Voice/Vision Holocaust Survivor Oral History Archive

Clara Dan - July 1, 1982

Post-War Anti-Semitism

Yeah. Did, did you just uh, did they have you do any work or any routine, or...

No, no. We were just sitting. And uh, trying... Well, I tell you what. I shouldn't say no. You see I really, I really don't, don't like talking about it. But I was never, never 'til long after we came to this country to start talking about the concentration camp, because I couldn't have taken the remark, "Oh poor thing. How she suffered." And once somebody made a remark, maybe that left a, a bitter taste, when somebody said to me, "Hitler didn't do a good job. They really shouldn't have left, he shouldn't have killed just the six million." Okay? And that left a very bitter taste. And then a very big part of the Jewish immigrants, when they came out to this country they thought that America owes them something. Like America owes them a living or something, you know.

So they were bitter and...

They were, they were bitter and my golly, I don't get any compensation from Lager, because my papers were late six days. I couldn't find my lawyer, he died. And for sickness, okay? And there were tons and tons of people who were never in the concentration camp and get money. So somehow I felt that what was, was. Okay? And that is my sorrow inside. Why talk about it? What good does it do to talk about it? And right now, it started the Holocaust memorial. It's a beautiful, beautiful thing and a beautiful memory memorial, okay? It's a beautiful. But the anti-Semitism is planted so deep, so deep that it opens just old wounds. Because if they would have brought it in as a curriculum in school right after. Beautiful thing, beautiful thing. I hope that, I hope that you youngsters, I told many times to my own daughter. I could never live to know--to see happening what happened and knowing that children, grandchildren are hurt. I hope you youngsters will have the courage to fight back and know from, from, from what happened.

That's why we need...

But honey, it is how many years after?

It's too long, it's too long.

It's too... that is my only heartache. Otherwise I would give my heart and soul to work with you, to help you. And I hope to God that Israel will survive. But anti-Semitism is on the ??? different religion. Yes? Because remember how liberal thinker you are, that will always be. Because, I don't know, I guess, I guess I'm just... I just want to hope that the time will come.

The Meshiach will come. I don't know.

I don't know. Help yourself and God helps you too.


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