I just got an e-mail from the university saying that Bob Mendler, a regular guest speaker of our National Catholic Center for Holocaust Education, has died.
At age 13, he was forced into Nazi slavery, and survived the death of dozens of his immediate family members. In 2008, a blogger posted a detailed account of Mendler’s story.
“I am a Holocaust survivor,” Mendler stated, baring his arm bearing
its permanent number on it. “I want you to know I am not a number and I
am not a statistic. I am a human being. I had parents a long time ago.”
Similar:
Surprise: Humanities Degrees Provide Great Return On Investment
The conventional wisdom is that humaniti...
Academia
8 Questions for 'Star Trek' Superfans Restoring Galileo Shuttlecraft
This nerd's geek heart grew three sizes ...
Aesthetics
You’re Just Gonna Be Nice by A. Lange
In a study, over 1000 gamers were survey...
Culture
Another student matinee. So many excited kids for Frankenstein. @prime_stage
Books
Journalism is doing just fine, thanks — it’s mass-media business models that are ailing
Hmm... I warn my freshmen not to use the...
Business
In September, 2003, I was blogging about the emerging fad of internet plagiarism, ethnical...
In September, 2003, I was blogging about...
Culture
Thank you so much for passing along the news of Mr. Mendler’s passing.
Hearing him speak in my senior seminar focused around Holocaust literature was one of my most profound experiences in college. I particularly remember when he told us that he went back to some of the camps he’d been held in and worked in, and told the tour guide what was wrong about his spiel.
His story will live on in me, and in so many others whose lives he truly touched. His bravery to speak out resonates with me the most. He talked about atrocities, but they’re not what I hold with me in my memory of Mendler. His struggle to survive and believe — the greatest legacy of the Holocaust — is what I will share when I tell people I met a survivor.