Frieda

'Life in the Shadow of the Swastika' Frieda Roos-van Hessen

09/24/2006

'Life in Shadow' emerges

Story recalls peril of Dutch Jews

By MARTA HEPLER DRAHOS
Record-Eagle staff writer

TRAVERSE CITY — Frieda Roos-van Hessen can recall with startling clarity the day in 1940 when her family's life changed.

Sleeping soundly after having given a concert the night before, she awoke at 2 a.m. to her brother's screaming. German war planes were racing over her family's home in Amsterdam on their way to bomb Schipol, Holland's biggest airport.

"We flew to the basement of the house and from that moment on, we were at war," said Roos-van Hessen, now an American citizen.

A former concert and opera singer, Roos-van Hessen was 25 and at the threshold of a successful career when the Nazis invaded Holland during World War II. At 19, she sang the lead for the Dutch version of Walt Disney's "Snow White." At 24, she was the soloist in a performance of Verdi's "Requiem" for the Dutch royal family.

For the complete story, click here: http://archives.record-eagle.com/2006/sep/24holocaust.htm

Autobiography of Frieda Roos-Van Hessen: Life in the Shadow of the Swastika

Which Bus Are You On?

The Potter’s House, UCC

October 1, 2006

Rev. Corey Sanderson

Which bus are you on?

This past Friday I took my ethics class to hear Frieda Roos-van Hessen – one of the few remaining Holocaust survivors. At 91, she spoke for an hour and a half about the atrocities she experienced; the betrayals by friends and neighbors, the murder of her family members, and the 4 years of living in fear of being caught and killed. It was an amazing story.

Back in class, I asked the students to share their thoughts. “Ethics is the study of making right and wrong choices,” I prodded, thinking this would be a slow pitch. “How might Frieda’s story help us reflect on those who made the ‘wrong’ choices?”

One student said, “It’s real sad, but there were just too many people who thought the Jews should be killed. That’s just how it goes.” Thinking this was merely an under-developed opinion I asked what others thought. One after another they confirmed it; there were just too many people to do anything.

“Just following orders?” I prodded. “Yeah” someone said.

Now, with an obvious level of disappointed irritation in my voice, I said, “No one is going to say this was wrong?” Silence. “That’s the ethical cop-out,” I said. “If you can’t say rounding up 6 million people and killing them because of their religious belief, sexual orientation, physical or mental abilities, is wrong, then you are not an ethical person. You are a chicken. And the world doesn’t need any more chickens. The world needs more ethical people who are willing to stand up for what they believe in and make a difference. And hopefully that difference includes concern for the lives of other people.”

I realized that what I was trying to say to them was, “I think you’re on the wrong bus.”

For more of this story, Click Here:

http://www.pottershouseucc.org/Assets/sermons/061008sermon.pdf

Life in the Shadow of the Swastika by Holocaust survivor, Frieda Roos-Van Hessen, is available in limited quantities.