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Genre: Interview
Word Count: 99
THE INTERVIEW
“For I’m gon’ tell you,” says Sonia, a colorful and imposing presence at 4 feet 8 inches tall. “It happened slowly. Not all at once.
“The soldiers line up rabbis in the street and made us watch them rip out their beards by the roots. Then they shot them.
“I’ll never forget. In front of me they slaughter babies. I’ll never forgive.
“Silence kills.” Her intense brown eyes dig trenches in my heart. “I tell you what is not in history books. As long as God gives me power, I will speak for them.”
This interviewer will never forget.
Oh my, that was powerful. Left me speechless, with an ache in my heart.
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Dear Loré,
That’s exactly how I felt that day. I’ve heard plenty of stories but speaking with someone who lived it, eye to eye,…
Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Wow. I felt the same way reading your piece, Rochelle. Thanks for writing and sharing. Remembering and voicing all that has happened, terrible and good, is so important.
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No words.
Too powerful.
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Two words.
Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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How horrific! Sometimes you just despair of the ‘human’ race. Well done.
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Dear Sandra,
Ninety-nine words distilled from a three hour interview…and I was not quite sure in the end who interviewed whom.
Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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This is so horrific the tales that can be told.. I just read one of Svetlana Alexievich books.. They are filled with all kind of horrific stories… from what used to be the Soviet Union. The most horrific thing is how there are people dreaming of those times all over the world…
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Dear Björn,
So many horror stories…some of us fortunately polarized have no idea, do we?
Thank you for taking time to read and comment.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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The authenticity of this screams through. The little detail of the beards is chilling
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Dear Neil,
Distilling a three hour interview into 99 words was a challenge. I’m glad it came across.
Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Excellent and chilling
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Thank you, J Hardy and thank you for the photo.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I love they way you can relate a prompt to real life happenings. Again you have opened our eyes to some of the sordid realities of life that we have no perception of. Thank you.
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Dear Jenny,
As Sonia said many times, “You can’t imagine. People don’t know.” I really don’t have any perception myself, I just feel the need to keep the memory alive. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Reality indeed is sometimes worse than fiction.
I wonder how perpetrators sleep with these memories.
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Dear Chioma,
I can’t imagine perpetrating that kind of evil without conscience. And the disease is everywhere, isn’t it?
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Indeed it is.
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Good all around. Sonia is a truly remarkable woman.
BTW, I need a copy of that paper. Are there any left?
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Dear Kent,
As far as I know there will be a stack at OHO. I have five copies. Two are spoken for.
Thank you for commenting. These are a few details not included in the Metro interview.
Shalom,
Cuzzin Shelly
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Oh, TOO COOL. Speak a copy for me!
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Oh, what eerie fodder for this week’s challenge! 🙂 ❤ Can't wait to write.
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Dear Rochelle, I can only imagine how it felt listening to the details of such horror, but I can never imagine nor fully understand what it must have been like to witness it. I’m amazed you could put it down in less than a 100 words.
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This breaks my heart. Like IfeomaO, I admire how you could sit through this. I’m afraid I would have broken down into a mess. The only monsters in this world are of our own kind.
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Dear Ifeoma and Gabriele,
I can’t fathom it either and this interview broke my heart. Thank you both for taking the time to read and comment. It does mean a lot.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Rochelle, your words bring tears to my eyes… the voice in your write reminds me of Miss Sarah… She was so beautiful. She always called me her “wee Sarai”. She shared with me her life during the holocaust…Oh, such horrors… such faith she had… I only hope that as I write, I keep her stories alive, especially her depth of faith. Thank you for the memory this wet, cold day.
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Dear Jelli,
Thank you for such a lovely comment and sharing your own sweet memory.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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To deliver an extract of under 100 words on a subject so haunting and awful, without losing any of the desired impact is a remarkable achievement.
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Dear Thom,
Thank you for such a wonderful comment. It gives me cause to smile this morning.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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A glimpse into the past. A warning for the current to learn. For what must never be again…well done Rochelle.
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There’s much most people don’t know. There have always been vicious people who give savage wild animals a bad name. You can see it sometimes in children who are cruel. Those children have always worried me. Some people don’t seem to have a moral center. If they’re not helped when young, they become worse and worse. In some parts of the world, and in some political situations, they get their chance to use that cruelty to further their plans to get ahead. We’re fortunate if we’re never at the mercy of those evil people. Good piece, Rochelle. —- Suzanne
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Dear Suzanne,
I recently read a book about Hitler as a boy. I’m not sure what went wrong there. Even more baffling is how a boy who basically had no friends could dupe an entire nation.
Thank you for your comments. They mean a lot.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Oh wow! This brought tears to my eyes! It kind of reminds me of the interview I did with my grandpa when I wrote a story based on his experiences on D-Day. That time period and what was endured during that time breaks my heart for them. I rejoice in the fact this woman has the conviction to share what some try to say never happened. But it did and she is living proof of that!
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Dear Ashley,
Sonia is a little ball of fire. These 100 words are but a snippet of a three hour conversation. Alas, there are fewer and fewer survivors to remind us.
Thank you for your affirming comments.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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“Silence kills”. Two words that tore my heart apart. There is so much truth in those two words. What a powerful piece you’ve penned. Well done.
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Dear Jade,
And it’s fear that keeps us silent. BTW Welcome to Friday Fictioneers. 😉
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thank you for the welcome, Rochelle! I’ve done Friday Fictioneers before but my participation has been on-and-off. Hopefully, I’ll be more of a regular now! 🙂
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So many ways to read those two words, “Silence kills”. What frightens me is how easy it is to be silent. Even against the comparatively minor horrors we witness in “the West” today, and the comparatively small dangers we’d face in confronting them, silence is always the easier path. Thank you for speaking up, and for encouraging others to do the same.
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Dear Jen,
It’s hard to come away from a conversation with someone like Sonia and not feel convicted. It’s easy and “safe” to remain silent and hard to take a stand. Whenever the muse moves, or the opportunity arises, I will share these stories. My own small way of reminding. Never again!
Thank you for your encouraging comment.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Have to agree with Jen. It seems people either keeps silent about the really important things or blab non-stop about minutiae or annoying things. Well-written as always.
janet
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Dear Janet,
It’s so nice to see you here. Very true statement. There’s a lot of blabbering going on these days, isn’t there?
Thank you for taking the time to read and comment.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Gripping story, Rochelle and well written. Talking about such horrible events is a tough road, but silence must be worse. I imagine it would so hard to hang on to that despair and not be able to voice it to anyone. That must have been quite an experience to have had this interview.
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Dear Amy,
‘Quite an experience’ is a bit of understatement. Her story is gripping and she’ll tell anyone who will listen. As she says, she feels it’s her mission to speak for those who can’t. It was an honor in any case.
Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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The human race is not showing many signs of improvement, but we must go on protesting about this.
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Dear Hilary,
I don’t think we really learn much from history. But I’ll keep banging away at this one. 😉
Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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What could I possibly say after that…..
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’nuff said, Dawn. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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When I was still in high school, my class interviewed an elderly man who survived the Holocaust. His stories would never be in a history book either, but I will never ever forget what he told us that day. I hope you get to tell her story someday. More than just these glorious 99 words.
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Dear Melony,
This is actually a shortened version of a longer interview I did with her. It’s published in a local paper. Sonia also speaks to school classes. She’s made a difference in so many lives.
Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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This is a powerful piece of writing. Sadly we seem not to be learning from the horror of the past.
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Dear Mike,
It’s true that we don’t learn much from history…sad. Thank you for your kind words re my story.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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That was so powerful, Rochelle. I am glad she was able to tell the story and that you shared it.
I can see much more to come from this short piece.
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Dear Mary,
Much has been written…my piece really is a drop in the dwindling bucket. There is a documentary being made about this great little lady they call “Big Sonia.”
Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I pray God gives Sonia many more opportunities to speak as their advocate. Rochelle, you always impact me with your writing…100 words or an entire book! Carry on, friend!
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Dear Chris,
It always thrills me when you show up to comment. I know we don’t connect often, but it’s my hope that perhaps one of these days Troop 499 will meet for a hug and talk through the night sessions.
Thank you for your sweet words my dear friend.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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That was a deeply moving story, one that’s about something that’s so unspeakably awful, it haunts and horrifies me afresh every single time I hear about, or read, about yet another life that was broken.
Beautifully distilled, tightly-paced story, Rochelle!
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Dear Vijaya,
The interview actually lasted three hours and it’s difficult to determine who interviewed whom. She’s a lovely lady and not the least bit shy about sharing her experiences. Thank you for your affirming comments.
Shalom,
YFBM Rochelle
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Heart-breaking. Her voice is powerful – the emotions carried so vividly by the snippets of details she tells. Brilliant.
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Dear Margaret,
At one point she apologized for her English. We assured her that she was doing just fine.
Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Very moving and upsetting, brilliantly conveyed in only 100 words. It makes you feel so lucky to have been born into a life cocooned from such atrocities.
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Dear Mike,
The chilling thing in all of this is how subtly the Holocaust came into play. At one point she noted that highly cultured people didn’t believe it could happen…all the way to the gas chamber. I do feel fortunate…and wary.
Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Painful to read, but necessary. We each have a part to play in preventing this from ever happening again. “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.”
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Dear Steve,
Truer words were never spoken. Thank you for taking the time to read and comment.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Very powerful. As long as someone remembers, it will never be forgotten.
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Dear Ali,
“Never Again.” We can only hope. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Will such unfounded hatred ever die? If it’s not Jews it’s Muslims or Christians – my clergyman father taught that we all worship the same God in different ways, none of which are wrong.
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Dear Liz,
I fear that as long as there are humans, baseless hatred will abound.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Dear Jackie C.,
Were you sitting on a pillow in that photo with Sonia? Enough with the short jokes already. The horror of witnessing such brutality and senseless slaughter would have to give a person nightmares for a lifetime. God Bless her, and I’m happy you got to interview her. Keep telling the world.
Pants on Fire
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Dear POF,
There are a few adults in this world–granted, not many–who are shorter than I. Short jokes don’t bother me, I’ve heard them since kindergarten where I was called Small Fry by my classmates.
As long as there’s bref in my body I’ll keep telling. 😉
Thank you and shalom,
Jackie C.
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Very moving, never be silent.
Tracey
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Thank you, Tracey.
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Dear Rochelle,
Speechless. What a powerful piece of history told by one who saw. I can’t imagine witnessing such things and not losing one’s mind.
Once again, dear Rochelle, you’ve done it once again.
Dale
xo
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Dear Dale,
I’m sure there are many who did lose their minds. I can’t imagine it either. Sonia is my hero.
Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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gees… powerful and horrifying. Thank you Rochelle for posting this.
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Thank you for your affirming comments, Laurie.
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Thank God for giving her the power to tell those stories and for your to write it. The eyes digging trenches is a beautiful and heart-wrenching visual.
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Dear Ansumani,
I couldn’t think of any other way to describe how I felt listening to her. I’m glad that worked.
Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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bless her heart. we need more like her.
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Amen and thank you, Plaridel. Alas there are fewer and fewer like her.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Very moving! I’ve read a lot about it. At one stage, my son was too much into reading the disturbing accounts of holocaust and Auschwitz…had done full research on it. No one can/ should forget!
Namaste! Shalom!!
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Dear Alka,
What makes one race think they’re better than another or have more right to live is something I’ll never understand. Thank you for reading and commenting.
Shalom and Namaste,
Rochelle
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This saddens me so. Thank you for giving this lady a voice.
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Thank you for the kind words, Jenn.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Wonderful you are telling the stories, Rochelle. Congrats on the success of your books.
Lily
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Thank you on both counts, Lily.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Horrific. What a strong, sane woman to live through that and not go stark raving mad from the sheer evil. We must never be silent.
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Dear Jan,
No argument. Sonia is one helluva woman. And as so many survivors die off someone has to keep the message alive. Never again!
Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Really powerful, Rochelle. Nicely done.
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Thank you very much, Claire. 😀
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How morbid the truth can be…moving piece, Rochelle. Sonia is right – silence is acceptance, tolerance of unethical practice. Speak out against hate. Strive to stand up for what is right.
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Dear Angela,
The truth is unbelievable. It’s appalling to see the inhumanity that some humans are capable of.
Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Powerful words. Is there a link for the interview?
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Thank you, Subroto. As yet there isn’t a link to the full interview. I will try to remember to let you know when there is.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Wonderful interview. It is a reminder of how hate can transform any society – cultured or uncultured. These are indeed words to remember ‘Read! Know the history. We are only visiting this universe for a short time. Respect each other.’.
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Hi Rochelle.You use very powerful words. Moving. Horrifying how people can be so cruel. Are they human?
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Dear Indira,
I don’t understand such cruelty either. I certainly don’t know how anyone can commit such heinous acts and call themselves human. Thank you, as always, for your affirming comments.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Shalom dear.
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Dear Rochelle,
Bit lost for words…that’s so heartbreaking and a good reminder that we never really know the full/real horrors of what goes on, Only what we’re shown.
Thank you and apologies for late viewings, time is not on my side right now.
Hugs,
Heidi 🙂
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Dear Heidi,
No need to apologize. I’m late getting around myself this week. I see that you’re up to your dance togs in SpamALot. 😉 I’ve had a rather trying week myself.
Thank you for stopping by to read and comment.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Dear Rochelle
The problem with my hand and arm remains unchanged.
It has been diagnosed as a trapped and/or damaged nerve, as yet unidentified.
Tests continue, as does the near paralysis of the hand.
Please forward my apologies for non-response to your other contributors.
Thank you, m’lady
Hugs
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Dear CE,
I will be sure pass that along.
Hugs and shalom,
Rochelle
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