Report on Miriam Grossman

Introduction

A survivor of the Holocaust, Miriam Grossman is no stranger to hardship. Miriam Grossman was born to Jewish parents on May 8, 1916. She grew up with nine brothers and sisters in a small village in Poland. Now, 81 years later, she is a widow, a mother, and a grandmother. She lives in the Rose Blumkin nursing home, where she shares a rather spacious room, decorated with family photos, a dresser, and a television which Miriam watches with the sound off as not to disturb anyone. She has one son and three grandchildren whom she doesn't see very often because they live too far away. Miriam was happily married for 42 years to a machine engineer.

Topical Areas

Healthy to Miriam, is when one can accomplish something. She does not see herself as healthy. This is mainly due to the fact that she must spend most of her time lying down. She is completely deaf in one ear, and blind in one eye. This affects her balance, so when she does get out and about, she must use a walker.

Loneliness is an issue for Miriam. Being born in another country, she doesn't know many people. Miriam described her fellow residents at the Rose Blumkin home as friendly, but they are not her friends. She sees the Blumkin home as being a place to get well, not a place to look for friends. Miriam admits that she is lonely, but says she would never put herself over someone unless it was mutual. Miriam finds that her health prevents her from being active. She says she cannot enjoy much because she must spend most of her time lying down. She is greatful for her television because it is something that catches her attention.

Economics has never played an important part in Miriam's life. Her goal was never to have lots of money, but to be independent, to survive. Miriam didn't worry 1   about money then, and she doesn't worry about money now. She appears to be finanically stable, receiving Social Security from her husband. Miriam says she has always tried to live simple and not complain. She appreciates what she has.

An event that stands out most of all in Miriam's life is the Holocaust. She is a survivor of the Holocaust. She was nearly 20 years old when World War II began. She remembers the Nazis separating the Jews from the Germans, and herding the Jews off like animals to a ghetto where they were shut off from the rest of the world. She remembers sleeping on the floor, not knowing what was going to happen to her or her family. She remebers Nazis beating Jews for no reason, and Jews being taken away and never seen again. Miriam's parents both died of malnutrition during the Holocaust. Miriam now considers them lucky because they were not gassed. Miriam remembers men and women being divided into two groups; those who were useful who thusand shipped to factories and put to work, and those who were useless who were stripped and shipped off to their final shower. Miriam was one of the useful ones who was shipped to the factory where she made airplane parts. Miriam not only lost her parents and siblings during the Holocaust, but she lost ten years of her life. When the war was over, Miriam ended up in Austria working as a nurse in a Displaced Person camp. There she met and married her husband in 1947, and later had her son Alex. In 1949 Miriam and her family came to the United States with nothing, not even the ability to speak English. Miriam said it was a horrible time during the war, not because she wanted it to be, but because it was Hitler's job to eliminate her. Miriam said she learned a lot about people and their character during the Holocaust. She feels she is very knowledgeable. Another important event that stands out in Miriam's life is her proper upbringing. She believes it was her upbringing that instilled in her a desire to help others. She said she tries to be of use to humanity. She values the moral things in life, not the material things.

Summary

Miriam is a very charming lady, whose desire to help others is very prominent. I feel I have learned a great deal from Miriam, not only about the Holocaust, but about life itself. I left my interview with Miriam thirsty for knowledge and longing to help others and do right. Two primary things I learned from this interview was that one can learn a valuable lesson from those who have experienced life, and that one should help others to the best of their abilities. I feel that Miriam has truly lived life; she is a walking history book. Miriam's true strength is her desire to help others. I truly enjoyed my interview with Miriam. I found her to be a very intriguing womean, whom I can learn a lot from. I have been back to visit Miriam numerous times, and I plan to continue my visits. She has instilled in me a desire to learn more about everything around me, and I thank her for that.