10 Questions About…

“The biggest enemy of life is stupidity.” I learned that today from Anita Lasker-Wallfisch, a hologram of a Holocaust survivor at the Illinois Holocaust Museum today. Anita was 18 when she was sent to the Auschwitz concentration camp. Her family had tried to escape before the Nazi invasion several times, unsuccessfully. The last time, she and her sister were arrested, sent to prison and eventually to Auschwitz. She survived because she was a cellist and, as she made a point of saying several times, because she was lucky. In this case, she was lucky they were starting an orchestra, she was lucky someone asked if she played, she was lucky they remembered the answer. We heard her story and then, through the magic of technology, were able to ask the hologram-of-her various questions. I recorded one answer because it speaks to how music literally saved her.

I have talked to so many musicians who feel their music is frivolous in bad times. (And I think it doesn’t take blurred vision to see parallels to persecution of Jews and others today.) But music transcends. Also, music is a way to tell a story that can be more palatable than other methods. Storytelling irradicates stupidity. Or at least it helps. Before the presentation, the docent encouraged us to take pictures and videos to share with the world. I wish I could share the whole museum! (Their website does a good job!)

The description of the holocaust is like a test case of how to do propaganda and break down community. Only by learning about how this has been done before can we recognize it happening again and one of the credos we should all stand up is … never again.

Also at the museum was an exhibit on delis – I’ll have what she’s having. It seems weird to end such a series post (or visit) with something lighthearted but it speaks to the resilience of the survivors and makes it easier to want to share the whole story. Anita told her story with hints of humor; it makes it easier to listen and hear. I’ll just share pictures here; in the case of delis that’s enough to help us all connect to the story. (I’m going to include some screenshots of their super smart exhibits on how you can help make people smarter based on your skillset to be upstanders, not bystanders.)