John K. Roth Professor of History and George R. Roberts Fellow at Claremont McKenna College, and 2015 USC Shoah Foundation Yom Hashoah Scholar in Residence Dr. Wendy Lower discusses the role of German women in the Nazi killing fields.  

Helen describes her experiences as a laborer in Menden, Germany. She escaped scrutiny for being Jewish by lying to authorities about her ethnic background. She describes the immense fear that came throughout these experiences, always worrying about Nazi officers incriminating her.

Judith Becker describes how her brother was able to still attend a public high school because of his athleticism despite the implementation of the Nuremberg Laws. She also reflects on how the Nazi ideology was taught on a daily basis in German schools.

Jona Goldrich’s family evaded roundups deportation by hiding in an attic. Jona describes how he and his young brother escaped Nazi occupied Poland after his father decided it was no longer safe for his sons to remain in the country.

Yehuda Danzing remembers the liberation of Bergen-Belsen by British Armed Forces in April 1945. He describes the confusion of liberation since he didn’t understand English and he thought the British soldiers announcing his freedom were Nazi soldiers giving more orders.

Leon Prochnik and his family fled Nazi occupied Poland and immigrated to New York City. He describes how differently his perception of World War II was for himself as a child than his father, who still had a majority of his family in Poland.

Erica Emihovich recalls the Anschluss and how Austrians gathered in the streets to see Hitler and the Nazi party. She describes how fearful she felt when she saw the Nazis marching down the street and how her entire life changed after the occupation.

Martin Becker fled Nazi Germany and immigrated to the United States where he later joined the Armed Forces. He speaks on his deployment to Japan including being stationed in Hiroshima only two weeks after US dropped the atomic bomb in August 1945.

Tobi Abelsky recalls two times she and her sister were allowed to stay together after selections at Auschwitz. She and her sister remain grateful for one Nazi who said that because they were sisters, they should be together, and thus saved her sister's life.

Gerhard “Gad” Beck was born on June 30, 1923, in Berlin, along with his twin sister Margot (Miriam). His birth came as a surprise to everyone including the doctor, who had left after Margot was born thinking that the job was already done. The midwife had to call him back when Beck’s mother became feverish, and Gad was born.