Yanina Cywinska was only 10 years old when forced into Auschwitz with her parents. Of polish decent and Catholic beliefs, she and her family were punished for sympathizing with the Jews. Her father, a doctor, was called upon to treat a Nazi who worked in a Jewish ghetto. There he witnessed inexcusable treatment of Jewish families. He set up an underground system of aid, in which Yanina played an active part. When discovered, her father was savagely beaten and the family sent to the infamous concentration camp.
Yesterday, Yanina shared her story with eighth graders at Gateway Middle School. She pulled no punches and described unspeakable horrors, as well as her own countless brushes with death. “Dying from a bullet would have been much better than starving,” she said. “I was a skeleton.”
Peppering her stories with humor and wit, Yanina warmed to the students and they to her. She spoke of first loves, dreams deferred, and her passion for dancing. She also shared about the indomitable Gerta, who kept her safe on more than occasion: quieting her cries when they were supposed to be dead, comforting her after the loss of both her parents, and then even after liberation. “When I came to America, I once walked out to the [Golden Gate] bridge and thought of jumping,” she chuckled. “I had one leg over the rail and heard Gerta’s voice in my head, ‘I went through all the trouble to save your life, and now you’re going to finish the job for the Nazi’s?’”
When she opened the floor to questions, a silently respectful room began to stir. One student: “What was harder: the emotional or the physical pain?” Another: “What kept you going through all of these experiences?” And finally: “Do you have any lingering resentment?”
To which she replied, “You don’t know how much strength you have. I wasn’t going to let six years of Nazis destroy my future.”
For this, her humor, her resilience and her kindness, Gateway Middle School 8th graders spontaneously rose to their feet and applauded. Her strength and courage spoke volumes and produced a palpable gratitude amongst all those in attendance.
May we all take a moment this weekend and reflect on the many sacrifices that have been made on our behalf. #HappyMemorialDay