Power of the Pen

Some quotes from today...  What do they make you think of? I'd love to hear your comments.

From Kori Street,  USC Shoah Foundation Director Of EducationL

Hope lives when people remember.

Humanity lives when people respond.

History is Universal.

Textbooks are General.

Testimony is Personal.

The Holocaust is not a just an issue of Jewish history.

It is an issue of Human history.

We all must use this history to make the present and the future better.

From Discovery Education CEO David Zaslav, when asked what to do about deniers.

We change the world more with content (education, media, connection) than we can do with armies.

"A Day in Auschwitz" and "Schindler's List" will air in countries all over the world, even places where they don't want it to air.

From Survivor Paula Lebovics, a true inspiration.

You are our witnesses. You are our future.

Mr. Spielberg, thank you for the Shoah Foundation.

You gave a voice to over 52,000 people whose echoes are now all around the world.

I want to thank the Russians for liberating us, 

for giving me a choice to walk out of Auschwitz,

a choice which hundreds of thousands of kids never got.

We must remember the adults and children whose ashes lit up the skies every day.

Their ashes went onto our bodies and because our breathing air.

For me, the Past is Present.

I have to talk about them because I got to walk out.

And Mr. Spielberg gave me the voice to talk about it.

And I have a resolve and that resolve is to end the silence.

Silence is not an option.

_____________________________________________________________

It sounds petty to put my personal experience here, but I will...

It's hard to organize large groups of people.
It's difficult to do so when you have folks from many different cultures with different senses of time.
It's rough to do so when the situation is emotionally charged, such as dealing with the Holocaust.
It's even more challenging when there are several groups (educational, security, publicity....) who each have different specific needs and requirements and little time for communication.
And then, it's almost impossible when you have wonderful, high profile dignitaries visiting and the security is further vamped and everyone wants to do just the right thing.

Somehow, a message got crossed in the minutes before the big presentation.
Some people were allowed to bring their pens and pads into the auditorium.
Other people were told to leave everything in the conference room.
I left everything and ended up without anything to write with and on.

For me, this led to a beautiful awareness.

I am a writer. This is how I process the world. My hand moves and I think.
I can't write like my friend Danielle does, with my finger on my palm.
(I can't spell perfectly, either...)
Separated from my writing tools, I wonder what I will remember and worry about what I forget.
Writing empowers me and keeps me in the moment when I'm at lectures or presentations.
I wanted to be able write and was frustrated, anxious even...

When Beth let me borrow her pen and two sheets of paper, my relief was immense. I felt such joy and humanity. One little pen.

Mind you, we've been treated like royalty here. Individual rooms, wifi access, buffet meals, swag bags, warm vests, water (both carbonated and still).  The premise was that we had rough intellectual and emotional work, so keep us comfortable, give us space.

But I got so bent out of shape, and then so relieved, about one little pen.

To me it was a big pen.

#Beginswithme

Beth looked out for me. 

People in the Holocaust needed so much and so much was taken from them: 

property, freedom, pride, loved ones, life...

I just needed a pen.  When I got it, it was so crucial for me to take notes.

The quotes up above are words that I would not have had if I didn't have that pen.

Beth lent me her pen, and I now lend you the words that I heard and inspired me today.

I don't have many photos of the ceremonies or the people.  

But I have my memory, and it is a precious one.

Beth lent me her pen, and I lend you the words.  Now it begins with you...

Now you, dear ones, go think about these quotes above and let me know what you think!

And be safe in the snow!