Hospitals are not usually known for being ideal performance venues. Yet, there I was, waiting to be taken to surgery, telling one of my Holocaust stories. The oddest part, though, was the reaction I received; it was perhaps the best one I have ever gotten.

As I lay waiting on the gurney, a nurse came in to check my vitals and take down my medical information and engaged me in conversation. As we talked, I mentioned that I volunteer as a Holocaust storyteller. This spawned many questions, and eventually she asked what I was working on currently. I told her it was a story about Viktor Frankl. After finishing with my chart, and to my surprise and delight, she asked me to tell her who Frankl was and to share the story.

Knowing I had limited time, I spent only about a minute or two relaying the main points of the story, explaining Frankl’s importance to modern psychiatry as I went. Then, for several seconds, there was silence while the nurse just stared at me. My heart raced, wondering if I had completely misread the situation, hoping I had not made a fool of myself. Finally, the nurse spoke, “Wow!”

This was followed by a torrent of compliments and appreciation. She told me how impressive it was, in her mind, that I tell these stories, and how fascinated she was by Frankl. She even told me she admired Frankl’s ability to find hope and inspire others during such a dark time.

The thing that made this such a memorable reaction, though, was that she kept telling me how important my work was and how glad she was to find out that there are people who do this amazing, courageous activity. She said that with all the problems in the world today, this was something she knew could make a real difference, and it gave her hope. I had never previously gone into a procedure with a smile on my face, but I did on that day.

I was also reminded that day of how powerful, educational, and vital our storytelling is to Holocaust education and the preservation of Holocaust history. I learned that we are reaching people, and we are making an impact. Most of all, I learned that even an audience of one can make a difference.