It was an ordinary day. Reading a very interesting story in my morning newspaper that was written by reporter Ty Lohr who also took several great photographs to illustrate his story. His story was titled "Keeping History Alive" and told the story of a Polish woman named Linda Schwab who was a 7 year old Jewish girl in 1942 when Nazi soldiers rode into her village on motorcycles. At the time she couldn't comprehend what was going to happen to her and her family, but that one day back in 1942 changed her life forever. Today she shares her story with school children to help them understand what if was really like during World War II.
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| Linda Schwab (photo by Ty Lohr - LNP) |
Her story goes back 80 years, but on the days before she gives her talks, she still finds it hard to sleep the night before her presentation. The newspaper story tells that her presentation this particular day was to a class of Middle School children whose teacher, Joanne Woodward asked her to speak after one of her students asked her about the importance of the Holocaust. Linda feels it is important to share her story so others can learn more about the history of WWII. She tells about her father and his brothers leaving the Jewish ghetto where they lived in what today is known as Belarus and never returning home again. Not long after they left, Linda's mother and aunts watched as Nazis made the men dig a hole before killing all of them. It was a massacre she told the Middle School students. But, somehow that night her father quietly returned, having somehow avoiding his death earlier that day, and led the family out of the ghetto. But, her father decided to go back to get warmer clothing for the children. When the family returned they were met by drunken SS soldiers who shot her father. She still remembers seeing blood as her father lay motionless on the ground while she and the rest of the family were escorted back to the ghetto. But, later a knock at the door was heard and when they opened the door, there was here father who had been shot in the ear, but had faked death. He took the family into hiding where they spent 6 months in a potato cellar and another 18 months in a hand-dug cave in the Belrusian woods. Can you imagine the intense interest that the middle school students must have displayed as Linda told her story! She continued by telling the class that it was a warm day in April that they all were freed. They were all skin and bones and yellow she told them. The Germans had left Poland, but only after setting fires and destroying villages.  |
| Linda is 3rd from left, front row holding the fan. Submitted by Linda |
Linda and her family left their hiding spot and were met by Russian soldiers, one of whom gave his hat to her brother. She told the class that it was God's will that they survived. Linda immigrated to the United States as a young teen and now lives in nearby Harrisburg. Linda continues to share here story with others, since fewer and fewer Holocaust survivors still remain. She told the class that the one thing she wants them to remember from her experience is for people to "be kind." She finished her talk to the middle school students by placing her hand over her heart and telling the class, "I love America. I'm very American now." I'll bet that not a single student, including the teacher, in that class will ever forget the day in April of 2022 when they heard 86 year old Linda Schwab tell her personal story about surviving WWII. I must admit that after reading her story in the newspaper that was written and photographed by newspaper writer, Ty Lohr, I too will never forget it. Thank you Linda for sharing your life's story so others can see the horrors of war. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
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