Ai
e.
Jace and Danielle Gittleman with their grandmother and late grandfather
Remembrance Is Life
Granddaughter works to keep
Holocaust stories alive.
Danielle Gittleman
Special to the Jewish News
A
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Vissa Citron, D.O.,
MPH
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1
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12
April 24 • 2014
JN
D.
s a senior at Michigan
State University, I have
many goals: receive a
GPA that reflects long hours of
work, pass my MCAT with fly-
ing colors, submit an exceptional
application to medical schools and,
most of all, get through graduation
without tripping across the stage.
While I enjoy learning, I admit
my determination to accomplish
these goals sometimes has made it
difficult to fit in time with family
and friends or to become involved
in organizations. However, one
thing has never gotten lost in my
busy schedule. Holocaust remem-
brance is one of the most impor-
tant aspects of my life.
Both my grandparents on my
mother's side are Holocaust survi-
vors from Poland. They fought for
their lives and lived through some
of the most horrific events one
could ever imagine. For their sacri-
fices, I ask you all to remember the
Holocaust and realize that there is
always someone's story to be told.
My sophomore year at MSU
was a turning point in my stud-
ies. While I waited for my grand-
mother to come back from the
Holocaust Commemoration
Ceremony in Lansing, I met Dr.
Kenneth Waltzer, director of MSU
Jewish Studies. On that day two
years ago, we embarked on a jour-
ney to retell my late grandfather's
Holocaust story.
Our goal was to tell his story
through my voice using a manu-
script my Saba had written in the
1990s and was never able to finish.
After months of researching and
editing, we created a product that
holds the story of my family in the
context of rural Poland in the early
1940s. Although not yet published,
my Saba's story lives on.
A few months ago, my Saba's
brother, Sam, passed away. When
my mother, aunt and uncle went
to New York for the funeral, they
brought the manuscript that also
contains much of Sam's story. After
the funeral, I received a wave of
phone calls from family members I
had never even met. This story has
bridged a connection that spreads
across state lines.
The journey to telling this story
has been incredibly emotional. The
first breakthrough Dr. Waltzer and
I were able to make was the time of
my grandfather's deportation. He
happened to be on the first depor-
tation out of Poland. His train was
destined for Belzec, a killing camp
that would have sealed my grand-
father's fate, along with his family.
Instead, they were sent to another
city and able to escape.
If the train had gone to its origi-
nal destination, we would not be
here — not me, not my family
and none of those whom I've met
in New York. This overwhelming
realization is what drives my love
for the continuation of Holocaust
stories and remembrance.
Keeping Stories Alive
After becoming so enthralled in
Holocaust studies, I decided I
needed to do more. Not only did I
want my grandfather's story to be
heard, but also I wanted to be part
of carrying on the memory of other
survivors. The hard truth is that our
survivors will not be here for much
longer, and the stories that aren't
written down are at risk of being
lost forever.
As a third-generation survivor, I
cannot bear to see this happen. So, I
became involved with the very pro-
gram that got me started with this
in the first place: the Official State
of Michigan Holocaust Commemo-
ration (this year on April 24).
Hosted by the Michigan Jewish
Conference, a statewide network of