This is Noemi Ban. This is what she looked like at age 21, just before she and her family were forced to enter the Jewish consentration camps at the hands of the Nazi's in Auchwitz. Tabitha, Amber and I had the privledge to listen to her speak tonight and share her story.Noemi Ban, a Bellingham resident travels all over the US to share her story. She talks about losing her "dear ones" (her Mother, Grandmother, younger sister and 6 month old brother). Her Father was taken away before they were and she didn't know that he survived until years after the occupation had ended and she was reunited with him. Noemi talks about her experience in details and shares truthful feelings and events from her heart. She talks about the boxcars with 85 people in a 6' x 12' space with buckets for water and human waste, the "showers" & shaving, the 6 room barracks that had 100 people per room, the "soup" that she HAD to drink that stopped her monthly cycle and proved to do damage to many women years later. (Her blessing to be able to have 2 sons). She talked about not drinking for 4 months and how she LOVES water. She shared the blessings that were given to her with good friends that literally saved her life and the blessing of potato peels. She shares the story and courage of how she and 11 other women were forced to make bombs and their subsequent escape. The man who sentenced her family to the gas chambers and created the "soup" was none other than the infamous nazi war criminal, Dr. Joseph Mengala.
It was an amazing night and one not soon to be forgotten. If you ever have the opportunity to hear Noemi Ban, don't miss it. Do everything in your power to see her. You will never regret it. To hear, first hand a part of history, believe it or not, that some people don't believe ever happened (and that makes this mild mannered, peaceful woman, very angry) is a lifetime event. Noemi Ban LOVES life!
We were SO honored to be there tonight. And very pleased that she took pictures with us.
We all made promises to go home and drink an ice cold glass of water and enjoy it to it's fullest. Yummy!
4 comments:
That sounds so amazing! How did you hear about something like that? I would love to attend!
It was a Family Home Evening for the Young Adults up at the Institute. We just tagged along with Tabitha. Noemi Ban said she loves speaking to smaller groups of people because she can look at us in our eyes.
I've heard Noemi a time or two before, and it's always amazing to hear her story... What a survivor. I'm glad you were able to hear her. There aren't too many holocaust (sp?) survivors alive still, and to hear it first hand is so very emotional, and moving, and to think such HORROR happened not all that long ago? Really scary...
That's really amazing... and it won't be long before there are not living survivors left! It's important that we take these chances to learn while we can!
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