During the Holocaust, the prisoners of the concentration camps were tattooed with numbers. They were stripped of their identities, made to feel like just another number. My great grandma was a Holocaust survivor until the day she passed away. She had a tattoo number on her wrist. She passed away when I was nine years old and I'd always notice the tattoo and ever said anything about it or questioned it. Just simply noticed it. The day of her funeral was more than just heartbreaking. It was eye-opening to something much deeper. It was the first time I ever saw my grandpa cry, and I am left to remembering his speech about what my great grandma had gone through. When she was 18 years old. She lived with her parents and brother who managed to stay together for years, despite many families being separated and sent to concentration camps. However, their luck ran out when, when it was reported that one family member was to be sent to Auschwitz in order to meet the quota. Her dad planned on going, but my great grandma snuck away in the night feeling it was best for her dad to stay behind for the family. She was able to survive with my great grandpa, who she met while in the camp, surviving for the camp to eventually be liberated. Sadly, her family was sent to Auschwitz where they were murdered. She felt and lives with the guilt of her family not surviving while she did. After the war, she gave birth to my grandpa. My grandpa and great grandpa all came to the United States. They had to adapt to a new language, country and culture. She always emphasized the importance of education, which is something my family has heavily valued from her to this day, as well as the importance of remembering the past and sharing our family's story. All the victims were individuals with stories and loved ones, just like my great grandma. However, they were treated as another number. When we forget about the individual and treat people as massive atrocities like the Holocaust can occur. Today, seeing such an uprise of antisemitism has been heart-wrenching and scary for my family and everyone part of the Jewish community. I have learned from this the importance of seeing each person as an individual who has a story in depth. Hopefully, one day stories like my great grandmas can make other people realize this as well and see that everyone is more than a number.

Melanie Markowitz - My Great Grandma's Story

From Stephanie Bowman Doroba February 02, 2023

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In "My Great Grandma's Story," University of Delaware senior Melanie Markowitz honors the memory of her beloved grandmother, a survivor of the Holocaust. Melanie graduated in December 2022 with majors in communication and psychology. Melanie submitted her message for the Voices of UD 2022 audio essay contest for students, hosted by the University of Delaware's Center for Political Communication. The Voices of UD project is open for all to participate, but the annual contest is open to UD students only. Learn more at www.cpc.udel.edu/voices.

The views and opinions expressed by the contest participants do not necessarily reflect the views of the University, its administration, or faculty. Learn more about the CPC's programs and initiatives at www.cpc.udel.edu.

Tags: university of delawarecenter for political communicationnational agendavoices of udpolitical issuesaudio essay contestsocial issues

Department Name: Center for Political Communication
Date Established: January 01, 2010
Appears In: Voices of UD

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