During a day of remembrance on Nov. 11, holocaust survivor Estelle Nadel came to the University of Wyoming to tell her story of surviving one of the darkest phases of humanity in the 20th century.
Nadel, a child survivor of the Holocaust, shared her story to many young college students.
Nadel’s story began in Poland, where at one point she was captured by the Gestapo, but by some form of luck a guard who happened to know her brother placed them in the basement cell, where the barred window had no glass.
Nadel and her bother were able to escape through the bars after a great deal of effort.
When Nadel escaped she was separated from her brother. At the age of seven, she said she was disoriented and confused.
Not knowing what to do, she went to a house across the way for help, but the woman at the house was married to a guard, so she could not hide Nadel. However, Nadel said the woman showed kindness and took her to a place close to where Nadel knew other Jews were hiding.
Nadel said she then found her family in shelter; however, some of her family members were worried she would endanger them. Eventually they were liberated from their attic shelter by Russian troops.
However, their ordeal was not over. After many trials and tribulations Nadel and her older brother were able to reach the U.S. Once in America, Estelle said she only knew one word of English.
Despite this she taught herself English by watching American films. She then went on to get a masters degree in English. Nadel, her children and grand children were able to live productive and beneficial lives in the U.S., she said.
Nadel said she took away the idea of compassion from her experiences during the Holocaust.
“It is to have compassion for all humans regardless of religion and race,” Nadel said. “Not to have discrimination.”
Nadel said she has no animosity for the German people of today.
“They are another generation” she said.
One of the main reasons we do this is because there are a growing number of holocaust deniers, and anti-Semitism is on the rise, Wend Berellson, from the Hillel Foundation, said.
“I think it’s a good opportunity, it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity, because we are one of the last generations. It’s important we don’t let the Holocaust be forgotten,” Natalie Basolo, UW alumni, said.
