Westboro Community Advocate
The Holocaust Article:http://www.communityadvocate.com/html/westboro_articles (the page is changed - S.T.)
People respond:
25 May 2006
Marek Lesniewski-Laas
Honorary Consul of the Republic of Poland
Dear Friends, On May 12, 2006 the Community Advocate, which bills itself as "the most well-respected and best read community newspapers in the Central Massachusetts area" serving "the affluent suburban market located between Worcester and Framingham," published an article (see below) in which a Holocaust survivor's "Krasa's story unfolded when he was 21 years old and went to Terezin, a ghetto in Czechoslovakia, to cook in exchange for his parents' protection from being deported to a Polish labor camp." Please tell the editor that the phrase "Polish labor camp" is historically incorrect, that it denigrates the suffering of the victims and that it is hurtful to the survivors.
The editor may be reached at http://www.ivtinc.com/commad/html/ca_form.html and Mr.David Bagdon, the Publisher at adguy@communityadvocate.com
Thank you,
Marek Lesniewski-Laas
Honorary Consul of the Republic of Poland
tel. (617) 357-1980, (781) 383-8384 fax (781) 383-8384
e-mail PolishConsul@comcast.net
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The letters exchange:
Thu, 25 May 2006
I am afraid you are misinterpreting my comments. I applaud your efforts to publicize the good being done in communities by having actual victims describe the atrocities that they went through because of the Nazi regime. At the same time, as newspaper reporters, you should clarify a statement even if it is an actual quote by someone. Young people who were born well after the War are going to assume that "Polish labor camps" were just that "Polish". They were not! They were Nazi German labor camps which just happened to be located in Poland because of the Nazi invasion. The terminology is historically incorrect, and it denigrates the suffering of the victims and it is hurtful to the survivors. I'm sure Mr. Krasa would agree and I would certainly include him in this if I had his e-mail address. Your reference to Chris Bergeron's article just confirms what I am saying. It appears once (which is not a quote, by the way) and someone else sees it, copies the remark, and it goes on and on. Mr. Bergeron is also incorrect in his grammatical use of the term "Polish Labor Camps". He refers to the "Nazi-controlled ghetto of Terezin in Czechoslovakia" and yet he uses the "Polish labor camp" in another paragraph. Why not describe it as Nazi-controlled labor camp in Poland? I am delighted that these stories of eyewitness accounts of the holocaust are being presented to the youth of today, but at least correctly interpret in print the 3 misused words "Polish labor camps". Best regards,
Claudia Dzengielewski
Hello,
Thank you for taking the time to submit a letter to the Community Advocate. After a review of the reporter's notes collected in preparation for the article "Holocaust survivor shares story with students", we have determined that the writer accurately reported the comments of the presenter, Edgar Krasa, and his use of the term "Polish Labor Camps" In fact, we found another similar reference in a Metrowest Daily News article which can be accessed by the link below. If you choose to pursue this further, you may wish to contact Mr. Krasa. http://isurvived.org/Survivors_Folder/Weissova_Helga-artworkExp.html "In 1941 at the age of 21, Edgar Krasa "volunteered" to go to Terezin as a cook as part of an agreement to protect his parents from deportation to a Polish labor camp." In regards to your assertion that we "misguide the youth of today", is untrue and uncalled for. We work hard to publicize the many good things that go on in these communities, like the Krasa presentation. Sincerely,
Jennifer Johnson
Managing Editor
Community Advocate
32 South St. Westborough, MA 01581
Letter_to_editor: On May 12, 2006,
The Community Advocate, published an > article > which a Holocaust survivor's "Krasa's story unfolded when he was 21 years old and went to Terezin, a ghetto in Czechoslovakia, to cook in exchange for his parents' protection from being deported to a Polish labor camp." These were not "Polish" labor camps. They were "Nazi German labor camps" unfortunately situated in Poland because of the Nazi invastion and takeover over Poland. Please don't misguide the youth of today by describing them incorrectly. You do harm to Poland and all Polish Americans who are deeply hurt by using miscontrued terminology. Please correct this falacy.
Submit Form to CA
Claudia Dzengielewski, Milton
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
By Nance Ebert, Contributing Writer, 5/12/2006:
"Sharing his remarkable story with the sixth-grade students at Mill Pond School April 28, Krasa's story unfolded when he was 21 years old and went to Terezin, a ghetto in Czechoslovakia, to cook in exchange for his parents' protection from being deported to a Polish labor camp." more...
Jerzy Kielbasinski's letter_to_editor: Dear Editor, 13 May 2006,
I request an apology from Nance Ebert, author of the article "Holocaust
survivor shares story with students", you have published on May 12, 2006.
There were NO "Polish labor camps" during WWII. The only labor and death
camps in Poland during WWII were German or if you prefer Nazi camps. Please
stop participating in twisting the history around and antagonizing people.
suggestions: Try to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the
truth!!!
submit: Submit Form to CA
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Re:Holocaust Article, May 15, 2006
Hello,
Thank you for taking the time to submit a letter to the Community Advocate.
After a review of the reporter's notes collected in preparation for the article "Holocaust
survivor shares story with students", we have determined that the writer accurately reported the comments of the presenter, Edgar Krasa, and his use of the term "Polish Labor Camps"
In fact, we found another similar reference in a Metrowest Daily News article which can be accessed by the link below. If you choose to pursue this further, you may wish to contact Mr. Krasa.
"In 1941 at the age of 21, Edgar Krasa "volunteered" to go to
Terezin as a cook as part of an agreement to protect his parents from
deportation to a Polish labor camp."
In regards to your assertion that we are, "twisting the history around and antagonizing people.",
that is untrue and uncalled for. We work hard to publicize the many good things that go on in these communities, like the Krasa presentation, and I can assure you no personal apology will be forthcoming.
Sincerely,
David Bagdon
Publisher
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
RE: Holocaust Article, 16 May 2006
Hello,
I am sorry but your answer just proves to me that your are in fact twisting the history.Speaking of referencies, please check just two more:
My suggestion remains the same: Try to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth!!!
Yours Truly,
Jerzy Kielbasinski
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fri, 19 May 2006
|
Mutual respect.
I have to admit that I did not pay full attention the first time I read the
article "Holocaust survivor shares story with students" by Nance Ebert,
published on May 12, 2006 in the Community Advocate of Westborough, MA. It
says: "Sharing his remarkable story with the sixth-grade students at Mill
Pond School April 28, Krasa's story unfolded when he was 21 years old and
went to Terezin, a ghetto in Czechoslovakia, to cook in exchange for his
parents' protection from being deported to a Polish labor camp.". I was
simply stunned by the phrase "Polish labor camps". Not so far ago, on May 7,
2006 I was "treated" by Boston Globe to phrase "Polish death camps". You may
also try Google search for "Polish labor camp", keep the ""s around please
to see how wide spread the lies are.
Only after writing to the editor, to express my feelings, did I realize that
the story had been served to the six-grade students! How nice and thoughtful
of the organizers, are kindergarten kids next in line. However, I bless
these kids and their teachers for giving the presenter a standing ovation at
the closing of the program. Kids in the elementary school might not be
mature enough to know that soda is not good for them, nor they are ready to
learn The Ten Commandments but Westboro kids had proved to be ready to
consume stories about Holocaust.
In my letter to the editor of Community Advocate I made a suggestion: "Try
to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth!". Not that I
would like to insist on telling these kids the WWII story of my parents,
lucky enough not to be sent to a Nazi concentration camp, just forced to
labor as slaves for Germans. If you have not noticed yet: yes, people they
"worked" for were Germans, not Nazi. Not that I would like to tell these
kids the story of my wife's family, that was not as fortunate, too many of
them had died in Auschwitz, the German Nazi Concentration Camp.
I just wonder if these kids are ready to listen to stories about their own
country and what their parents allowed that country to become. Please note
that I am a natural optimist and I believe that the same parents will fix it
one day.
I wonder if it could be beneficial to these kids to study and discuss
subjects like: why the only alternative we have now is "you are either with
us or against us". Years ago, I saw results of implementations of this
greatidea in post WWII Poland and now I can see it here. Several months ago,
in aconversation with a friend, I expressed my concerns about health
services and about so called "collateral damage", i.e. innocent people being
killed, by accident of course, by our army in a process of bringing them so called
Democracy. He called me a terrorist and advised to go elsewhere if I do not
quite like it here. I am sorry but I ignored his advise.
Could it be beneficial to these kids to have some exercise, for example
hiding under the desks, as they train to survive the next terrorist attack
that could happen, anytime soon, in their neighborhood. We all know
thatbeing prepared is important. At the same time one might use that
argument toimplement some great ideas like preemptive strike, formerly called
aggression, or to make people comfortable by listening to their phone
conversations. By the way, after the marshal law was introduced in Poland in
1981 one could hear a message "warning your call is being monitored", I
missit here. It might just be much easier to manipulate people in fear.
We respect all who died in and all who survived Nazi death, concentration
and labor camps and we all share their pain. The question I would like to
ask is "Shall we expect Holocaust Industry to respect all survivors, even
the not so perfect ones".
Jerzy Kielbasinski
The Article's tekst:He will always have the number tattooed on his forearm, but for Holocaust survivor Edgar Krasa, "B11636" is a daily reminder that he survived.
Sharing his remarkable story with the sixth-grade students at Mill Pond School April 28, Krasa's story unfolded when he was 21 years old and went to Terezin, a ghetto in Czechoslovakia, to cook in exchange for his parents' protection from being deported to a Polish labor camp. He explained to his audience how Jews were physically identified by both a yellow Star of David sewn onto their clothing and an identifying tattoo on their forearm. Access to public places like movies, restaurants and universities were forbidden to Jews.
"We had rations for everything. For food, we were given next to nothing," Krasa explained. "There were 1,500 children that came to this camp. At the end of the war, only one 150 survived. After the liberation, many of those were without their families."
Krasa was eventually sent to Auschwitz and traveled there in boxed cars, cattle cars with 70 people in each. There was little or no ventilation, food or water; many did not survive this transport. Krasa himself was shot and left for dead but survived in the forest with others who were also hidden.
According to Krasa, one instrumental figure while in the concentration camps was a man by the name of Raphael Schaechter. He was a well-known piano teacher and chorus conductor in Prague. He knew the importance of music and how it would help those in the camps survive. The music gave people hope and a sense of normalcy in the worst of times. Today, Krasa is a member of the Terezin Chamber Music Foundation and helps support the foundation's archives, research, educational programs, publications and recordings. Krasa also has a scholarship fund set up for those committed to music, education and tolerance.
Sandra and Michael Bloch, of Westborough, recently traveled to Israel with their three children. After visiting the camps of Terezin and Buchinwald, they realized the importance of getting the accurate story of the Holocaust from someone who was there to tell what truly happened. They put their ideas into action and were instrumental in bringing Krasa to speak to the students in Westborough.
In addition, the Bloch family gave a donation to Krasa for the Terezin Chamber Music Foundation, as well as a donation to Shannon Barca, a sixth-grade teacher, in the name of every student from the Mill Pond School for their School Diversity Park, where tolerance is practiced and diversity is embraced.
"The survivors are getting older and their generation is dwindling," Sandra said. "Their stories need to be told."
At the closing of the program, the students and teachers in the auditorium gave Krasa a standing ovation.
___________________________