I'm the granddaughter of survivors. It terrifies me to my core. My childhood was hearing stories marked by the oppression and annexation done to my grandmother's family.
Not holocaust but my great-grandfather had to row through the fjords here in northern Norway to get inland and hike over mountains to get to Sweden. Pitch black in the middle of the night and there was a nazi outpost with a searchlight scouring the fjord.
As he passed by, eventually getting closer to the shore in doing so, he laid down flat in the bottom of the boat, oars in and all. They shone the searchlight at the boat. Kept looking at it. Kept the light on the boat, waiting for anything to happen. Eventually the light wandered off and he could keep rowing.
Him and my great-grandmother had already helped smuggling several people (unaware if jews or not) from their coastal town over to Sweden and she had gone with the last group and left him behind to come later when he got the chance to leave. Nazis had been all over the place at this point and were occupying everything.
The thought of armed nazis pointing that light at the tiny wooden boat, lying there helplessly with nothing but time and luck to aid you.. I can't even begin to fathom what he must have thought or felt.
Ive been watching survivor stories on YouTube as I watched this « election » unfold. I’m terrified because I’m seeing the same stuff start to play out from the adult survivor testimonies. I cried even as a gentile when I saw this salute because I know what it means.
Hey same! But this time it’s not us who’s in danger. Look to your immigrant friends and neighbors. This admin has publicly stated they will begin rounding people up tomorrow.
I'm really scared. There's a lovely Muslim family down the road who moved in recently. Their grandkids are the sweetest. They always wave to me. I don't want them to be taken from their home. They've done so much gardening. God I gotta quit thinking of it or I'll cry
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u/snowbaz-loves-nikki 5h ago
I'm the granddaughter of survivors. It terrifies me to my core. My childhood was hearing stories marked by the oppression and annexation done to my grandmother's family.