A Story of Survival
Holocaust Survivor Shares Story of Resilience with Local Community
By: Charles Romans
The Ashland Beacon
On Thursday, April 19, the community of Greenup County was fortunate enough to hear the story of Holocaust survivor Dr. Alice Dreifuss Goldstein and her personal experiences going through one of the most prolific times in history. She shared her childhood experiences witnessing the rise of one of the most notorious regimes in history, noting that while Hitler was cruel, he was also incredibly cautious.
Her story was poignant and powerful and offered insight into how one man was able to gain control of the hearts and minds of an entire country and nearly exterminate an entire race. When the inevitable question, ‘Do you think this could ever happen again?’ arose, she responded with a resounding, “Yes… the same thing could happen anywhere, even here.”
“We are living in difficult times now. I think there is a lot of dissatisfaction with how the world is shaping up and the things that are happening in our country and other places in the world,” shared Dr. Goldstein. She explained there is a growing ‘anti’ movement against people who are different, whether that be antisemitism, islamophobia, or negativity against any single group. Though we hear it constantly in the news today, she said it isn’t a new thing – especially when people are dissatisfied and feel as if they have been left behind as the world moves on.
Dr. Goldstein felt that current sentiment isn’t much different from what was present in Germany during the 1920s. Goldstein noted, “Germany had the sense that as a people they were very special going back to ancient times. So, they saw themselves as being superior,” Antisemitism had always been a part of Germany from the Middle Ages on. Jews had always been discriminated against. They couldn’t live in cities, couldn’t marry until a certain age, and were barred from certain occupations.”
But in the years following the First World War that antisemitism was destined to become far worse. The First World War devasted the German economy and drove the country into a financial spiral as it tried to pay reparations for its actions, and this made life extremely difficult for the average German citizen. German currency was of low value. Goldstein’s mother was a secretary at the time. Goldstein recalled, “When she went to work on payday, she would take a suitcase with her. She then would have to go to the store immediately to buy something because if she waited until the next day, it would be worth even less.”
As Dr. Goldstein proceeded with her tale of survival, she conveyed to the audience that there existed significant economic instability. She elaborated that the Germans sought a leader who could address these issues, reinforcing their belief in superiority and bolstering their nation, as nationalism held great significance for them. Dr. Goldstein added, “Along came this person who said, ‘I can help you. I can get the economy going again, and I can stand up to these allies overseas who were making it so difficult for Germany.’”
As Dr. Goldstein dived deeper into her story, she shared that Adolf Hitler offered the promise of the German nation that its people so desperately craved -and history proved the lengths to which they were willing to follow anyone who could give that to them. Goldstein recalled, “He (Hitler) would make the programs and pass the laws if he could do it easily and quietly. But, if there was noise and if the people would stand up to it and argue, he would pull back. Then he would regroup and reframe it, then push even harder.” Hitler wanted to move forward as quickly as possible but was always conscious of the support and acceptance of the German people.
Dr. Goldstein’s family operated a small business in a village. Their life was good in the years before Hitler’s ascent. The predominant Catholic population treated them no differently than the non-Jewish population, and her father belonged to local clubs and engaged in local sports. Things at that time seemed to be going well. Dr. Goldstein shared a story about being the only grandchild on either side of her family. She had lots of toys and many of the other village children would play with her.
But a change began, first in small ways, when Hitler came to power. Dr. Goldstein recalled, “The first thing was that my father was told that he would have to stop playing on the local sports team.” Dr. Goldstein’s father was a great soccer player; however, Hitler’s law stated that Jews were inferior physically as a general rule and shouldn’t be part of sports clubs because they would make the clubs suffer losses. Her father was forced to give up his place on the team. Even his teammates realized how wrong Hitler’s new laws were, but they were unable to do anything about it at the time. “One of the things Germans do very well is obey the law,” noted Dr. Goldstein.
Dr. Goldstein has many stories to share. If you would like to hear more about Dr. Goldstein’s story check out her book entitled, Ordinary People Turbulent Times. Throughout the book, Goldstein tells how things became so much worse for her family and the narrow escape that she and her family experienced. Sadly, with each law that Hitler passed, the Jewish people lost more and more of their freedoms.
Eventually, Dr. Goldstein’s father was sent to a concentration camp but was thankfully released when he produced proof that he intended to leave the country. The family did eventually escape to the United States after years of applying for visas, and they were one of the last families to flee Germany before Hitler’s policies against the Jewish people escalated to wholesale extermination. Many, including members of her own family, were not so lucky.