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Amber Ward

Professor Tonya Wertz-Orbaugh

UWRIT 1103

January 2! 201"

Ident#ty$%ur&or Test#mony

The test#mony of Re&a '#bort (as a hea&y one to hear) It #s unbe*#e&ab*e that anyth#ng

*#+e the ,o*oaust ou*d ha&e e&en ha..ened and that one .erson ou*d ha&e endured that muh)

The most memorab*e th#ng about her story (as that she (as ab*e to stay (#th her fam#*y as *ong

as she d#d/ #ts &ery unheard of that fam#*#es (ere ab*e to stay together for that *ong) ,er and her

s#b*#ngs .erse&erane (as astound#ng) rom the beg#nn#ng of the#r m#sfortune unt#* the end! they

stayed together) os#ng so muh! they *ung to eah other and that (as an etreme*y touh#ng

 .art of her test#mony) The most touh#ng .art of her story (as (hen Re&as name (as a**ed to

 be boarded onto the boar tra#n! her s#ster ste..ed for(ard for her) %he d#d a se*f*ess at #n a

t#me (here most e&eryone (as foused on be#ng se*f#sh for themse*&es! s#m.*y try#ng to sur&e)

I (as sho+ed (hen Re&a s.o+e about the 4erman man (ho to*d her to 5run6 and then

 .roeeded to shoot e*e&en h#*dren #n front of her/ hear#ng that someth#ng *#+e that ha..ened 7ust

 .*a#n*y #n front of her eyes! as #f #t (as noth#ng to the so*d#er (as .hys#a**y .a#nfu* to *#sten to)

8&en I had to ta+e brea+s *#sten#ng to the test#mony beause #t (as suh a hea&y story) %he

e.er#ened so muh sadness! *oss! and .a#n so ear*y #n her *#fe that sha.ed (ho she #s today) It #s

a(e-#ns.#r#ng that she (as ab*e to sur&e and be ab*e to te** her story)

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I had *earned about that ,o*oaust before and e&en s.o+en (#th sur&ors #n the .ast/ I&e

seen the numbers tattooed #nto .eo.*es arms! yet th#s doumentary (as the hardest for me to

*#sten to) I fe*t that (ay beause #t (as t(o hours of the same .erson shar#ng #nred#b*y .ersona*

deta#*s about atua* ourrenes that ha..ened #n the#r *#fe) I had to ta+e mu*t#.*e brea+s and ta*+

to my roommate and boyfr#end about (hat I (as (ath#ng and *earn#ng beause #t (as a** suh a

sur.r#se to me/ to *earn ne( th#ngs! ne( stor#es about th#ngs I ou*d ne&er th#n+ of ha..en#ng to

 .eo.*e) I fee* s#**y s.ea+#ng about ho( emot#ona**y dra#n#ng and ho( hea&y #t (as to *#sten to!

(hen she e.er#ened years of emot#ona* dra#n#ng and damage to her m#ndset) It a*most fee*s

offens#&e to say that (ath#ng #t (as dra#n#ng to me) Re&a *ost so muh and yet .erse&ered

through so muh)

%he s.o+e about mong #nto the ghetto and ho( 5your #nd#dua*#ty (as ta+en a(ay!

youre .art of a grou.! not an #nd#dua*)6 ,ear#ng her say that rea**y onneted to the .ast t(o

*asses (e ha&e had! s.ea+#ng about #dent#ty and (r#t#ng our o(n &ers#ons of the 5Where Im

rom6 .oem to s.ea+ of our o(n #dent#ty) I fe*t *u+y to ha&e a*(ays had my o(n #dent#ty but I

a*so fe*t ab*e to sym.ath#ze (#th (hat she (as say#ng)

Re&a s.o+e about her (#** to *#&e and to sur&e a fe( t#mes and that rea**y resonated

(#th me) %he sa#d that her and her s#b*#ngs sa#d that they had to sur&e to te** about the#r *#&es! to

ta*+ about (hat ha..ened to them beause no one (ou*d be*#e&e that a ,o*oaust *#+e that had

ha..ened (#thout (#tnesses) %he ga&e herse*f the (#** to sur&e and I (as so #m.ressed (#th

that) %he sa#d that she fe*t she (as meant to sur&e to te** her story and after hear#ng #t! I (ou*d

agree (#th that as (e**)