Monday, April 11, 2011
Period 7 - Gabe Stahl's grandfather
Today, Gabe Stahl introduced you to his grandfather, Kurt Jahoda. Mr. Jahoda spoke about his childhood living in Vienna , Austria Austria England
31 comments:
I thought that Mr. Jahoda was a very interesting person. I thought he did an amazing job staying composed and talking about his past and how scary that was. When Gabe mentioned that his mother never really talked to her grandfather about his past it was not surprising to hear that she wasn’t told a lot. I personally wouldn’t know how to express what had happened to my children. Also, I thought about how Gabe’s grandfather went back to Vienna and visited and how he told the cab driver to drop him off down the street. It was interesting to hear him talk about how he didn’t realize he was doing it but was conscious of his actions. He is a very brave person to go on camera and talk about the past. I tried putting myself in his shoes and I think it was a good thing that he didn’t get mad at his parents. Yes it must’ve been hard to say goodbye but they were sending him away for his own good.
It's definitely hard - in a way - to hear about the events that occur. This is especially true when it comes from a firsthand source. I'm more than appreciative for Gabe to show us this. The events that occured seem so far away in time and to listen to Mr. Jahoda makes this all seem that much more real. There's so much more that happened during this time period that we have never been exposed to. When we were being taught about the Holocaust, it literally it all just Nazis and the concentration camps. We don't get to learn about the truth that came out of the anti-Semitism and how it personally affected familes. I'm very grateful to have listened to his story.
Megan makes a great comment about how composed Mr. Jahoda kept himself. I could never ever understand to even the littlest extend how hard that much have been. It took him decades to share his full story and it's completely remarkable.
I think Mr. Jahoda did an incredible job sharing his story and personal experiences with the world, and for him to stay as composed as did was admirable. It was to difficult for him to share his stories with the people closest to him which is very understandable but I think part of the reason he did the interview was so that he could share his stories with his family without having to look them in the eye and share his very painful past. I think it was amazing that he went back to visit Vienna, that must have been difficult.
I agree with Megan on how I too, would struggle to explain what hardships had plagued my family during the Holocaust. Howver, I definately would have figured out a way to do convey the sadness and cruelty displayed by the Nazis because it was a part of family history and I think his story needed to be shared with his children earlier.
I found Mr. Jahoda's story to be extremely beneficial. I thought it was cool to see that a local student's family was directly affected by the Holocaust because we seldom hear stories like that in Westborough. I also thought it was interesting that he was on the first train to transport the Jewish children out of Nazi Germany. I can't imagine what it would be like to leave my parents at the age of 12 or 14 knowing that I might not ever see them again. However, Mr. Jahoda was a very lucky child to have the opportunity to escape and share his story with the world.
I thought it was so interesting to watch someone speak about the holocaust and have it be close to home. I never knew anyone that had any part in the holocaust, but i would be so proud of my grandfather if he was in the holocaust and talked about it. It makes me wonder about how my family could of been affected, and the next time I see my grandparents, I'll ask them about it. I agree with Megan Burke when she said that it must of been hard to visit vienna
i think it was a realization of all the sacrifices that the Jewish people had to do. to sit there and listen to Mr. jahoda talk about his ordeal and how much his family had to sacrifice to make sure he survived was heart wrenching. i would never want to put myself in either his shoes or his parents, those decisions that they had to make were to sad. i agree with megans point about how he went back to his old house. i think it was a challanging part of his life but he over came it.
I agree with Emily when she explains how it you never really hear about people you know being affected by the holocaust and the fact that someone in our one school was affected by it because of their grandfather is really interesting.
I was incredibly moved by Gabe's grandfather and his story. Learning about all of the tragic events that occured during the Holocaust through films and discussion during this class has been extremely difficult and enlightening. However, it was through hearing Gabe's grandfather recall his story that the atrocities became tangible to me. The strength that Mr. Jahoda exhibited throughout his unimaginably trying childhood is inspiring to me. That fact that Mr. Jahoda not only lived through the Holocaust, but also had the courage to share his tragic personal experiences really caused me to respect him. I am so grateful that Gabe was willing to show us these tapes because I truly feel that, after watching them, my knowledge of the Holocaust has reached a more personal level.
I agree with Megan Sullivan when she talked about putting herself in Mr. Jahoda's shoes. I struggle to imagine how I would have reacted to the terrible obstacles Gabe's grandfather was faced with. Trying to envision what I would have done in his shoes revealed to me the incredible strength of character that he had in order to overcome such hardships. I also tried to put myself in the shoes of Mr. Jahoda's parents and realized how noble and selfless it was of them to send their son off to another country without knowing if they would ever see him again. These stories of overcoming impossible times and making impossible decisions help to put my own life in perspective and cause me to cherish what I have all the more.
After watching the documentary of Mr. Johoba recalling his childhood and transport to safety, I was very impressed with his ability to remember with such detail and the courage he displayed to finally share these difficult memories. I think it was obvious that this period in his life was very trying and I think his in depth descriptions showed how the memories of those times stuck with him for his entire life. After learning from Gabe that Mr. Jahoda had never shared these stories before, I was very moved that he would be willing to share his experiences for the benefit of others even though they would likely bring back difficult memories. I think the bravery that both Mr. Jahoda and Gabe displayed in making these stories available to others was truly astounding.
I thought this film was extremely interesting especially in the sense that he was connected to a student in our classroom. Mr Jahoda was a very articulate man who was very interesting when he spoke. His story was especially special because he was a part of the small percentage of children who escaped.
I agree with Megan in the sense that he was very hesitant to speak of the past because he had been through so much. Most of his family was exterminated which put a huge tole on him. I also agree that he is very brave to go in front of a video camera and recollect his events in front of everyone.
I agree with Rachel's comment regarding Mr. Jahoda's bravery and his stories making the horrors of the Holocaust more palpable. I had never heard any first hand accounts of Holocaust survivors that went into such great detail about their experiences and Mr. Johada's account of what happened really helped me to understand the reasons for many events. His story really added a new dimension to the events of the Holocaust for me because I was able to see how it could affect individuals on a much more personal level. Also, I'm sure is was very difficult to recall these memories and I have nothing but respect for his bravery.
I thought that Mr. Jahoda interestingly, and very clearly pointed out how being removed from his parents scarred him to the point where he was not willing to make connections with other boys his age. The cruel punishments he talk about for destroying the Jewish ego were also horrible.
AS many others have said, Megan and Meg in particular, I agree that he was very composed and had quite a sharp memory.
Mr. Jahoda’s story was very difficult to hear. He went through so much as a child in Vienna. I can’t imagine ever being taken away from my family and from my home. Mr. Jahoda must have been very brave as a child and he had to be brave in order to share his story. I understand where Megan Sullivan’s coming from when she says that she wouldn’t know how to tell her children about an event like that if it had happened to her. I think that would be the hardest thing I would ever have to do; sharing your life story can be difficult for anyone but having an event such as The Holocaust as the background to your story would make it much more difficult. I have so much respect for Mr. Jahoda and for everything he has been through.
The film we watched in class was more interesting then some of the others we have watched ibthink because this was a documentry on someone who is directly related to a classmate. After listening to his story of what his childhood was lile and how his beautiful homelamd turmed into a danger zone, i personly cant even imagen what it must have been lile. It was extremley touching when he mentioned that he never saw his parents again once he had been shiped out on the red cross train.
Mr. Jahoda was very courageous for aggreeing to get interviewed about his experiences during his childhood. He must have been an extremely strong child in that he was able to prevail and survive without his parents at such a young age. When I tried to put myself in his shoes as a child, I found it very difficult to even attempt. Growing up without my parents would be extremely difficult especially because I have depended on them so much. It is interesting to see that Mr. Jahoda was able to recognize that it was extremely hard for him and his parents to separate, but he knew that it was the best decision for them.
i agree with megan because I was impressed how he could talk about his past. I thought that it was brave for him to leave his family and go and live by himself. i like how he now is talking about his life and share his stories with people and they get to know the truth.
I found the story of Mr. Jahoda was very interesting and informational, I thought he did a great job conveying how it all happened so quickly and also the uncertainty that came with the unfortunate situation. Also hearing him talk about the punishments that the Jewish people had to go through made it more real than hear a historian talk about it.
I agree with meg about how i was shocked with how composed he was while telling his story and answering the questions, also the small details that he remembered such as the number of Jewish peers he had in his 2nd grade class.
Mr.Jahoda did a great job sharing with people his hystory. He use xelent words and he didn't forgot any deteal. Mr. Jahoda help us to see everyting that been a jewish kid everything that the had to go though when they were just 11 to 17 or joungers. I know what is to leave our parents because I left them when I was 13 but I knew that I was ganna see tem again but he knew that he was not that is a hard decision to make when you are at that age. And his parents the courage that they had to send him away knowing that is was going to be the last time they were going to see him it sad.
I thought that the film we saw about Gabe's grandfather, Mr. Jahoda was very interesting. It was different to watch a film that directly related to someone that I knew. I thought that Mr. Jahoda did a very good job in keeping his emotions in check while discussing what he experienced as a young kid. When Mr. Gallagher asked what we would have felt had our parents put us on a train the way Mr. Jahodas parents did it made me think of how i would have reacted. I have a high respect for how understanding he was at such a young age, to never have any negative feelings towards his parents for doing what they did.
I agree with Emily Faherty in that it was very interesting to see a film on someone related to our town. It really hit home.
I was absent this day.
I agree with what Megan said. I think that Mr.Jahoda displayed a great amount of composure during the interview. Talking about his past must be extremely difficult and emotional for him.
After watching the documentary about Mr. Jahoda, I couldn't believe what he had to go through. He was one of the first children to leave Nazi Germany on the Kindertransport; I can't even imagine how frightening it must have been for a twelve year old. It was also tough to hear what he went through-he left his parents in fear of never seeing them again, went to a foreign country and had to start over there. I am glad he reached safety but it seems like such a difficult thing to go through. I am honored to hear his story and it was nice that his grandchild was one of my classmates. I agree with Megan, Mr. Jahoda stayed very composed while doing the interview. I think he was a strong, couragous individual who didn't hate his parents for sending him a way. He knew what he had to do.
It was interesting to hear Mr. Jahoda’s story. Hearing the stories from a primary source is much more meaningful, especially when it’s someone related to a classmate. I agree with Emily that it is rare and also a privilege to know of someone who had this experience. I think it is great that Gabe’s family has this video because they can preserve his grandfather’s story so that it is never lost. One thing that really amazed me while listening to his grandfather’s story was that he and so many other children were leaving their parents at ages 12-14 Kowing that they may never see them again.
I was absent
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