Boy's Survival in Holocaust
Related in Slide Presentation
Written and Produced Here
How does a teacher trans-
mit the lesson of the Holo-
caust to a 13-year-old liV'ing
a million light years from
the nightmare?
The answer may lie with
David Bergman, a 42-year-
old Holocaust survivor who
was but 12 _when the Nazis
overran his native Czechoslo ,
vakia.
Bergman has prepared a
slide-tape presentation, "To
Hell and Freedom," which
recounts his experiences in
the concentration camps of
occupied Europe in 1944-45.
He was assisted with the pro-
duction by Judy and Albert
Karbal, the latter director
of the Learning Resource
Center at Cong. Shaarey Ze-
dek.
In one year, the year of his
Bar Mitzva (observed aboard
a cattle train speeding from
Auschwitz to Plaszhau con-
centration camp), young
David was transported from
Hungary , to Germany, to
Poland, and back to Ger-
- / •any. His miraculous sur-
vival in Auschwitz, Reichen-
bach and Dachau reads like
a novel.
The color slides, narrated
by Bergman, include photo-
graphs of the family he never
saw again; copper sculp-
tures the young engineer has
created as a personal Holo-
caust memorial; and artists'
drawings of his experiences.
There also are haunting
photographs of the Nazis' vic-
tims, the faces of children
with whom an– American
child might identify.
Bergman and Karbal pur-
posely avoided atrocity pic-
tures to soften the impact on
young audiences. But the ef-
fect is striking, nevertheless.
Describing how the Nazis
split up his family, sending
his mother in one direction,
his brother and sister in an-
other, Bergman says softly,
"I didn't even have a chance
to say goodby to them."
Conveying in personal terms
the -tragedy of the Six Mil-
lion, Bergman recalls the
horrible struggle for life
on the cattle trains carrying
Jews to the death camps.
He relates how, on the fifth
day aboard one of those
trains, he passed out only
to awaken and find a man
sitting on top of him. With
his last ounce of strength,
young David arose, lifting the
burden from his chest and
reversing roles. The man
who had been sitting on him
now was underneath, and
soon breathed his last. "For
many nights afterward, I
had nightmares," Bergman
says.
Of 150 who started the
trip, three survived.
The sound of the trains,
which has never left his
memory, is dubbed in, behind
the slide narrative.
Bergman had put his mem-
ories into -writing and styliz-
ed copper models, but it was
Karbal who convinced him he
should put the years of work
into a taped presentation. It
took another year of actual
production.
10 Friday, March 1, 1974
—
'4hey have shown the slides
to a few Jewish and non-Jew-
ish student -groups and report
an excellent reaction, par-
ticularly during the questions
that follow. Now they hope
to get the presentation pub-
lished, so that it can be cir-
culated to schools around the
country.
Bergman is determined
that his family will not have
died in vain, and that the
memory will live on among
the young. —C.D.
Theological Seminary
Executive Named
Vorspan Urges
Filling Gaps
in Leadership
WASHINGTON, D. C. —
Religious, civic and citizens
groups were urged to "help
fill the vacuum of moral
leadership created by the
Watergate disaster" and, at
the same time, "seize the un-
expected opportunity of the
moment to secure significant
federal legislative solutions
to neglected social problems
in American life."
Albert Vorspan, director of
social action, Union of Amer-
ican Hebrew Congregations,
called upon the Jewish com-
munity to join the old civil
right - coalition of the '60s
composed of religious, ethnic
and labor organizations as a
"social conscience" task
force to bring about "effec-
tive and badly needed"
domestic, social and eco-
nomic programs. He stated
that such public opinion pres-
sure coupled with President
Nixon's needs to conciliate
the Congress in light of
Watergate makes this the
"appropriate time to act."
Ogden Reid
Hits Blackmail
MIAMI BEACH (JTA) —
LAWRENCE A. TISCH
Rep. Ogden R. Reid, (D:,'
NEW YORK — Laurence N.Y.) declared here that the
A. Tisch, chairman of the United States must be pre-
board of Loews Corporation, pared to meet its energy
has been named to the exec- needs without oil from Arab
utive committee of the board countries rather than knuckle
of. directors of' the Jewish to pressure for a policy
Theological Seminary of change that could endanger
America. His appointment Israel. "The United States
was announced by Alan M. must never permit oil black-
Stroock, president of the mail to influence by one iota
foreign policy in the Middle
seminary corporation.
East," Reid told the 1,200
'delegates from the U.S, and
Canada attending the three-
day. annual Histadrut Eco-
nomic Conference for Israel.
"If necessary, - the United
GENEVA — Israeli dele- States must become totally
gates walked out of the open- self-reliant in energy."
ing meeting here of a five-
In a similar vein, Simon
week conference slated - to Weber,
editor of the daily
update the rules of war. The Forward in New. York, the
walk-out followed an insult only daily Yiddish-language
by Moktar Ould Daddah, newspaper in the U.S., said
president of Mauritania.
that American Jewry "must
Daddah, invited to address not relax our efforts, both
the conference as the only politically and economically,
chief of state present, ac- in behalf of Israel. Politic-
cused Israel of "continuous ally, we must influence the
aggression" and of "killing government of the U.S. not
indisefiminately women, chil- to submit to blackmail, and
dren and the aged" in the economically, we must sup-
Arab lands she has occupied. sport Israel in all areas with
MordeChai Kidron, head of even greater participation in
the Israeli delegation, told the United Jewish Appeal,
newsmen that the walkout State of Israel Bonds and
was to protest the "utterly through the newest dimension
disgraceful" statement made in giving—the Israel Hista-
by Daddah, and his "abuse drut Foundation."
of the privilege of addressing
Weber •was honored by the
the conference."
leaders of the Labor Zionist
The Israelis planned to re- Movement, Workman's Circle
turn as soon as the actual and Israel Histadrut Founda-
work of the conference be- tion.
gins.
The meeting of 117 nations
-
will focus on protecting Libyan Justice
TUNISIA — The Afrique
civilian noncombatants and
insuring civilized treatment Presse news agency reported
of captured guerrilla fighters that a Libyan religious court
and other rebels involved in has sentenced two Tunisians
to have their right hands
civil conflicts.
The new rules were set to amputated for theft.
The report said the sen-
supplement the four conven-
tions of 1949 on the protec- tence, passed in November,
tion of war victims. They are was the first since Col.
being updated due to the Muammer Qaddafi ordered
increase of guerrilla warfare. the observance of Koran law
with regard to amputations
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS as punishment for crimes.
Insults Spark
Israel Walkout
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