My aging mother began to need more help just as I was retiring from 32 years of pediatric practice. There are some transferable skills between pediatrics and geriatrics, and I applied them to the care of my mother. Taking care of her, I began to realize that not only was she fading, but so was her story. My mother, then Ruth Lichtenstein, left Berlin on the Kindertransport on June 5, 1939. I knew this story of survival and resilience needed to be told.
To learn how to do that, I took part in the Kindertransport Association’s speaker training course. I learned to start with the most basic parts of the story – “kernels”, string them together, and add some slides. Thus a PowerPoint presentation was born.
Presenting this PowerPoint to 6th-graders and their teachers in late 2023, I realized that these children were the same age as my mother was when she left her homeland. It was very moving – a solid start to something I felt really called to do.
Then I signed up for the Teach the Shoah’s storytelling class.
The “kernels” became “scenes” but the difference was much greater than that. Do the research, know the history, but drop the lecture and slides…. Instead, tell a story and bring the person to life! Pause! Look at your audience – bring them into the times, places, and events; they will take the journey with you and feel what that person felt and what you as the teller are feeling, and have their own thoughts and feelings as well.
Some pictures at the end can be icing on the cake, but not too many! I like to end with a family picture. It is a victory lap taken: proof that we are still here despite the Holocaust.
I remember when Mother’s chronological lecture, written down and read, became a story – by starting at the most critical point for her. It issues forth from me every time, without notes or reading.
I was so honored and grateful to present her story to two synagogues and ten schools this past year. Her story will not be lost on my watch!
I have learned that it is never too late to explore new skills or paths. I feel blessed to be a vessel through which stories move.
I have learned the beauty of community and how important that is to me. We share a mission, and we share our lives! Thank you.
Through storytelling, I have come closer to my Judaism. It is a heritage to be proud of, a blessing worth cherishing, and a story to pass on to whomever will listen!
Michelle, what a beautiful article! You have such a way with words, and we are so lucky to have you as one of our storytellers. Thank you for this peek into your world!