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The next photo is the PROMPT. Remember, all photos are property of the photographer, donated for use in Friday Fictioneers only. They shouldn’t be used for any other purpose without express permission. It is proper etiquette to give the contributor credit.
PHOTO PROMPT © Alicia Jamtaas
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Genre: Historical Fiction
Word Count: 100
JUNE 12, 1943
“My little girl is a young woman.” Papa kissed Rutka’s cheek. “Happy fourteenth birthday!”
“I’ll never see my fifteenth.”
His reassuring smile didn’t reach his eyes. “Our God will protect you.”
“Will He? He allows innocent babies to have their heads smashed in while grandmothers are deported to the death camps.”
Rutka longed to go outside without a yellow star on her dress—to romp among fragrant flowers and trees.
“I’m young in age but old in experience,” she wrote in her diary. “The rope around us is getting tighter and tighter. Despite all these atrocities, I want to live…”
Rochelle Wisoff-Fields-Addicted to Purple 
Lest we forget
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Indeed.
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Touching tale, m’lady
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Thank you, CE.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Your story, and the teardrop in the frog’s eye led me to a sad tale.
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Dear Reena,
It is a sad one. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thank you!
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The reality of what is written in Rutka’s diary is heartbreaking. We can’t afford to forget times like that or allow others to forget. It’s especially important now that the lives of many of those who lived through it are ending. We can’t let the hatred of many today continue to spread. This is a story that’s well-written, Rochelle, and stresses that fact. —- Suzanne
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Dear Patricia,
Your words are affirming and true. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Touching story. Thank you for helping to keep all of the memories alive.
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Dear Trent,
The stories are non-ending, aren’t they? Keeping the memory alive is one of my life missions. Seems a small thing. But it’s something I can do. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Dear Rochelle,
A snippet that brings another true story to life. It is important to keep putting names out there and you do it so well.
Shalom and lotsa love to never forget,
Dale
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Dear Dale,
Perhaps I’m a little obsessive in my mission. On the other hand, I don’t think so. With so many survivors leaving this world…Thank you for your kind words.
Shalom and lotsa unforgettable hugs,
Rochelle
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Someone has to!
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It really does make one question God…
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Dear Tanille,
I’d say there are many questions for God.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Dear Rochelle,
Thank you for letting us see and hear a girl named Rutka. Who can understand the heart of man? We are capable of so much good and so much evil, especially towards children in and out of the womb.
Shalom,
Dora
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Dear Dora,
it’s mind boggling to me what human beings can do to other human beings. Thank you for your affirming comments.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Another cry out for freedom amongst the many who perished in the Holocaust atrocities. May we never forget, so it doesn’t happen again. Touching story.
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Dear Jan,
I fear we’ve forgotten way too much. Despite photos and reports, there are still deniers. SMH. Thank you for your support, m’luv.
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It’s hard not to come to the conclusion that God seems to have suffered a dereliction of duty a few times over the few thousand years, none more so than here.
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Dear Iain,
Yet there are stories of great faith during that time, despite the horrors. Nonetheless…
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I didn’t want to google Rutka but I did. Another story we can’t afford to lose. Thank you for bringing it to me.
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Dear Jen,
I probably should have posted a link. Although Anne Frank is the most famous, there were many youngsters who kept diaries. Thank you for taking the time.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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So very sad. And so very many similarly sad stories. Keep up the fight, Rochelle.
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Dear Sandra,
Too many stories…too many of them dying with the victims. Thank you for your encouraging words.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I love it when you post these little historical snippets. They humanize the horror, and make us remember–and they should be making us pay attention to politics.
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Dear Linda,
But have we learned from the horrors? Thank you for your encouraging words. I will continue on.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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We clearly have not. The effort in America today to forbid free speech is horrifying to me.
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Thank goodness people such as yourself keep these stories alive. Thank you, Rochelle.
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What a lovely thing to say, Keith. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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That is the true purpose of writing historical fiction__to keep alive memories of the horrors inflicted bt man upon man. What a touchingly written story, Rochelle.
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Dear Neel,
Your words affirm and encourage me. Thank you so much.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thank you for sharing this story. May we never forget.
Shalom.
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Amen, Anne.
Thank you for the encouragement. 😀
Shalom,
Rochelle
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A tough reality for too many past and present. If only we’d stop committing atrocities on each other we might have a chance.
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Dear Lisa,
I fear that as long as there are humans, atrocities will happen. We can only hope other humans will take a stand against injustice. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Rochelle, wise words.
Shalom,
Lisa
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So many people….. Thank you for sharing Rutka’s story.
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Dear Lish,
As soon as I saw your photo I knew where I was going. It was only a matter of whose story. 😉 Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Other than the obvious comparisons to Anne Frank, this reminds me of a movie I saw on PBS called “God On Trial.” It was based on Elie Wiesel’s book “The Trial Of God.” A group of men in a concentration camp held a trial for God for breaking his covenant with the Jewish people. It must be hard to maintain one’s faith in anything in the face of such evil.
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Dear Nobbin,
I read “Night” where Mr. Wiesel speaks of his lack of faith after what happened. I’ve not read the other.
Ironically, Rutka and Anne Frank were born on the same day. How sad they both died young at the hands of monsters. Hence the obvious comparisons.
Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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The early descriptions in “Night” of Nazi soldiers throwing up infants and shooting them will stay with me forever.
Very interesting, they were born on the same day.
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I wish no child ever had such a worries.
Shalom, Ronda
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Dear Ronda,
I agree 100%. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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So sad, words fail me Rochelle
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Such a heartbreak, and yet we seem to never learn. I lost my faith in humans long time ago.
P.S. Dear Rochelle, its been awhile and I wanted to post the story today, but I can’t figure out all the changes in WordPress. I don’t see a notification for number of words, everything is looking so different. I can’t belive I was away for so long. Hopefully I will figure it out.
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Hi Loré,
It has been a while. WordPress has been pushing their new editor which most of us hate. Try going to your dashboard and at the top of the page where it says “Add New” there should be a drop down menu that gives you the option of “Classic Editor.” That’s what I do. I hope this helps. I’m looking forward to reading your story.
As for my story, we don’t seem to have learned much in all these years have we? Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thank you.
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Awww, ya know these stories pull my heart strings. Sigh… It is a good one. I like the picture, too. We’re getting heavy snow outside the window, and just down the street it’s raining ice. hopefully I can get back to post something.
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Dear Bear,
Ice and frigid temps with snow here, too. I’ve become a bit of hermit. Thank you for reading and leaving a comment.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Took 3 hrs to get home, left right after I commented. Hubby’s work closed early (1st time ever!). Woke up to a new band of snow this morning. Roads in better shape, though. Amen! I’ve got to go edit my story to add my linky paragraph.
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Such awful things for children to live through.
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So true, Liz. Sadly, too many of them didn’t live.
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You’ve written a powerful story there. It’s appalling that it’s true.
Shalom
Penny
xx
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Dear Penny,
Thank you for such an affirming comment. Appalling indeed.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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i’d been to the auschwitz, birkenau, and mauthausen concentration camps and the holocaust museum in washington, d.c. i still couldn’t comprehend how men were capable of such evil. then again perhaps others allowed them to.
***
First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Socialist Then they came fof the Trade Unionists, and I did not out speak out— Because I was not a Trade Unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me— And there was no one left to speak for me. —Martin Niemöller (1892-1984)
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Dear Plaridel,
I’d really like (wrong word) to visit the camps, just to see them. I did visit Yad V’shem, the Holocaust museum in Jerusalem. An experience I’ll not soon forget…if ever. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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It’s terribly sad that she didn’t after all make it to her fifteenth birthday, but I’m glad she wrote down what it was like to live those months under the Nazi Germany occupation of Poland. We need those voices or else others will forget even deny. Thank you for writing these stories!
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Dear Brenda,
Fortunately for the rest of us, Rutka left her diary with a good friend who finally shared it with the rest of the world. Tragic stories abound, don’t they? Thank you for your encouraging words.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Dear Rochelle,
This was such a heartwrenching story. When I read you story and saw her, I immediately thought of Anne Frank another young and precious life lost. I’m thankful that they both kept diaries.
Thank you for telling Rutka’s story. Stories like hers need to be told, lest we forget.
Shalom,
Adele
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Heartbreaking and horrifying. What a thing for a young woman to live through.
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Dear Laurie,
Sadly, she didn’t live through it. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Oh even more heartbreaking!
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Such a tragic and terrifying time.
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Yes it was, Ali. Thank you for reading.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Beautifully written. Thank you for continuing to remind us. Now the numbers of survivors are dwindling, even more important.
Here the UK Holocaust Educational Trust used to provide many first-hand speakers to schools throughout the UK and now also puts efforts into training two representatives for any school that wants to take part. My son visited Auschwitz during a 36 hour round trip and then later took part in teaching younger children at his school. It isn’t the same as first-hand accounts, but it keeps the flame alive and the work continues to be funded.
Thankfully many of the Jewish children who made it here to the UK on Kinder Transport survived and thrived – my local Member of Parliament who is now Lord Dubbs escaped Czechoslovakia and has dedicated his life to fighting for refugees everywhere.
As an obsessive I’d say you are is good company Rochelle!
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Dear Miranda,
Kudos to your son and you for helping to keep the flame lit. While I’m not the child of holocaust survivors I knew many growing up. My grandparents came here to escape the pogroms in Eastern Europe around the turn of the 20th century. My mom spoke of relatives they lost during WW2 that Grampa was working to bring over. All communication ceased quite suddenly. It doesn’t take a great historian to figure that one out, does it?
Thank you for your kind words re my writing and your affirmative comments re my mission. I’m thankful for folks like your Lord Dubbs and others like him.
Shalom and may we never forget,
Rochelle
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A sad period in history. The Polish Home Army – Resistance as they were called – fought back. There were many young women executed for their part Helena Marusarzowna being one amongst many.
I visited Bergen-Belsen during my time in Germany and by doing so, it was the scale and the numbers involved that becomes real and apparent.
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Dear James,
I know how I feel looking at pictures of the camps and the emotion that surged through me at Yad V’shem. I can only imagine what physically standing in one of the vacant camps would be like.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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As it happens, I just read a book by Nelofer Pazira, “A Bed of Red Flowers”, published in 2005. Her anger so much resembles Rutka’s that I am torn back again to Afghanistan under the Soviets, which so much reminded me of stories of Poland under the Nazis. And then when the Soviets got tired of being hated, they left it to the various mujahedin and Taliban warlords to bomb Kabul to gain religious and political control. Everyone suffered, but for her the worst was against women instead of Jews (instead of wearing a star, they had to wear a burqa and could not leave the house without a man’s permission, even if they were sick and needed the hospital or starving and needed to find food). It just never seems to stop, no matter how much we write about it.
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Dear Genia,
Sadly there seems to be no limit of what humans can do to other humans. Thank you for reading.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Well done as always, dear Rochelle.
Am late into the writing prompt this week, but better late than never, especially when one can have a chance to catch up. Something so many in WWII did not have.
May we never forget.
Na’ama
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Na’ama Y’karah,
You’re always welcome no matter when you’re able to show up. 😉 Amen. May we never forget. ❤
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Yes, Rochelle,
Listening to you read this reminded me of reading Viktor Frankl’s book, “Man’s Search for Meaning” many years ago. I also read “Night” years later.
Love the last four words, “…I want to live…”
Peace (whenever possible),
Bill
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Dear Bill,
Truly, my voice is a drop in the bucket. Much has been written. Much has been forgotten or, worse, ignored. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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A moving and humbling story Rochelle. Thank you for sharing it.
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Thank you for your affirming comment, Francine.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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A sad and touching story Rochelle. It is an amazing coincidence that Anne Frank and Ruta Laskier were born on the same day – June 12, 1929. And it’s only been less than 80 years since they were murdered. I wonder if the world has really learnt a lesson?
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Dear Subroto,
It is amazing the two girls were born the same day…and unbeknownst to each other made their mark on the world. No. I don’t think the world has learned a thing. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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