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PHOTO PROMPT © Dale Rogerson
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As fewer and fewer Holocaust survivors remain in our midst, it seems easier to forget. It’s not taught in schools and increasing numbers of misinformed believe the Holocaust never happened.
INTERVIEW WITH PRISONER A5714
Remember Robert Clary as LeBeau of Stalag 13? Hogan’s shortest hero? The connoisseur of French cuisine.
He reminisces about the rabbi who helped him study for his Bar Mitzvah. “He smelled of schmaltz, herring, onion and garlic.”
“Ah food.”
He shrugs. “In Buchenwald we had little to eat. I sang for the prisoners and sometimes the chef in the kitchen gave me an extra piece of bread.”
“What’s your greatest achievement? Performing?”
“No. I’m most proud to have spent twenty years keeping the memory of the Holocaust alive. Warning against man’s inhumanity. While I am living, I have to tell.”
Rochelle Wisoff-Fields-Addicted to Purple 
A tale that needs re-telling, m’lady
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Dear CE,
As long as there’s breath in my body, presence of mind and dexterity in my fingers I will tell and re-tell. Thank you, kind sir.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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incredibly deep!
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Thank you, Reena.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Dear Rochelle,
In your inimitable way, you’ve shared an important piece of history. There are fewer and fewer survivors left to tell the truth. It’s a good thing they have you to share them.
Shalom and Lotsa love to remember,
Dale
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Dear Dale,
As I told CE, as long as I can, I’ll tell and retell. Thank you. 😀
Shalom and lotsa memorable hugs,
Rochelle
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As you should. We need ad many voices as we can get.
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And to think, people claim the Holocaust never happened. Shame on them.
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I am always stunned when I hear those words.
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Lest we forget
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Truth, Neil.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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If we don’t tell, no one will know…
There are many untold tales…
Hope there never is such horror again & we get to share nice stories.
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Dear Anita,
I fear if we forget there will be more horror stories to tell. Sadly, there are in other places. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Ah yes, I remember him on Hogan’s Heroes as well as on Days of Our Lives. And no, I don’t watch soaps any longer 🙂
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Dear Dee,
I had no idea he’d been in a soap. He was a cutie in Hogan’s Heroes.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Oh yes, many years on Days. Just looked up his bio, seems he was in two others as well – The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful.
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Rochelle,
Unfortunately you are all too right about the need to continue teaching and the extent to which we don’t. Thank you for sharing this story.
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Dear Anne,
When I find them, I share them. 😉 Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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The stories of the past need to go forth. Tearing down statues, revising textbooks does not ‘change’ history.
Thank you for sharing this. 5 stars
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Dear Mary,
I agree with you 100%. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I used to watch reruns as a kid, but obviously didn’t understand what really happened during the war. And I didn’t realize that Robert Clary was a Holocaust survivor. Even with their numbers growing fewer, lets hope they are never forgotten.
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Dear Trent,
My mom had a penchant for apprising me of which of my favorite stars were Jewish. I knew Robert Clary was but the story I’d gotten from her was that he fought in the French resistance. Turns out it was his sister who did. So this was something of an education for me. I’m appalled by how many deniers there are. Frightened by them, actually. Thank you for reading and commenting.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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It can never be remembered enough. It’s still taught in schools over here. I think part of the problem is the further away it gets in the past, the harder it is to emphasise the scale and horror of what happened. The more stories that are shared the better.
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Dear Iain,
It warms my heart that it’s still being taught in schools somewhere. It should be everywhere. I think the films the Nazis made of the camps and bodies being piled into communal graves need to shown. You know me, I’ll share them whenever I can. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I love this. That Clary survived the camps was amazing, but even more so were the three Jewish actors John Banner, Leon Askin, and Werner Kleperer donning Nazi uniforms and playing Germans. I understand Klemperer had reservations about it, but the fact that show’s Germans were such bumbling fools convinced him to do it. This is yet another show that would never get made today. Even then it was a hard sell, but Stalag 17 and The Great Escape showed that Americans liked POW stories. Well told.
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Dear Josh,
You might remember I did a John Banner story a few years back. He actually served some time in a camp early on, before they became death camps. (who nu?) I’ve always thought it had to have been cathartic for them to play the Nazis as bumbling fools.
At any rate thank you for reading, commenting and complimenting. 😀
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I did recall that! He had a long, long career including a bit part in a 1942 Cary Grant movie.
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A great story that needs to be continually told. A newscaster conducted a pole of younger people and found a very large percent had never heard of, or knew about the Holocaust and the atrocities of the war. Destroying works of art makes it easier to not remember or deal with it. Forget history and you are doomed to repeat it. Keep on reminding us.
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Dear Jan,
You know you get no arguments from me. Thanks for reading and commenting, m’luv. ❤
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It never fails to shock me when I learn of people who don’t believe the holocaust happened. Thanks to you and many others, we shall never forget. When we begin to forget, that’s when it will happen again.
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Dear Eric,
I can’t believe how the deniers can justify their beliefs. But then, they’re probably flat earthers, too. Thank you for your affirming comments.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Dear Rochelle,
I’ve been reading the Gulag Archipelago by Solzhenitsyn and in it he says:
“The line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between classes, nor between political parties either – but right through every human heart…even within hearts overwhelmed by evil, one small bridgehead of good is retained. And even in the best of all hearts, there remains…an uprooted small corner of evil.
Thanks to ideology the twentieth century was fated to experience evildoing calculated on a scale in the millions.
Alas, all the evil of the twentieth century is possible everywhere on earth. Yet, I have not given up all hope that human beings and nations may be able, in spite of all, to learn from the experience of other people without having to go through it personally.”
From what you’ve written it seems Robert Clary was one of those who did not give up this hope. Timely story. Thank you for sharing and may your heart be comforted by all the achievements toward peace recently made in the Mideast.
Shalom,
Dora
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Wow! Thank you, Dora.
Shalom alayich,
Rochelle
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Here in the UK, they seem to be doing whatever they can to blot out history. Statues are being torn down, buildings renamed. What chance is there of future generations knowing what heinous things happened in the past?
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Dear Keith,
It’s very much the same story here. Tragic. While I agree some statues should perhaps be moved to museums with plaques explaining why the person wasn’t a hero, the destruction of property…well, nuff said. Thank you for coming by.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Very good. You’ve structured this story very cleverly. (I loved Hogan’s Heroes when I was a child. My surname was Hogan, ergo my nickname was ‘Heroes’ at school.)
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Thank you to the former Miss Hogan. 😉
Shalom,
Rochelle
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The Holocaust isn’t taught in schools? How is that possible? I had to look it up. It’s only required in 9 states. That’s ridiculous.
I know diluted people can deny anything, The Holocaust, the moon landing, Sandy Hook school shooting… It’s still beyond my understanding. The Holocaust doesn’t seem like something we have to remember. It seems like it should be burned in our collective psyche. It happened before my parents were born, and I know I’ll never forget. It’s horrible that we still need those reminders, “Warning against man’s inhumanity.”
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Dear Nobbin,
9 states out of 50? We should hang our heads in shame. I was born just a few years after the Holocaust. The memory of it hung heavily over my head in our home. I’m grateful my mother tenaciously reminded me.
Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Powerful story. You’re right: we need to make sure it’s never forgotten so nothing like it happens again.
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Thank you, Joshua and amen.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Here’s to hope and the human spirit and to determination to never ever stop speaking about the horrors that ought not be forgotten. Lest they be repeated. Especially when there are those who are actively invested in making people forget. Not on our watch!
Left my contribution, milder in every aspect …
Shalom and may we keep history and its untold stories, told.
Na’ama
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Na’ama Y’karah,
I like that. Not on our watch. I’ll keep doing my part to remind as long as my fingers, mind and lungs work. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Yes. Yes. and Yes!
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Poignant take on the prompt; I heard recently that a good percentage of Millennials have not heard of these atrocities or consider the Holocaust a hoax.
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Dear Paula,
Yes, it was an elaborate hoax. How clever of all those Jews to tattoo their own arms and stage film footage and photos. 😦 I’m appalled at the deniers and those who are just plain ignorant through lack of education. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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You do well to tell the story of the evil that was the holocaust… May the breeze always carry the words of evil deeds in its hands,
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Dear Michael,
Thank you for such an affirming and lovely comment.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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LeBeau was a universal favorite, but then I think most of the other characters were, too.
It is appalling to me that the Holocaust is not taught in history classes any more. It surely was taught in my history classes. Every student left my classroom understanding that man’s inhumanity toward man has a long and ugly history. And denial is always a part of it.
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Dear Linda,
I honestly don’t remember how much of the Holocaust I learned in school and how much I learned at home and from extended family. My mother’s boss was a survivor. Of course when we were born it was more recent past, wasn’t it? I’m appalled by the denial and forgetfulness. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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We touched on it lightly in high school, but it was my dad who really told me a lot, and I’ve always been an avid reader of historical fiction.
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Lest we never forget Rochelle, beautifully poignant as ever.
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Thank you, Shrawley. No, let us never forget.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Keep teaching! Keep telling. People need to hear truth. Too often the horrors get swept under the rug. This was powerful! Thank you.
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Dear Inga,
As long as those stories are out there to be found, I will pass them along. Thank you for your encouraging words.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thanks for keeping that awful part of history alive!!!
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I try to do my part, Lish. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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We must never forget!😢 I remember reading The Diary of Anne Frank in school. It was required reading back then and I’m pleased to say my grand daughter is reading it this year in her high school class. Thank you for sharing another important history lesson with your story.
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Dear Sue,
There were so many Anne Franks. I’m glad you and your granddaughter are reading or have read it. Please don’t stop at that one. Surely we must never forget but I fear we are. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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it’s true indeed. never forget. thanks to those who keep the memory of the holocaust alive.
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Thank you for your encouraging words, Plaridel.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I like his answer. How can performing even begin to compete with the need to inform all of the horrors that occurred?
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Dear Sascha,
And those were his actual words. I watched an hourlong interview with him in which he spoke very little about Hogan’s Heroes. I liked his answer, too. So I had to share. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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What I find horrifying is, the wars & the holocaust was taught to me in school and we the people collectively swore never again but history repeats, it’s happening elsewhere in the world. Same story different people, blind eyes.
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Dear Tanille,
You are so correct. Other places. Other people. Same atrocities and genocide. Not to mention Antisemitism is rearing its ugly head once more. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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It’s horrifying to think that, once the last survivors are gone, this period of history could be lost or more widely disbelieved.
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Dear Ali,
It is indeed horrifying. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I can believe people deny the Holocaust. A German-American aunt of mine by marriage was a denier. My Dad had a hard time with her reasoning. His trying to reason with her was like talking to the wall. A lovely story of Robert Clary. We need more people like him. —- Suzanne
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Dear Suzanne,
I certainly don’t understand how someone of your aunt’s age could possibly have denied it. Thank you re my story.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Dear Rochelle
I hope and pray that every one of the stories you write about the Holocaust will help to keep the memory alive.
Shalom
Penny
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Dear Penny,
Thank you for such a wonderful comment. From your keyboard to God’s eyes.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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What a lovely way of putting it – “From your keyboard to God’s eyes.” Yes – Amen, amen!
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Dear Squirrelly Temple W(T)F,
A lot of great characters in that show. Can’t wait for your expose on John Banner (who was also born of Jewish parents).According to fellow Hogan’s Heroes actor Robert Clary, “John lost a lot of his family” to the Holocaust.
They say the nut doesn’t fall far from the wine work.
Happy painting,
Detective Lowry
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Dear Detective Lowry,
Quite a few Jewish actors in that show. I love the way they portrayed the Nazis as buffoons. Must’ve been somewhat cathartic. Perhaps you were off the grid that week. I did do a story re John Banner. 😉 https://rochellewisoff.com/2015/06/17/19-june-2015/
L’chaim,
Squirrely Temple W(T)F
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There will always be people who deny facts. Something seriously wrong with them, one assumes. Even now there are those who ‘don’t believe there’s a pandemic’. Crazy.
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Dear Liz,
It seems some people can look at the fact that the sky is blue and still insist it’s green.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I just finished watching a video of an interview with Robert Clary. I shudder at the thought that there are people who seek to convince others that the Holocaust didn’t happen. We must never forget the horror! Thank you, Rochelle, for your voice.
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Dear Brenda,
Watching an interview with him was the inspiration for this story. There were things about him I didn’t know. Loved it. Thank you for reading and taking time to know more. I hope my small voice does some good. 😉
Shalom,
Rochelle
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It shocks me that there are some horrible idiotic people who think it never happened. I studied European history in school HS and Uni. It’s horrifying to see it happening in real life once more… Every step a step closer. Great story this week Rochelle. (LeBeau was my favorite Hogans Heroes character)
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Dear Laurie,
I was born just 7 years after the liberation. The wounds were still fresh and we knew many survivors. How sad it’s being forgotten and, in many places, repeated. Why can’t we get it through our thick heads that human life is precious? ALL human life. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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❤❤❤
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Rochelle, I had no idea he was a Holocaust prisoner. Anyone who can live through something like that is tough and a living treasure.
Shalom,
Lisa
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Dear Lisa,
My mother made sure I knew he was Jewish and had survived the Nazis, but her story was that he’d been a French resistance fighter. Which actually was true of his sister. So this was kind of new to me, too. I agree with you. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Rochelle, you are welcome.
Shalom,
Lisa
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A shared piece of bread demonstrates humanity in the individual.
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Dear James,
Thankfully there are those who maintain their humanity. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I visited Buchenwald in the eighties. It wasn’t the bloody terrible weather that chilled me to the bone.
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Dear Rob,
I can well imagine the chill. Thank you for reading and commenting.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Is this based on a true survivor?
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Yes, Christine. Robert Clary, the interviewee is an actor and a Holocaust survivor.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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A tale that must continue to be told. In these days when history is being re-written on an almost daily basis, no matter how unpalatable, the story must go on. Beatifully done.
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Dear Sandra,
It frightens me (as a human and as a Jew) when I hear Holocaust deniers. History is history. We can’t change it by denying it, can we? Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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It’s horrifying to realize how much of history is rewritten and how much erased 😦
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Dear Dahlia,
I couldn’t agree with you more. Rewriting history doesn’t change it, does it? 😦
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Such an inspiring story Rochelle. Its so important to keep re-telling it.
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Thank you, Francine. I will retell whenever I can.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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This brings a lump to my throat, Rochelle. I too have noticed a disturbing trend to ignorance of the holocaust at best and worst, dismissing it or down playing the extent of the horror, to fit agendas. Quite honestly, that there are people in this day and age who can think that way, scares me rigid.
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Dear Michael,
I’m right there, scared rigid with you. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Good for him, Rochelle. He told a story which needed to be told. Another great and inspiring story.
Shalom,
Adele
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Thank you, Adele. 🙂
Shalom,
Rochelle
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You’re welcome, Rochelle 🙂
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Dear Rochelle,
You certainly do your part in telling stories that should never be forgotten!
Shalom,
Mags
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Thank you for your sweet words, Mags. I’m encouraged by them.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Glad to hear that, Rochelle. You are an engaging storyteller. 🙂
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😘
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Amazing story, I never knew he was a holocaust survivor. Must have taken courage to play a role in a fictional comedy set in a POW camp.
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Dear Subroto,
My mother told me back in the day that he was Jewish and had been a French resistance fighter. Actually his sister was. According to the interview I watched he had no problem playing LeBeau. He said, “it was acting and it wasn’t a concentration camp.”
Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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What a lovely prompt! Here’s my submission!
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Your style of re-telling is very touchy, dear Rochelle. I read somewhere, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
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