Voice/Vision Holocaust Survivor Oral History Archive

• Contents
• Map

Sam Seltzer - November 29, 1982

Let me ask you this. Are there times now when something will remind you of something that happened during the war?

Now? Mm, not, not too much.

Do you have nightmares?

Oh yeah. I just screamed last night. Uh, my wife was sleeping like, she sleeps hard, I mean, hard sleeper. But I scream uh, I scream a lot. I was uh, in fact uh, there were times where I--that I used to hit her. I was always running away from the Germans. Always, whatever I dream, whenever I dream, I, I ru...I'm running. I'm running away.

Is there anything else you'd like to say before we end, something perhaps that you've wanted to say but never did?

[pause] Well uh. See, a person who goes through things like this has no, no authority, see? A person like me. And I'm soft. I have no uh, what's this word, I, I had it before. I can't exert authority. You see, I wouldn't hurt anybody. I would hurt myself before I hurt somebody, see? So I, I, I, I was liberated by the American and this is my country. And uh, I feel that the least I can do is go around to the schools and talk to the young people. And not to be prejudiced.

[pause] And I tell 'em all because I was Jewish. What I went through in four years is unbelievable. And I tell 'em not to let their mind you know, be--get lazy and not to be--get caught off guard. And they are the future of this country, so that's why I'm talking to them. 'Cause you know, hate and prejudice is a powerful force and it could sway people and sway countries. And you see what, we saw what happened in Germany. It's proved. So I like to relate to them that this is what I would like to do.

Thank you. 89