Ilana Lindenblatt

And now that I'm writing it, now that I've been doing this for a few months, honestly, neither do I. Survivor Stories was set to debut to the public on January 27th, which is the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.

And now that I'm writing it, now that I've been doing this for a few months, honestly, neither do I. Survivor Stories was set to debut to the public on January 27th, which is the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.

The Museum of Jewish Heritage holds an annual gathering of survivors on that day, and this year, the 80th anniversary, would host a simulcast of the live ceremony from Poland, followed by a demonstration of the technology. There were 200 or so survivors gathered, as well as some of their children and spouses and home health aides. It was a good crowd.

The Museum of Jewish Heritage holds an annual gathering of survivors on that day, and this year, the 80th anniversary, would host a simulcast of the live ceremony from Poland, followed by a demonstration of the technology. There were 200 or so survivors gathered, as well as some of their children and spouses and home health aides. It was a good crowd.

But in a few years, there won't be enough people left to fill the room, which is not even the largest room in the museum. Branya Brandman was there. We talked about her time recording her interview, and as she was describing it to me, I learned that she had been sent to the gas chamber seven separate times. And at the last minute, each time had evaded it.

But in a few years, there won't be enough people left to fill the room, which is not even the largest room in the museum. Branya Brandman was there. We talked about her time recording her interview, and as she was describing it to me, I learned that she had been sent to the gas chamber seven separate times. And at the last minute, each time had evaded it.

I had missed this in my interrogation of the survivor stories. It's another one of those questions you wouldn't think to ask. The simulcast began. In Poland, the ceremony was taking place at the actual gates of the concentration camp. It was attended by fewer than 50 survivors and a handful of world leaders. Ours was not in attendance. The audience in Manhattan sat in rapt attention.

I had missed this in my interrogation of the survivor stories. It's another one of those questions you wouldn't think to ask. The simulcast began. In Poland, the ceremony was taking place at the actual gates of the concentration camp. It was attended by fewer than 50 survivors and a handful of world leaders. Ours was not in attendance. The audience in Manhattan sat in rapt attention.

A man named Boris Viniker held a framed painting he made of a Nazi crematory and the smoke coming out of it filled with music notes and science and math equations, all the potential contributions to society that the martyrs of the Holocaust might have made, had they not been lost. On the back was a poem he'd written called Never Again. A terrible crime and a worldwide shame.

A man named Boris Viniker held a framed painting he made of a Nazi crematory and the smoke coming out of it filled with music notes and science and math equations, all the potential contributions to society that the martyrs of the Holocaust might have made, had they not been lost. On the back was a poem he'd written called Never Again. A terrible crime and a worldwide shame.

The Jews have been burned in oven flame, it went. Why this happened? Whom to blame? Let's repeat, never again. Never again. During a pause between speakers, I asked a man sitting near me what had brought him here. But instead of telling me that story, he told me his whole story, which was perhaps the same thing.

The Jews have been burned in oven flame, it went. Why this happened? Whom to blame? Let's repeat, never again. Never again. During a pause between speakers, I asked a man sitting near me what had brought him here. But instead of telling me that story, he told me his whole story, which was perhaps the same thing.

His name is Eugene Ginter, and as a child he had gone on what he called a tour of the different hotels, spending time in the Plaschau ghetto and then the Plaschau concentration camp, then Gross Rosen, then Brunlitz, then Auschwitz-Birkenau, and then was liberated in Auschwitz I, the original camp.

His name is Eugene Ginter, and as a child he had gone on what he called a tour of the different hotels, spending time in the Plaschau ghetto and then the Plaschau concentration camp, then Gross Rosen, then Brunlitz, then Auschwitz-Birkenau, and then was liberated in Auschwitz I, the original camp.

He had been separated from his mother, but was able to stay with his father for much of his imprisonment. At Gross Rosen, he was stripped naked and made to sit with his naked father on the ground, among hundreds of others. Guards shaved their hair into a reverse mohawk, just to humiliate them, he said. Just to dehumanize them. He was subjected to a cavity search.

He had been separated from his mother, but was able to stay with his father for much of his imprisonment. At Gross Rosen, he was stripped naked and made to sit with his naked father on the ground, among hundreds of others. Guards shaved their hair into a reverse mohawk, just to humiliate them, he said. Just to dehumanize them. He was subjected to a cavity search.

They were given a hot shower, then made to run through the snow to see who would get pneumonia and be sent to the gas chamber immediately. He told me how it took two weeks to get to Auschwitz-Birkenau from Krakow in the cattle car he was put into, though it's only a one-hour drive as the crow flies.

They were given a hot shower, then made to run through the snow to see who would get pneumonia and be sent to the gas chamber immediately. He told me how it took two weeks to get to Auschwitz-Birkenau from Krakow in the cattle car he was put into, though it's only a one-hour drive as the crow flies.

On the way, his father took a diamond he'd secreted and traded it to a guard for two bottles of vodka and told Eugene to drink it because it would kill the typhus that was going around the camp, which, if he caught it, would also get him sent to the gas chamber. He was five years old.

On the way, his father took a diamond he'd secreted and traded it to a guard for two bottles of vodka and told Eugene to drink it because it would kill the typhus that was going around the camp, which, if he caught it, would also get him sent to the gas chamber. He was five years old.