Voice/Vision Holocaust Survivor Oral History Archive

Fred Kendal - May 25, 1983

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Did people ever question you--in this country, did people ever question about what happened during the war or did you talk about it much or...

I really preferred not to you know I think extensively this is the first time that I really sat down and tried to recollect most of it. I just wanted bury it. It was just a bad dream and that's all.

Did your children ever ask you questions about the war?

At times they did. When they were smaller they did and I told them--yeah, I told them some but I don't think--in my own mind, I don't think I wanted to scare the hell out of them because you live in a world that is primarily non-Jewish and to give somebody a terrible load to carry for rest of your life I think it is a bad thing. I think we have to live with everybody. I, I didn't want to impress on, on, on my children that being Jewish is, is like belonging to a special type of fraternity. That if you are Jewish no matter where you go in the world, if you look up some Jews or a synagogue and you tell them--if you ever get into trouble that you will get help somehow or someway and if a Jew is in trouble you should help them. I, I, I am not a religious fanatic; I am not a religious person actually. I believe in Judaism. I believe in--but somehow in my own mind--maybe I shouldn't say this. I think religion is good but to be--well, maybe the war left me with doubts. I don't--but that's me, you know.


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