I recently purchased the soundtrack to Schindler's List and have been finding the music hauntingly peaceful. It almost seems wrong to remark that I like the cd; a disrespectful pleasure in light of the Jews' struggles, along with the millions of others who were ruthlessly swept up in Hitler's death machine. I'm currently teaching the Holocaust to my eighth graders. Together we have journeyed through a survivor's life named Cecilia Einchengreen. Her story is one the most riveting and raw books I've ever read on the subject. "From Ashes To Life" is a story of tragedy, horror, rebirth, disgust, hope and most importantly living. I highly urge anyone interested in the subject to get the book. You will NOT be sorry. My image today seemed fitting to my immersion in the subject. A vault door, ornate and of fine craftsmanship. Beyond the door an amazing life was led. All of our lives are amazing. The people we touch. The stories we tell by living each day. The gifts we pass to others. It is what history is- the gift of stories from those who lived. Maybe that is why I became a history teacher, a story teller. I photographed this vault door when I first started my hobby of photography and have been drawn to this cemetery ever since. I wish I could find that first image.
5 comments:
It is a beautiful picture and your writing, even more beautiful. Is the vault someone's that you knew? I'm glad you consider yourself a story teller because your photos tell such amazing stories and your teaching has the ability to make people remember those stories. People live on only in stories and in the lives of those they touch!
thought provoking and very meaningful blog.
i am sure this is what makes you such a special teacher,the ability to humanize what has transpired and also to step back and appreciate the perspective of the past in the light of the present.
very nice photo!!!!!!!!!!!
do you have student copies of this book? We should make it required reading for MVP
Beautiful image, Steve! I agree completely with the others...hard to add any more, as they've said it all. Wish you could tour the Holocaust Museum in D.C.
Love the image!! I saw Schindler's List in a theater when it first came out. It was awesome but a tough movie to watch. A while later someone in my house rented it and I tried to watch it again and couldn't. I probably couldn't teach it without being reduced to tears. As I've said many times before, I wish I had had you for history when I was in school, then I might have liked the subject. Nice job on this post.
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