I have never written to The Chronicle, but I felt compelled to express my thanks to all the sponsors, donors, organizations, and individuals whose tremendous efforts brought the remarkable Union Station exhibit “Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away.” to Kansas City.
What has impressed me the most is that the only other city in the U.S. to make this exhibit available to the public was New York, my hometown. Considering that the Jewish population in Kansas City pales in comparison to that of the “Big Apple,” it speaks volumes about the dedication, commitment, and perseverance of this city, which has in recent years demonstrated those attributes in our baseball and football teams’ huge victories.
Having visited the exhibit over a week ago with my family, one cannot walk away after reading the plaques, viewing the films, and confronting the artifacts, being surrounded by all that encompassed these atrocities so recent in our lifetime, without a deep imprint on how it affected our brethren — those that suffered and died at the hands of the Nazi regime and collaborators, and those that miraculously survived.
Since this exhibit, as well as the many international museums dedicated to the Holocaust, most likely would not exist without the extreme courage of the survivors themselves, it is with that thought that I would like to extend my utmost gratitude to them — for sharing their stories, their horrific experiences, and not allowing those who perished to have died in vain so that the world should know and be held accountable.
Since I cannot thank each survivor who is still living, I want to thank one whose cherished friendship for over 25 years, and who has been a surrogate bubbe for just as long, has and will always mean more than any heartfelt words can ever express — Sonia Warshawski, “Big Sonia.”
My gratitude goes beyond just that, as she shared her stories and experiences with Shawnee Mission East High School in April 2017, when my daughter took part in organizing an event on behalf of their JSU, “United Against Hate,” after an antisemitic incident occurred, which affected their school. Sonia’s willingness to participate as a speaker meant so much, as I know she has touched countless students as well as adults in so many ways.
As my paternal grandfather from Warsaw never spoke about his family to anyone, including my father and aunts, nothing was ever learned about them, only that they did not survive World War II
He made it out of Poland before World War I, and my other great-grandparents on both sides immigrated from Poland and Romania just before or after the first war, so I grew up believing that no one in my family was affected by the Holocaust.
Sonia’s willingness to speak out has shed light on a period for which my own family was personally affected, unbeknownst to me, as I have come to understand that my paternal grandfather’s extended family most likely died in a neighboring camp, suffering a similar fate as those of the survivor’s relatives.
Debra Martasin
Overland Park, Kansas