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Survivor Reflections and Testimonies

Echoes of Memory

Read reflections and testimonies written by Holocaust survivors in their own words.

These essays and testimonials come from our guided writing workshops for Holocaust Survivors. Learn more about our Writing Workshop for Holocaust Survivors.

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Author:Louise Lawrence-Israëls

Displaying 1-10 of 24 Essays

  • The Uilenburgersjoel

    The Uilenburgersjoel (Uilenburger Synagogue) was built in Amsterdam in 1735, in the center of the Jewish quarter. Regular services were held there from 1735 until 1942. The Jewish quarter was a lively area in the center of Amsterdam where people spoke Dutch with some Yiddish and Hebrew woven into the language. Next to the sjoel was a large square, het Waterlooplein. A market was held at the square every day but Saturday. The women got together to share their family news; they gossiped and bought their food for the day. The sjoel was in the center of it all.

    Topic: Occupation, Life After the Holocaust, Antisemitism, Jewish Communities Before the War
    Volume: Volume 14

  • Traits

    When I give a presentation, I almost always start by saying I am here because I was lucky.  Why was I lucky? Because there were people around us who risked their lives to help us and to save us, and because of the love and courage of my parents.

    Topic: Life After the Holocaust, Family, Memory
    Volume: Volume 14

  • Selma Is Going to Make Aliyah

    After my husband Sidney came home from the Gulf War, we decided that we wanted to be together with our family as much as possible. This would not be an easy task, as we lived at West Point in New York, Jordana was in school in Boston, and Judith and Naomi lived in Germany, where their respective husbands were stationed. We decided to meet in Holland, during Jordana’s winter break, in February of 1992.

    Topic: Life After the Holocaust, Family, Friends, Memory
    Volume: Volume 14

  • Sachwerte

    The German term sachwerte means “non-cash value.” The term was often used in Germany and countries around Germany after World War I. The economic depression made cash lose its value soon after it was printed.

    Topic: Hiding, Aftermath of the Holocaust
    Volume: Volume 13

  • The Kilt and the Love of My Mom

    Fabric was scarce in the Netherlands after the war was over. The stores were mostly empty. Factories did not have the machines to make fabric or clothing. The machines were either beyond repair or had been stolen by the Nazis and sent to Germany.

    Topic: Life After the Holocaust, Family
    Volume: Volume 13

  • Ghetto

    One of my favorite places to visit is Venice, Italy. Perhaps because I lived in Amsterdam for so many years, the water in and around Venice makes me feel connected to the city. 

    Topic: Antisemitism, Ghettos, Contemporary Events
    Volume: Volume 12

  • Hiding/Onderduiken

    When I was little, I had no idea what hiding meant, not even the game of hide-and-seek, so loved by children. The terms going “into hiding,” being “in hiding,” or “hiding place” were not part of my vocabulary. Even going outside for the first time, when I was almost three years old, I did not associate it with having been in hiding. 

    Topic: Hiding, Life After the Holocaust
    Volume: Volume 12

  • The Staircase

    In the last eight months before we were liberated, plane traffic over Holland increased a lot. Most planes were bombers originating in Germany, flying over Holland to reach England to bomb British cities. Or our Allies came from England and also flew over Holland to reach Germany and bomb German cities.

    Topic: Hiding, Memory, Liberation
    Volume: Volume 11

  • A Special Moment

    Sidney and I left for Israel to celebrate the bar and bat mitzvah of two of our grandchildren, Benjamin and Rebekah: a joyous occasion and hopefully a learning experience. Our daughter Naomi did not finalize the ceremony of coming of age for her children until about eight months before. Neither of the children have any Jewish education, and they do not belong to a synagogue. Frankly, I think she made the arrangements to please her parents and especially me, with my background.

    Topic: Remembrance, Family
    Volume: Volume 11

  • Tears

    My brother and I heard shouting and loud noises all around us. He was five years old and I was three. We had lived a very quiet life for two and a half years between our safe walls.

    Topic: Hidden Children, Parents, Liberation
    Volume: Volume 4

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Survivor Reflections and Testimonies
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Survivor Reflections and Testimonies

Listen to or read Holocaust survivors’ experiences, told in their own words through oral histories, written testimony, and public programs.