Holocaust_Flier_March21_14

Joseph Kempler to Give Holocaust Presentation at the Washoe County Northwest Library

Saturday, April 5 from 2-4 p.m. Joseph Kempler and myself will be on hand for a special presentation at the Washoe County Northwest Reno Library.  I will give a brief biography of Joseph’s life as well as a description and overview of the six concentration camps Joseph was imprisoned in. Also, Joseph will be available for a Question and Answer session. In the background, projected onto a screen, will be a photograph display of some of Joseph’s family pictures. Books will be available for purchase and signing. We are excited to share Joseph’s amazing story of survival, of faith lost and regained, and of family bonds strengthened.

About THE ALTERED I:

Joseph Kempler is eleven years old in 1939, when World War II begins. German soldiers have invaded his hometown of Krakow, Poland. Forced with his family to leave their home, business, and belongings, Joseph embarks upon an adventure that will change his life forever. Joseph survives six concentration camps, some of them death camps, from the ages of fourteen to seventeen. Along the way he abandons family and faith. He curses God for allowing the Holocaust to happen and becomes an atheist. When he arrives at the concentration camp Melk, he encounters, from a distance, an unusual brand of Christians. He is told they are called Bibelforscher, Bible Students. He is astounded to see these Aryan’s imprisoned in the same concentration camp as Jews. He is further shocked when he learns that they can leave the camp anytime, all they have to do is renounce their faith by signing a document. But they won’t do it. This leaves and indelible impression on young Joseph’s mind. Many years later, after emigrating to America, Joseph encounters representatives of this group when they knock on his door. Always curious about their faith he questions them and ultimately converts to Christianity. THE ALTERED I chronicles Joseph’s life and the circumstances leading to his life altering decision, while shining new light on an untold story of the Holocaust.

About the author:

Born in Southern California, April Kempler currently resides in her “adopted” city of Reno, Nevada. She lives with her husband, who doubles as her editor-in-chief. April Kempler’s first book entitled The Altered I, a Holocaust Memoir, is a first-person narrative about the Holocaust. April loves reading, a habit she picked up as a child. Instead of playing with the other kids, she could be found with her nose in a book.  She reads a variety of genres, but is especially drawn to historical fiction.

When Kempler is not writing or reading, she assists her husband in their window treatment design business answering the telephone, making appointments and helping to install gorgeous draperies on naked windows.

Where to purchased The Altered I online: Amazon.com and Google play.

Cutting Room Floor Excerpts: The Old Synagogue

This excerpt was originally in the beginning of my manuscript. It was my opener for the book. I had this vision that as Joe was telling his story to his family, the reader would also be transported back in time to the days of young Josef. I scrapped all that and got right into the story. I’m not sure this part really fits with the rest of the book anyway. I do like it though, and wanted to share with you. There is something intriguing about a curator who lovingly restores a a synagogue for no one but himself, even going so far as to create a Disneyfication of an old Jewish town, or as Joe puts it, “a dead town.”

The Old  Synagogue

Two blocks from my family’s apartment on B street, stands the old synagogue where I used to worship with Tatuś. The Nazis destroyed every temple and synagogue in Krakow during the war, but this synagogue has been renovated and converted into a museum showing what the Jewish culture used to be like in the Old Town. I’m traveling with my sons, daughter and grandson and I want to show them this place, however it is a tricky business, my daughter and grandson are Jewish while I and my two sons are Christian. We have two seemingly contrasting points of view, but the synagogue is important to my history and I can’t pass by without peeking inside.

As we enter the synagogue there is a table with Yarmulkes–black skull caps used to cover the head while inside the synagogue. It is forbidden for Jews to enter the synagogue with their heads bared. Since I no longer practice Judaism I didn’t want to wear a Yarmulke. My oldest son David, picked one up, then put it back down on the table. The curator, Mr. J looked at us in puzzlement. I didn’t want to offend him so I explained that my faith didn’t allow me to take this action. Normally he wouldn’t let any male enter with a bare head, but taking into consideration my history and why we were here he made an exception. He allowed us to enter and tour while he described to us in Polish the various details about the synagogue. To my knowledge there are few religious Jews in Krakow. I feel disappointed that so few people will see the beauty of this building, not too many take the time to visit. It’s a shame because Mr J has put so much time, money and energy into restoring the synagogue.

Mr. J explains to us how he is in charge of Jewish activities in Krakow. I look at him as a do-gooder who keeps projects alive that protect the Jewish reputation and promote the Jewish culture. He describes how his mother couldn’t worship at her synagogue during the Nazi occupation, it had been destroyed, but instead she worshiped at the church and said in her heart, “Well, God is somewhere here anyway.”

I look at him in awe. He works around Krakow restoring synagogues and cemeteries to their former glory. But I have to wonder to what purpose? The buildings and architecture are beautiful, but my impression of this particular visit is powerful, and different for reasons other than  one might expect. Although it’s my history, my memories, my family traditions, I can’t help thinking this is a dead town for Jews. Whatever is being done here is for tourists. Soon there will be more synagogues than Jews in Krakow. Is he really restoring a dead town? There are fronts of buildings with signs and names on them, but there is nothing inside except candles burning. It is for show, it isn’t real. I remember this as a lively part of town with over 60,000 Jews. There was culture, music, theater, Jews enjoying their lives, now there is nothing. Nothing for me anyway.

THE ALTERED I available on Amazon.com and LeRue Press.

Related Post Excerpt on Wash Day.

Genocide Blog post.

How to Grow a Writer

Like plants, writers need a few basic instructions to grow. Here are five short and easy tips:

1. Prepare your writer by giving it the right environment. This may seem simple: pen, ink, paper…er,  computer, keyboard, writing software (that’s the one I like!) Whatever your tools, your writer has needs, supply them. Is the space frequented by family members or roommates? Or is it secluded? Is the area cluttered, organized, or a healthy mixture of both? Does the environment include music? Either Punk, Classic Rock, Country, or Classical? I prefer to give my writer quiet time, but that’s just me.

2. Give your writer plenty of water, food, and sunlight. This means you have to nourish your writer by reading. Read your favorite authors, read ones you only like so-so. Read fiction (any genre), read history and nonfiction, read memoirs and biography, read about science and biology. Reading expands your writer’s knowledge so your writer can–you know–write. It will also help develop your writer’s tastes and style. Your writer will also  learn what they don’t like to write about and what they do like to write about. In addition, your writer will learn how not to write. Of course this is subjective to each writer.

3. Fertilize your writer in the form of praise. Your writer could succumb to crippling self-doubt, lack of courage, or simple procrastination, resulting in stunted growth. Praise is essential, not too much though! Over-praise will burn the tender growth, and what you will be left with is an unproductive writer. The objective is to have a steady flow of creative sprouting.

4. Maintain and watch your writer. Pull out any weeds of distraction, or toxic negativity. These will choke the writer and diminish growth.

5. An idea, somewhat debated, is to surround your writer with sound. This may stimulate growth. Perhaps the vibrations your writer receives are in the form of a writer’s group or forum. Hearing feedback and constructive criticism can be beneficial for encouraging growth and inspiration in the writer. But it is up to you, really.

Of course this is all tongue-in-cheek, but I hope you gleaned a few good tips on how to grow as a writer. What is your writing technique? What has worked for you? I’d love to hear about it in the comments section of this blog.

How Genocide Affects My Family

Joe in uniform

Recently I was invited to speak at a Holocaust Remembrance Day event at the University of Nevada, Reno. The actual days of remembrance for 2014 begin on April 27. But there are a lot of reminders going on throughout the month. The theme for the event I will be speaking at, however, is Genocide.

In preparing my speech I pondered having my husband share his personal side of the story. I’m not one to hog the limelight! Ask anybody, I’m not a public speaker, but since the release of THE ALTERED I, I have had to step out of every comfort zone I may possess and become what I need to in order to promote awareness for the book. But I digress. The reason I thought of Paul is because it is his family that is directly affected by genocide. Who else could talk more freely on the subject?

What he said touched me. He talked about how if his father hadn’t survived he would never have been born. He said he lost his connection to his father’s side of the family, no grandparents to share summer vacations with or school report cards. He only had  one bitter old aunt who survived the Holocaust, his father’s eldest sister, but refused to share her ordeal and who looked out at the world with anger in her eyes. Because of genocide his father disconnected emotionally from his wife and children.

Conversely had his father not gone through the Holocaust at all Paul might not have been born anyway. So it is interesting to think that because of genocide Paul is alive. Not to say we welcome genocide, but life really does hang by a fragile thread, it’s a miracle when you think about it.

In this country we are relatively free from the impact of genocide, but we have other things. Perhaps PTSD  from some traumatic experience. Who hasn’t been touched by the war in Afghanistan? Every day I see commercials on TV asking for donations for wounded warriors returning home to their families. There is a lot of trauma that goes on behind closed doors. We aren’t aware of what people in our neighborhoods are really dealing with in their lives.

So even if genocide hasn’t directly affected you, I’m sure you’ve been affected by some trauma. How are you coping? Will this year’s annual Holocaust observance inspire you? What will you learn? What will you change?

I love hearing from you! Please leave comments in the area below.

Related article on inheriting stress genes.

Cutting Room Floor Excerpts: Wash Day, or Did You Know an Iron had a Soul?

Introduction

Every manuscript must undergo the dreaded editing process, THE ALTERED I is no exception. In the process some of my favorite parts had to be cut from what would be the finished product. Either the narrative seemed completely random, or meandering, or just didn’t fit anymore within the story. This is called Killing Your Darlings.

However, as I was killing some of the darling parts, in the back of my mind I was planning a resurrection of sorts. I surmised that a lot of it could be re-purposed in a blog format. So I didn’t mind that a lot of superfluous stuff had to go, I always knew somehow I would bring it to light again.

I leave it to you Dear Reader to decide for yourself whether any of if should be on display. But, if you are a fan of the book and a big fan of Joe and just want to know more about him or his life, then here is an opportunity to see all the bits I left out. Please bear in mind these are unedited excerpts.

I’ll be blogging some of the excerpts from time to time and I hope you enjoy them, if not, well then killing them out of the book was the way to go.

Today I’ll be starting with one of my favorite parts (they are all my favorite parts!) cut from the manuscript. The scene is from an early time in Joseph’s life. He is not even school age yet. Wash day may seem trivial in the context of the subject of the Holocaust, but to me it is basic and yet endearing. It sheds light on a way of life no longer known, and it pictures a mother and child in the course of their work-a-day life. Also, it makes me thankful for my beautiful front loading side-by-side washer and dryer.

Joseph Kempler and his older sister Dziunka (Judy) Laub

Excerpt

Too young to be a part of the adult world my sister lived in, I was left to the world of weekly house chores with Mamusia. As a constant companion to Mamusia there was always the tasks of cooking, cleaning, mending, shopping, and of course the especially tedious task of laundering. Laundering was a multiple step process that required the partnership of  Mamusia and her maid Marysia and several days to finish the job. 

All the cleaning supplies, including the immense  wooden bucket,  had to be hauled down from the attic to the kitchen. As a small child I would sit on a stool and observe the whole, long process. An active child, I became bored and restless. I searched the house for something, a magazine or newspaper, anything I could get my little hands on to escape the tedium of laundry day.

Because the wooden bucket was large, and all the paraphernalia involved in the cleaning process scattered about, there was no room in the kitchen. It was so time consuming and space invading I don’t know when there was time for cooking anything. Perched precariously on the stool I had a good view of all the laundry action, but it wasn’t the safest place for a child. One time I was too near the rushed activity and some boiling hot water splashed on the back of my knees and I howled in pain. 

Once the boiling process was finished Mamusia and Marysia left the wash to sit in the bucket of soapy water overnight. The next day the duo took the wash out and poured warm water into the bucket, then they placed the laundry back in the bucket and scrubbed the linens up and down on a washboard. Then it was left again overnight with the starch in it. On the third day after the starching, a bluing agent would be added to the laundry to whiten it. Afterwards the clothing and linens had to be rinsed and wrung dry, placed in a basket and hauled up three stories to the clothesline in the attic. I didn’t like the attic, especially during the colder months. It was drafty and I shivered constantly.

The laundry was kept on the clothesline until dry. This could take up to two days. Once it was dry it was all taken down and brought to a place of business where they had a machine called a mangler. This machine had large wooden rollers. The laundry was wrapped around the rollers and then it was rolled back and forth to soften the fabric. Once the mangler had done its job then the laundry was taken back home to be ironed.

The iron itself appeared to be a living being, it even had a chamber called the soul. The soul was removable and placed on red hot coals. Once heated the soul was placed in the outer housing of the iron. Mamusia had two souls going at once. While one soul was inside the iron, the other was heated on the coals. I noticed that there was a certain tricky technique involved with the iron. There had to be just the right amount of heat otherwise if it was too hot it would burn the clothing. Most of the time time she used a wet cloth on top of the garment. Mamusia licked her finger and touched the iron to test the temperature. To me it seemed in order not to burn the clothing or linens, ironing was almost a science in itself. 

End

Want to read more from THE ALTERED I? Click on LeRue Press. Also available on Amazon and Google Play.

Altered I Book Club Hosts Meet-The-Author Afternoon Event

Early in February I was honored to be invited to the first Altered I book club. Although the group was intimate the questions were probing. And despite the use of the word probing, I was thrilled to answer them all!

Although this was predominately a ladies function, through a strange twist of circumstances Joseph Kempler was able to attend. That sent a special happy vibe through the guests who weren’t initially expecting to see him. Even though he didn’t have too much to say, he enjoyed being the center of attention. He sipped his wine and his eyes sparkled when he gazed at me talking to the group about the writing experience and working with him. In fact, a couple of times he said, “I never knew all this!” Even he was surprised at the level of work and determination (otherwise known as stubbornness) it took to get his story to the level of published book.

Shelly Kilburn was Madame Interviewer Extraordinaire. She was adorable perched on the sofa asking me questions off her iPhone.

Here is a peek at some of her questions and my answers:

1.  When did you first dream of writing a book?

A: I would have to say it all started when I was in elementary school. I can’t remember my age or grade but the assignment was to plant a bean and write about the outcome. It was all done on construction paper–complete with illustrations by moi–and bound together with yarn. Ah, the 70s! I first started thinking about writing when I was in junior high to be honest. I was around fourteen years old, and I thought I would like to be a writer–or a lawyer. But, I believe a friend talked me out of writing as a serious career when she bluntly told me,”Everybody wants to be a writer.” So that was that, but I never gave up the creative writing classes or my journal, or my dream.

2.  When/how did you decide to write this book?

A: This is a little bit of a long story and I’ve written an article and a blog post already, so if you are truly interested click here!

3.  What detail touched you the most?

A: Surprisingly it wasn’t anything related to the Joseph’s Holocaust experience directly, but with his first wife. Her story touched me deeply. While I was writing it, I was moved to tears. (Of course I’m not giving anything way right now, you, Dear Reader must read the book!) While I say this I must tread carefully, as Jospeh’s second wife is sitting right over there on the sofa. She is smiling, a good sign.

4.  Did Joe sign on immediately?  How did he feel?

A: Joe really was supportive right from the beginning. Although at times I know he viewed me as a pest. I really did show no mercy. I rang his doorbell, I knocked on his door, I wouldn’t take “No, not today” as an answer.

5.  What did you hope to accomplish?

A: First, I hoped to accomplish a manuscript that could be read by the family. They hadn’t heard Joseph’s story in its entirety, or this context. I hoped they would learn things about their father and themselves. I hoped it would have a healing effect on all the family, because truly, the Holocaust put a stamp on all our lives and no one has remained unscathed by the dysfunction it has engendered.

Secondly, I really wanted to be a published author! After we had compiled all the information I knew in my heart I had to take it to the extreme level of finding a publisher and setting the story loose on the world!

6.  What was the hardest thing about writing it? The most rewarding thing!

A: The hardest thing about writing it had to be carving out the time. I had to conduct the interview, transcribe the audio, write the manuscript, then edit, edit, edit and when I thought I couldn’t stand to look at the thing edit some more. Then really, the hard part was looking over the contract for publishing, getting advice, knowing what was the right decision. This was all new territory, and also stuff I wasn’t mentally prepared for. I had to read a lot of books on the subject of contracts and in effect I became my own lawyer (dream number two fulfilled). Of course I hired a professional attorney all the same. There was just so much to think about. It was a lot of time invested.
The most rewarding thing was seeing it through. Finishing the project even when I wanted to give up. But each time I wanted to quit I would remember I had come too far to quit. I really pushed it to the end. What is more rewarding than a job well-done? And I’m not talking about reviews or anything like that, but giving this everything I had and knowing I did my best no matter what anybody thought of the work itself. It so happens that people love it, the book. And I’ve gotten several “Well-Done!” comments. Which of course thrills me. Maybe I have a future int his after all.

Book Cover for The Altered I

I wasn’t the only one to express myself that afternoon. What was more interesting to me was listening to the book club members tell me their feelings and tell Joseph what they thought of him, of how his story impacted their life. And also, what inspiration the story supplied to them. Some of them feel more brave after reading the book. They felt they could stand up for what was right despite peer pressure or ridicule. Some said they don’t fear persecution anymore. Some got together with members of their own family to ask them about their family history. The Altered I meant a lot of different things for a lot of different people.

Have you read a book or listened to a life story that made you re-think your own life or your own standards? What was it, or who was it? I would love to hear about it. Please leave your reply in the comments section!

Thanks for indulging me in my Meet-the-Author event. It was a great afternoon with some really wonderful friends.

Interested in reading an excerpt? Click on excerpt.

Want to purchase? Click on LeRue Press. It will take you right to Amazon.

Why You Should Listen to Your Grandparents Now

When asked what kind of book I wrote, I often get the same response: “Oh how wonderful. I wish I had sat down with my…(grandmother, grandfather, great-aunt, cousin, you-fill-in-the-blank). They really had an exciting life. They were bootleggers, smugglers, coal miners, suffragettes, steel workers, lumber barons, led a swing band, sang with Benny Goodman.” Clearly you can fill in the blanks here too, and I’m getting carried away!

I was explaining to a man, whom I had just met at a bar (with my husband!), how I sat down with my father-in-law and recorded everything he said and then I wrote it down. Interesting concept! The man I was speaking to sat back on his bar stool pondering what I had said. Then he went on to tell me how his father had been in World War One and, “Wait World War One?” I interrupted, “Don’t you mean Two? How old was your father anyway!?”

“Nope,” he said, “it was the First World War. My father was sixty-five when I was born and I’m in my early fifties now.” So that pretty much explained it. He went on to express regret that he hadn’t talked to his father about his past, but he said, “I was only eighteen at the time and really stupid.”  He wasn’t thinking about the past or his connections to it back then. Also he confided that he and his father didn’t get along very well.

Then he told me something even more astounding. When his father got up in years and was living in an assisted care facility, he would go visit him. Every time he went his father expressed anger at the other old guys in the place. He called them all…well, something not very complimentary. His father said, “All these guys in here are all jerks! But that guy,” he pointed a shaky finger at a fellow who looked about a hundred years old, “that one guy is all right.” He was apparently referring to one of the gentlemen in the facility who had actually served in the Spanish American War.

Not really familiar with this war (I know, shame on me) I was incredulous as first. “Wasn’t that like in the 1800s?! Just how old was the guy anyway?” I said.

To my chagrin, he explained the Spanish War was in the Teddy Roosevelt time period, nearer the 1900s. Actually, with a little bit of research I discovered it was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States. You can read about it here if you like. Regardless, he had this golden opportunity to talk with a veteran of the Spanish American War, but being young and not thinking about all that old stuff he let it go. I could tell not investigating further must have gnawed at him over the years because he remembered it vividly. Coincidentally, he was retired from the military and working as a detective in Wisconsin, where he was born and raised.

But this underscores my point. How many opportunities have we passed up to learn about our past, our personal history? Even if your family hasn’t done anything newsworthy, it’s your connection to past events. Even if you sit down with Grandma and listen to how life used to be, it is certainly different from how life is today! There is a lot to be gleaned from our relatives, but few of us are really listening. That we never took the opportunity to talk to them while we had it will come back to haunt us. Once they’re gone, that link is gone, and we can’t get it back again. And we might miss something vital. But we won’t find out until we try.

A good friend recently told me that after reading my book THE ALTERED I, she was inspired to talk to her father. She made an appointment with him, traveled to see him, and without distractions, talked with him for two days about his past, his experiences, and his reflections. Wow, I was humbled to hear it. But glad she acted on her wish to connect with her father after so many years.

What do you think? Is listening to our older relatives important? Have you done it? What did you find out? I would love to know! Please share in the comments section.

My Favorite Disaster Movies That Were Books First

Inspired by the recent Facebook update of a friend, I got to thinking of my favorite disaster movies. I was brought up during the 70s when disaster movies seemed to reign: Airport, Earthquake, The Poseidon Adventure, The Towering Inferno, Rollercoaster, to name a few. These movies terrified me, yet I was strangely attracted to them. I loved all the cameo appearances by film movie legends (Fred Astaire, Shelly Winters, Charleston Heston, Lloyd Nolan, Jennifer Jones, and the list could go on and on)! I especially remember my mom taking me to the theater to see Earthquake. I actually could feel the vibrations. Little did I know at the time but it was this movie’s sound effects that caused the sensation of feeling an earthquake (perhaps not a good idea to take a small impressionable child)! This movie terrified me! I even remember eating a Hershey bar with almonds. I don’t eat them to this day.

Each one of these movies changed how I viewed the simple act of getting into an elevator, taking a cruise, visiting an amusement park, or traveling to the top of a skyscraper for a bird’s eye view of the city.

Perhaps these movies shaped some of my literary interests as well. It might explain why I’m attracted to the subject of the Holocaust, one of the greatest disasters in human history.

Not to dwell on real unpleasantness, but I thought it would be fun instead to list the disaster movie and its literary counterpart, maybe there’s one here you haven’t discovered!

The Towering Inferno (1974). Starred Paul Newman, Steve McQueen, Jennifer Jones, Fred Astaire and O.J. Simpson. This movie is based on the combination of two books: The Tower by Richard Martin Stern (1973) and The Glass Inferno by Thomas N. Scortia and Frank M. Robinson (1974).
Airport(1970) This one set off sequels Airport 75, Airport 77 and The Concorde or Airport 79. I saw them all.  Starred Dean Martin, Burt Lancaster, George Kennedy, Barbara Hale, Helen Hayes. The book Airport was written by Arthur Hailey (1968).
The Poseidon Adventure (1972) Starred Shelley Winters, Ernest Borgnine, Red Buttons, Roddy McDowell, Arthur O’Connell. Also the book The Poseidon Adventure was written by Paul Gallico (1971).
Rollercoaster (1977) Starred Henry Fonda (!), Richard Widmark, George Segal, and a very young Helen Hunt. Utopia by Lincoln Child (2003) is the closest I could find about an amusement park with a disaster theme. Excellent book!
Meteor (1979). While not a book it may be inspired by an MIT report in 1967 Project Icarus.
The Hindenburg (1975). This starred George C. Scott, Anne Bancroft, Gig Young, and Burgess Meredith. I remember vividly going to see this film when I was a little girl. It was one of the rare times my father ever went to the movies. I only remember there was a dog on the Hindenburg and I was very concerned for it. The book, titled The Hindenburg was written by Michael MacDonald Mooney (1972) He hypothesized there was a bomber and perhaps a German/Nazi connection. Did Hitler order the bombing of the Hindenburg in retaliation over anti-Nazi opinions? I believe this is loosely based on facts. Historians disagree in a sabotage theory. Well, either way, it made for a great disaster movie.

Did I miss any? What disaster movie was your favorite. Did it start out as a book, or a screenplay? Let me know!

Why This Day is Important to Remember: International Holocaust Remembrance Day

Usually I post on Wednesday, no rhyme or reason, but today I’m posting on this very important day. Why is it so important you may ask? On this day sixty-nine years ago the concentration camp known as Auschwitz was liberated by Soviet troops. The United Nations General Assembly designated January 27 as International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Through education it may be possible to eradicate such genocides from happening again. However, the Holocaust isn’t really ancient history. We see genocides taking place the world over: Cambodia, Bosnia, Rwanda, Darfur and Syria. It seems the world isn’t paying attention.

Paul tells me he is planning on remembering this day as a celebration that he is alive. If his father hadn’t survived the Holocaust there would be no children, no future offspring, no chance of life. For that I’m personally grateful. So I will remember this day as a day of life too.

While Joseph Kempler wasn’t in Auschwitz, his train did briefly stop there. As Joseph puts it, “The Nazis were too busy burning Hungarian Jews so they didn’t have room for us.” Haunting.

Joseph was still in the camp of Melk in Austria. He still had a death march of some ten days ahead him and a month or so barely surviving in yet another concentration camp before he would experience liberation. When it came in May, by Patton’s Third  Army, it was nearly too late. Joseph had withered away to a mere sixty pounds and was lying in his bunk awaiting death. The call of food roused him from his state of  inertia. But when he arrived at the place the bread was stored it had already been consumed by other starving prisoners.

By some miracle Joseph survived.

How will you remember this day?