Challenges

“Oh God,” I prayed, as Mrs. Berger came out of her room with a pile of mail” (Klein 121). This is Gerda praying during mail call at the work camp that she has been sent to. She sent a letter to her father in hope of finding out where he was, and where her mother was. When it is time for mail call she hopes that she has received a letter, but at the same time she hopes that she doesn’t. This is because she doesn’t want to hear bad news from her father.

            Since my last post the Weissmann’s have went through many more challenges and difficulties. They have been forced to leave their homes and have been separated. Also a SS Officer came to the door of their house and said that he needed to see Gerdas’ father. He had hidden in the closet and Gerda refused to tell the officer anything. He pulled his pistol and threatened to shoot her. She still would not give him an answer. By doing this Gerda showed that she was extremely brave, and that she was willing to sacrifice her own life for someone she loved.    

            They were ordered to the train station, and the men were ordered to board a train heading for a labor camp. Then her mother and she are separated, and Gerda is sent to a labor camp. As she is driving away in a truck she hears her mothers voice saying, “Be strong…Be strong” (Klein 92). These are the last words that Gerda ever heard from her mother. I can only imagine what it would be like to be separated from my family and then find out that my parents were killed. Gerda has continued to show strength and will not let them kill her. As I read this I felt bad for those who have gone through such tragedies. I think that for those who survived it is a terrible thing to have to live without their families, and many of them without knowing where they’re buried.