Schindler Jews to mark 65 years Since Krakow Ghetto Liquidation

12 March 2008

By The Associated Press

A handful of Holocaust survivors, including some saved by German industrialist Oskar Schindler, will mark the 65th anniversary this weekend of the Nazi's destruction of the Jewish ghetto in Krakow.

In just two days in March 1943, German soldiers emptied the ghetto of its estimated 16,000 Jewish residents, shipping them to a forced-labor camp in nearby Plaszow and to the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp, where most were killed in the gas chambers.

Those left behind were executed, with some 2,000 Jews killed. By the war's end, just 3,000 Jews who lived in the ghetto survived.

On Sunday, about 25 survivors - some returning to Poland for the first time since the war's end - will march through the Podgorze district in Krakow to the grounds of the former camp in Plaszow where around 8,000 people, including Poles, perished during World War II.

The Plaszow camp was the setting for Steven Spielberg's 1993 Oscar-winning film Schindler's List, which chronicled the German businessman's efforts to shield more than 1,000 Jews from Nazi death camps by hiring them to work in his Krakow factory.

"Just 60 of the Jews Schindler saved are alive and a dozen are expected for the march," said Andrzej Skotnicki, who helped bring back Schindler's Jews for the anniversary events and recently published a book on Jews from Krakow that were saved by Schindler.

"They lost many members of their families, so its not easy for them," Skotnicki told The Associated Press.

Since the release of Spielberg's film, hundreds of tourists to Krakow have sought out the place where Schindler kept the emaciated, frostbitten Jews, claiming their work was essential to the survival of his metal works factory, where prisoners produced enameled pots and pans.

Schindler spent his fortune feeding the Jews he saved. After the war, he emigrated to Argentina with his wife, Emilie, but returned to Germany in 1958 where he died in 1974. He was buried in Jerusalem at his own request.
------------------------------
A Time to Remember

By HRM Deborah

This reminds me of what my grandmother Dora tried to do and as I have written, previously she was opposed and how much it broke her heart. As well as the majority of Palestinians, that did very much wished to help.

As I have said before, I was taught like most Palestinians to respect the Jewish people and when I wished to learn all that had happened to them, I was encouraged by my mother and grandmother.

Even after all these years, I can understand the stigma of such a horrific event in the Jewish history as well as the Anti-Semitism they do keep facing in different parts of the world, for Palestinians are subjected to this same thing in a manner of speaking.

I can even understand, the fear they may have felt over the idea, that the Palestinian people would have forced them in some manner out of Palestine, but in truth this has never been our intention, but just the opposite. We wish the Jewish people to always feel safe and happy.

Not with standing this war and the plight of the Palestinian Diaspora, we have what I think is a fair taste of the sorrow. This is why it has been an issue about Palestinians having the right to come home also if they wished. Therefore, Palestinians as well as the Jewish people have a safe place, hopefully to live in peace.

For like, I mentioned to a friend just today, no one has the right to be mistreated in this life, it makes no difference who they may be.

I did happen to see the Steven Spielberg's, film Schindler's List, actually several times and each time, I must say, I cried for several reasons. I will even say, I am happy that a man like Oskar Schindler was able to save so many people and that even today 60 of the original is still with us.

I mentioned in a previous writing, that when I was growing up like most Muslims or Palestinians, to have great respect for the Jewish people and I could never understand at that time why their was a war. As most people know of reading my writing’s as I grew up and older that I did learn why. In addition, the why, all Palestinians, not only cried being subjected along with the Jewish people in a war that was never to happen.

Even earlier in this page, I tried to warn the Jewish people that a possible threat was coming their way of another atrocity and I along with all Palestinians from my understanding did not wish any harm to happen.

It seems now with us going into a state of peace hopefully, that we are being able to talk once again and learn as well as share each other’s lives. I am sure the Palestinians at home as well as myself, find this like a breath of fresh air and I hope nothing diminishes this from ever becoming a sorrow again for anyone; whether their Jewish or Palestinian.

I am sure everyone can understand, as I have written this, how heavy my heart is. As I have said before, may their never again be anything between the Palestinian or Jewish people.