Not a Jewish story but a Human story, an american story a fam story an immigrant story, your neighbors story. A currently relevant story. Well, this story is ever more pertinent in immigrant clash where the necessity to leave or stay and guard preventing rise of tyranny demagogy political economicmartl injustice intolerance. His hope, through stories told and education to prevent Tyrany, Fascism, Oppression and instead foster trade for compassion requires tolerance understanding cooperation peace etc. if learn teach how to guard against.

 

 

Part 2 Background

 

 

Please keep in mind the prevailing attitudes of the time when the story begins consisted largely of deeply culturally engendered bigoted/racist/political/religious/homophobic/classist and other intolerant biases which fostered division (for some isolationism) and xenophobia. Cultural division and lack of hegemony were the norm. Free expression and free thought (outside doctrine) were rare.

 

 

Granted this varied by degree, in some villages Christians and Jews lived side by side for instance, and within cities different cultures thought little of rubbing elbows and (occasionally) doing business outside their culture. Certainly they intermingled, though not by today's more 'accepting' attitudes and norms of experience.

 

 

The cultural habits of the era leaned towards 'othering' and inclusiveness among similar religious (or otherwise) groups with exclusiveness towards outside political or cultural groups.

 

 

There were memories of battles and violence one group to another, families and nations. After historical truces were brokered, groups tended to keep to themselves. In some places towns roads could be unfriendly or dangerous to outsiders. Different groups side by side in towns Jews Chstn would be just that, side by side. They would always be outside even within a town (no marriages between groups, and less business or socialising etc, for instance. There were things that kept them together though. The guy checking doors. The town cryer and night watchman.

 

 

The problem with the othering mentality is that it leads to gossip rumor jealosy petiness hatred misunderstanding and can flare to

 

 

, easy to mob mentality hatred exclusion etc. and intoctrination, fear of different including strict adherence to norms customs evroles and even limiting what coiuld be read also lack of free access to information, free expression etc, small town gossip and so not being different for inclusiveness etc.

 

 

Also, in terms of the macro political, governmental and martial activity during that period first, the soviets had allied with Nazis and divied up Poland. Though different from German camps (in the types of horror), the captives/slaves of Soviet camps were not expected to survive nor given adeqaute resources and provisions to do so - and in that way, were as severe as German camps.

 

 

in that time frame the soviets though largely antisemetic weren't rounding them up as jews but as inteligencia landowners biz owners managers etc even wearing glasses could get in trouble and then the denouncements and told kids to denounce and the neighbors and the disapearances sometimes returning from gulags, different from the labor camps, that was for those outspoken against regime dissidents deserters conspirators political prisoners clergy and those unwiulling to relinquish faith or ideology, the wealthy (looting confiscated) the elites or nobility prisoners of war, the criminals enemies of the state those caught fleeing or out of line cities camps etc. effected the entire populus impacting , please keep a few things in mind. At the macro political, governmental and martial scope the actions

 

 

Also as background I recall certain aspects to the story more than others and I'd like you to keep some of these in mind when you see the film or the QandA's

 

 

First, the soldiers did not tell anyone where they were going, this is extremely unfortunate for those that would perish from the glacial cold that is Siberia.

 

 

The first miracle is the young soldier having seen the boys Urik and Galik, George and Henry perhaps playing perhaps still perhaps frightened perhaps kind eyes just, the young soldier well he told Mami and Papi, he perhaps took pity on them perhaps he was a kind man. He told them to bring warm things. This saved them for two reasons, the cold and for trade. My grandfather tried to find him after the war.

 

 

When they arrived the huts had no window covering and mud floors. The cold the mosquitos the lack of food and trudging through snow illness and no medicine. It was a slave labor camp. USSR took Poland North and Axis took Poland South. In the Soviet camps many maybe a third maybe half didn't make it. Everyone had lost someone in the confusion of the war not knowing where some in prisons some camps some fleeing some staying under regime.

 

 

It was darkest period of war, hate. How does one keep it together in that. A younger me may have made it and older me I don't know, how find what it takes to trudge that snow with patchwork shoes and gloves little food carrying heavy dull saws only to arrive to ceasless exertion when everything has been taken and nothing given, when there's the plan unknown how for weeks months years does my Grandfather and the others do this and later,

 

 

My Grandmother would lay on hands to heal and the others would come for that

 

 

keeping the fire and forraging, though my Father and Uncle would play with other children

 

 

There was a chicken with a double yolk

 

 

the long lines at night for bread the rocks put in to weigh more, the insane communist doublespeak

 

 

those they had been kind to recognising them warning them of spies

 

 

how hard to get a visa and only two week period last train with money found and bribing conductor and then without anything in biting snow and meeting a rare truck driver and that somehow post and australian cousin and carepackages somehow tracked and the paperwork and beurocracy, and whether or not forced to take soviet citrizenship with false promises and if stayed forced couldn't leave and the way worked with measuring wrong and didn't care sick hungry tired not even allowed the smth except when saw shared xmsetc wr

 

 

Those that stayed behind

 

 

the sad story of the brother and the happy story of the crazy rebel swagart uncle

 

 

my research of trotskyat lodge etc and expose uncover and right for then and

 

 

how he had carried a cup and a prayer shawl the whole time and to give to me on Bar Mitzva and though lost excel at school.

 

 

My father having his Bar Mitsva at little Rockright latere as school getting desegregated

 

 

How did it shape my Father, his brother and then my ousins my sisters and myself? How will it shape our children?

 

 

Wrote poems to and for all of us, quite abstract. Surpring as was stern

 

 

Part 3 My Father and his story after the camp

 

 

First I want to say that my Father George Landau is the most remarkable man you will likely every meet, not just myself but people will often tell me so, sometimes illuminating me with accomplishments he's made (though I wouldn't know, being as modest and humble as he is), and often regalling me with adoration for him in stories wherin he had lined up key deals, connections or other important help for them (garnering book deals, directing them towards rewarding careers with encouraging the right introductions or schools, etc.). If there's an event or charity, an opportunity to help even having strangers stay over, and of course organising meetings for civic/environmental as well as social issue changes effecting generationaly reverberating impacts of positive change and joy and peace and understanding, then he's your Man.

 

 

Loyal, incoruptable a gamechanger, genius and always one in million (trillion)

 

 

Always with absolute unfounding Love and dedication, he's unconditional. Only asking that we have manners, be truthful and plan ahead to be Independent Productive and Professional. He always says if you want to be enthusiastic you have to act enthusiastic. Always treating everyone equaly and genuinely. Always endeavor and be sincere. How to always look out for be of service to and anticipate the needs of others. My Daddy Loves Snoopy and Peanuts, relates to Schroeder and can't understand why Lucy is so crabby. Loves walks and taking me flying kites, his walks and swims keeping him buff, at peace and his mediation. He saved those hills. My Grandfather and Grandmother saved us all. Hashem saved us all!

 

 

George is never phased and when it's for something right and just, he won't back down. When he's in the right (or the other in the wrong ) remaining (always) gentle polite and effective, wow and the many employees, the policies he gave the campuses of employees and progresve and

 

 

back to his Bar Mitzva and imagining the fun and roaring 50's hot cars, fountain shops and pretty girls and varsity and greasers elvis and all that. the new foods and fun radio shows all these wonders after that travel. story of those had helped given food below deck recognised.

 

 

my father IOS the mutual fund etc, the MLK conference and meeting high to low, etc, how Doc helped raise them, his stay under the bleachers working as busboy and later work with atomic energy commission while brother took up at Bell

 

 

super patriot of a rare type and always in service says it's that we're Levites

 

 

passover stories. with taking watches or adding items for progresv etc

 

 

Only talk about it at passover otherwise always say when asked always say to read books

 

 

will add rotary talk vids and fervent and rotoplast, scholarshps, biz student exchanges, polioplus and

 

 

add how obtained Torah and Menorrahs for Switzerland and Torah for Emmanuel fashioned where Sabine wrote her first Hebrew letter into it and dedicated to the survivors, my father among them have pics from both ceremonies. Me, I have a Rabbi's honor cup and a Bachelor's in religious studies and psych and a plaque for honors students at Emanuel. My great ancestor Ezekiel Landau forged peace and saved 10,000 or so and is writen of in the Encyclopedia Judaica

 

 

spartan reserved and doesn't want anything personal benefit etc just pleasure of helping and such and

 

 

Provided with taking off 10 years clothe feed drive etc and student loans current help and various bailouts

 

 

remember lady asking why smiling while discussing that

 

 

Have found all kinds of heroes, some though ill continue work for others.

 

 

He always explains how political tides shift no longer knew aaron and how the macabes fought for us all how oppresion engaged today slaves and prisoning also how can preserve fight for the most impo thing freedom and as the great balzacde honer says must help,

 

 

I suppose Jews as messianic always looking to and striving for better and forefront marches etc

 

 

 

 

(Schwabians and Before lightbulbs the schdetle with nightwatchman and guy checking doors and the train to next town then best when)

 

 

Part 4 Children of Survivors, our experience our Duty our questions

 

 

Daddy please skipscroll past part in parenthesis

 

 

(maybe cause didnt go thru maybe cause did and children and families of survivors heaviness and though generational not hugging also not games and beyond frugal strict rules outside and wouldnt be caught enjoying sports match etc not hobbies or positive fun nor negative fun of drinking or adultering gambling or anything, and both epigenetics that is proteins binding changing expression of genes resulatant in high incidene of mood or anxiety disorders as well as a manner raised that somehow experience way similar to CODA etc. evercognisant of helping others, undeniablypatriotic and thjose helped, stories

sometimes difficult preping soldier if more artsy and the generation showed other way though sometimes checklistquestn etc. supr rule adherence and sch

Has led me to research the countries that started and maintained the war and why, in my research anunaki and demiurge etc, have some unordinary way of relaying and though of and occasionaly go have some distance which is unfortunate in some obvious regards, as their faith is of utmost, why was able to research to make decisions as did suppose

An american story a fam story an immigrant story, your neighbors story and not confused w jewish story or zionist, those take own diverge paths the kazar perhaps complicit like pikes letter. the compassion idex and isolation quest loneliness politcaly swindled or disenfranchised by history engineering martial or both etc)

 

 

Always spoke of and Slavery. There is slavery today. Indentured servants and child labor bought and sold, who have no choice all day for years making bricks and fixing cars in India, working on shrimp boats in Malaysia, sewing clothes in Pakistan.

 

 

In the 'West' there may not be legal slavery but 'inner city' economic injustice results in communities crammed in ghetos with gunshots every few nights and police acting as (at times abusive) soldiers. There is racial disparity/inequality in opur prisons (for the same crimes, black men are less likely to be shown lenience and are given longer and more severe sentences).

 

 

In the 'West' the Sanitoriums and Mental health institutions used to be run worse than prisons. Then we let them all out on the street. The idea was that they would check in to clinics for help. Short of that there are shelters, but many are afraid of shelters, don't get along with others in the shelters, or are too lost to find them. They may not be slaves but they are destitute and means must be employed to remedy their plight.

 

 

There are low paid day laborers who don't have adequate shelter and toxic pesticides sprayed nearby with little to get by hurting their back hunched over the cutting of artichokes. They aren't legally slaves. They need help.

 

 

There are our neighbors to the south with gangland violence the communities can't run away from. Some cram in to trucks to come here, where they can be safe, where they can earn money. They are not slaves but they are refugees.

 

 

There ae those drug or sex trafficked crossing borders or in our states (and this only fairly recently has been in the newsmedia).

 

 

In the 'West' we are onguard, those cognisant of endless toxins and obverse manipulation and rat racing etc and the illnesses on the rise from stress toxins in everything etc

 

 

In the West we have more subtle psychological slaveries such as addictions, abusive relationships and domestic violence (often trapping spouses and kids).

 

 

Some questions,

 

 

what were they wearing and how far a walk from train station to next country,

 

 

in the huts were the fire kept 24hours left low night stoked in am and how drinking water for Papi and in hut

 

 

what kind of animals around and were they ever caught

 

 

what do you remember hearing your parents talking about,

 

 

how often were lice and when got sick whole camp

 

 

how far away was the breadline, and there were citizens not in camps like postman or other vilagers or was that next over

 

 

when you were in the hut and was a storm how stop snow from coming in and how ocuppy day, were visits to neighbors frequent, did anyone else bring books were there any paper or pencils or bows and arrows toy cars, what and where did you imagine to be when playing, how did you deal with the hunger, how did Mami and Papi explain how you were whisked to there, did they make friends, were there spies in the camp, were there guards or was it a matter of money and visas to leave, did Mami and Papi find what happened to the other prisoners in camp,