I'm an 86 y.o. Holocaust survivor and I just made a hip-hop video about the man who saved my life. AMA

What is one thing they don’t tell people about the holocaust in school?

I don’t know if they always tell people about the numbers. In Poland, 3m Jewish people were killed, perished in gas or died of hunger. The Jewish population just disappeared. They minimise, they don’t attach importance. If I think of m family, most of my family perished. That should be emphasised.

What did you do to keep yourself entertained while hiding?

That’s an interesting question. When I was hiding in this hole, somebody brought a book with them. There was one book written by a very well known Polish writer. By then, my reading wasn’t very good. But I kept reading it. They allowed me to read it. That’s how I entertained myself, being in that hole.

What was the food you were most excited to eat once biding was over?

The war was still going and I found shelter with a priest who didn’t know I was Jewish, he was just a kind man. He gave me scrambled eggs. I loved and I still love scrambled eggs! If ever anyone wants to invite me for lunch, scrambled eggs please!

Did you ever try to find Edek again after the war? Or find out anything about him?

I did try to find Edek. But not immediately. At the time it was so painful, I couldn’t speak. I approached the BBC to ask them to try and help me. They took six months and couldn’t find any one. My great friend now, Marc Cave, he is helping me find details about where he came from, the name of his brother. He would be in his late 90s now. He was 19 in 1943. I doubt he is still alive, and if he is, he is very old. I am still trying – I owe him my life.

You said he was a stranger. How did you meet Edek?

Edek, I had his name and address. When I was in the ghetto, my uncle or aunt gave me his address and said if I ever needed help, he would help me. When I was with a Polish family, at first they didn’t know I was Jewish then they found out I was and they didn’t want me. I took a train and I found him. He was in his office. I told him who I was. He got up and told me, walk behind me at a distance. He was frightening of being seen with me. That was when I first met him. I didn’t know then that he was hiding 13 Jews.

Do you still have negative feelings towards germans?

Not towards young Germans, no! If I met a German man, he’d have to be very old, over 95… I’m not a violent person, I don’t know how I’d react. I don’t know if I’d want to ask him why he did it or just walk away and not speak to him. The difference between Nazis and Germans, obviously there was a big difference. Not all Germans were Nazis. In fact, some Germans tried to kill the Nazis. Some Germans did help the Jews. Unfortunately a lot of Germans turned a blind eye too. They stood by. Everyone knew what was happening and not everyone did something to help.

What is something that gives you hope for the future ?

I hope the world will improve because I have sons and grandsons and I want them to live in a world with justice, where they are treated like human beings.

I'm a descendent of a holocaust survivor, it's been two years since she passed away. what is your wish for the rest of us who live in your shadow?

Well, the Holocaust, of course, what happened I cannot forget. But I try to go out and speak to schools, universities, churches, and I try to speak what happened. But oher than that I try to live a normal life. I was happily married. I have two wonderful sons. My wish for my sons is that they stand up to prejudice. I don’t want them to feel they have to feel sorry for me because I’m an ordinary person. They’re very good to me and I want them to have a very good normal life, full of peace.

Do you think Edek would be proud to have his story shared?

A lovely question. He’d be very happy. He was a lovely man. I wanted him to be celebrated as someone heroic, who saved fourteen Jews. He would have been happy, I’m sure. He deserved to be happy, he was a good man.

Ms Webber, thank you so much for talking with us today. Do you remember experiencing antisemitism when you were growing up, before the war broke out and Lvov was occupied?

Also, as a young-ish Jew I am scared for the day that all of the Holocaust survivors are gone and people start to forget the atrocities that happened. What do you want people today to know about the Holocaust that they might not learn elsewhere?

Thank you again for your time and for sharing your story with us.

That’s an interesting question. What will happen when the survivors all die out? I know we are all worried. Because the number of survivors are dwindling. There are less and less of us. And maybe in 10 years time there won’t be any. There’s a project called the Forever Project made in the National Holocaust Centre and Museum. They made a programme that was very expensive that we’re hoping to get more funds for – we spent one week answering 1500 questions so that what will happen, when I am dead, my experience can be sent to a school, I’ll be sitting in an armchair after my death and because of technology, young people from schools can ask me a question and with the help of this technology, they will get an answer to their question. I think it’s absolutely wonderful. It will be like you can talk to survivors who are dead. I think it’s very good.

What or who helped you deal with life after you fled Poland? How did you move forward?

When I left Poland, I went to France. In those days, we never, the adults, I was still a child, they never asked any questions. They hoped as children, we would forget. I could not forget. I went to school. I tried to concentrate on becoming a normal person. I very quickly learned French. Through my life, when I was 24 I came to England. I tried to look normal. When I had my children, that was an incredible experience. And that helped me not to think about the past. I wanted to think about the future, for them to have normal lives, to stop talking about the war.

How did you feel about the people who caused you harm? What nationality were they? Did you feel they were just following commands?

That’s a good question. I feel that it was their choice. For instance, the Nazis, Gestapo, it was a choice they made. Whether they were brainwashed or whatever. You can resist. They made a choice. The Poles, the family who killed my brother, I know they killed my brother. They made a choice. How do I feel? I feel angry. How can you kill a child? He had no idea about being Jewish or not Jewish. I still feel angry. But I don’t feel angry towards young people in Germany. They’re not responsible. Young people I don’t resent at all.

Despite everything that's happened to you, do you still think people are good?

I still believe that there are a lot of people who wouldn’t persecute the innocent. Who would stand up. There are organisations that fight for people who are persecuted. One is Doctors Without Borders – I think they are wonderful, I’ve seen them at work myself. There are organisations and people. There are people who want to help.

Is there an aspect of the war that you feel hasn't been documented sufficiently in either in film or writing?

I wasn’t in the camps but of course as a child I went through various experiences being in the ghetto, hiding, losing most of my family, seeing my mother dying. I think maybe the children are a little neglected. Because the emphasis is on people who survived the camps. Somehow they feel that we, because we were so young, that we’d forget or that it didn’t have an impact on us. It’s impossible to forget what happens, that your parents have perished, that your brother was killed. I think this is something that should be spoken more of.

Hey, you should know that you inspired me to raise awareness in /r/unexpected today.

Thanks so much!

Well, I don't really have a question, so... did you expect that to happen?

What a wonderful comment, thank you so much for saying that to me! I will tell you that quite often, people write to me and tell me that my talk has inspired them. I’m just speaking about my experiences. I’m so glad to hear it is inspiring. Thank you very much for your contribution.

Was there any type of warning or news from other areas that people were being taken to camps?

Do you worry that something like this is currently happening or could happen again?

I heard people saying when the Germans came that they were taking people and sending them to camps. I didn’t know what type of camps they were but I knew no one wanted to be caught and sent to the camps. I didn’t know people were being gassed. Unfortunately, I am frightened, because there is still persecution of innocent people and anti-semitism in many countries. This worries me. It worries me when I hear about innocent people being killed. There are genocides in many countries.

Why did you leave Poland after the war?

I felt Poland because there was widespread anti-semitism. I was in a home for children who survived with false papers. The Poles who knew we were Jewish were throwing stones at the house. It was dangerous, dangerous for the children.

What was the hardest thing you had to go through?

During the war, to see my mother dying. To know that my father was shot. My grandmother killed. Especially, to know that my brother was killed. I found it unbearable. Most recently, it’s the death of my husband. That was very hard.

You're a badass!

What's one thing you gained from each experience and do you think your younger self would be impressed and pleased?

I am smiling! Thank you, I don’t know exactly what badass means but I’m not offended.

Do you have a favorite hip-hop artist?

Kapoo! He is the rapper I made the Edek film with. He’s my favourite at the moment. If I listen to the radio, I listen but I need educating! I don’t know enough about that music.

Do you feel that fascism is threatening to replace the world’s democracies?

It’s a very important question. I am very worried. I know there is a growth of very extreme right wing parties. In France, I know because I lived there, there is Marine Le Pen. They are racist. Racism is the same as anti-semitism. Britain, we are one of few democracies and we are in danger of being overtaken by right wing parties who are often racist.

Will you feature Snoop Dogg in your next video?

Yes of course! Why not. I would like to learn more about that music. I like learning and it’s enriching! The young people like it and I want to know more about it.

How do you feel about the modern rise of Nazism?

There is an increase. Everywhere in Europe, unfortunately – this has been studied, there are figures. It frightens me. We should fight it, we shouldn’t accept it. People shouldn’t be persecuted over small differences, different religions, different clothes, different colour of skin. We should fight racism and anti-semitism. People want to find a scapegoat.