Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
Art Support
Julna Dorismond 805
Namra Khan 805
Sabrina Pierre 805
Yesinia Mendoza 805
Contributors
We, The Students Joshua Chery
Amy Con Morsheda Kabir
Anisur Rahman Mudassar Hussain
April Snape Osamah Bhatti
Bibi Morium Rehma Saleem
Briana Creese Rexford Goldbaum
Bryan Sanchez Robine Jean Pierre
Cayla Turner Rosario Mendoza
Damali McDonald Sabrina Armoogan
Desean Phillip Sason Mardukhayev
Destiny Perez Shammy Juerakhan
Edina Abuqattam Tseghe Simpson
Gerald Simon Usman Ali
Giorgi Gogilashvili Vanessa Martinez
Jannkheri Duke William Solomon
Joseph Chaudhary Zaira Khan
Table of Contents
Resources
Foreword
Ever since I was in high school, I have loved listening to the stories of family and
friends, and those around me. That inspired me to embark on a lifelong mission
to collect oral histories, create books, exhibits, films and public programs
highlighting the histories and artistry of everyday people.
The contributors to this work, middle school students at IS 62 Ditmas, are
already film makers, authors and oral historians. They have begun to explore
Studs Terkel, record their own oral histories and develop multimedia
presentations.
I am in awe of some of the poetry, narratives and engagement with oral history
this work demonstrates.
I welcome you as the next generation of listeners and writers.
Steve Zeitlin
Founding Director
City Lore
Illustration made by William Solomon 850
1. We, the Middle School Student Oral Historians-
A Lifetime of Loss
I interviewed my mom.
Bangladesh was fighting for its independence from Pakistan, when she was a
girl. My mom lost one family member in the war. She said that the soldiers
would take little babies to stomp them to death. One of her relatives died while
having tea at a diner. Soldiers were always patrolling the streets. There was
always the possibility of death.
Quotes:
They lined up all the men. Using machine guns, they killed all 25 men, in four
seconds. The consequences of those four seconds of shooting were a lifetime of
loss. Death was always looming in the air. When we won, I could walk in the
streets without fear.
My grandfather became the father of five beautiful children. The five children
had their children. Our grandfather became the patriarch of our family.
Even though is a translation of what he said to me, I was able to put the pieces
together and understand what he meant. He told me that he had made mistakes.
Then he said that if one works hard, everything one wishes, can be achieved. For
my grandfather, the opportunity to work, was the greatest gift one could get.
My cousin Malik was in the Vietnam War: “I saw one of the soldiers on the
ground and he looked like a slice of pizza.”
He told my mom that everyday he would have a flashback of the blood, the gun
shots and everything that happened that day. He said it was very depressing
after the war: “Every night I go to sleep, I would wake up scared.”
Every time you close your eyes what do you see/remember about the war?
Malik: “When I close my eyes, all I see are my soldiers dead on the ground and
blood everywhere. I can hear gunshots going everywhere. I can hear my partner
screaming my name calling for help. It was terrifying.”
I interviewed my dad, asked him whether he had fought in a war. He said no, I
had been in a war, he wouldn’t tell anyone anything about it. He said that war is
a bad thing, because people are fighting for no reason. He also said that war is
destroying the world little by little. It is affecting the United States government
more than anything. War is deadly. We can’t stop war, once it starts.
David Turner
I was a marine based in Okinawa, Japan. My base was in North Carolina at
Camp Lejune. I almost had to go to Iran in 1979 though. I was getting ready to
go because that was when Iran was threatening the United States. Besides that, I
loved playing war games with different N.A.T.O. countries such as Germany,
Denmark, United Kingdom and Sweden.
I interviewed my parents about whether their lives have been affected by war.
My dad said that my great-great-great grandfather fought in the Mexican Ameri-
can war. He survived. He said that my great grandfather got many medals, even
though their country was devastated by the war. He said “He was proud to be a
Mexican. Your grandpa was a brave, brave person.”
I felt proud of my grandfather as well.
Gaman
Gone
Our innocence is lost
Our love fades away
Mother is slowly passing,
Dad’s shadows face the concrete walls.
Bathrooms, dirty and embarrassing.
Can’t believe what I’m seeing,
Being strong for the little sis.
Even at times I can’t resist.
Everything’s gone,
Dad came here for a better life
We need to “gaman”
Why do I fight?
We need to fight
If we don’t I know what it’s like…
It’s all gone… Trying to prove yourself.
It was Dec 7, 1941. I came to Los Angeles in 1904. I had a mother, a father and a
sister.
One day I lost my father The next day my mother was gone My father was in
Montana’s Prison Zoo. My mother had left earth My sister was 15 years old. I
was 12 years old months later. My father came in an army truck . We were
finally together. I was drafted into the army. While my father and sister are in a
Internment camp They were hoping the war would end. Later on, I came back to
them.
Rosemary’s Perspective
Feeling so alone
Fighting was easy. But I was afraid everything that I would die. Never see my
wife and child again. I hoped that at least someone I knew and trusted would
take care of them. I didn’t think I would die here now. However, I was wrong,
I died in my friend’s arms. He is a nice man. I’m sure he’ll write my wife.
Hopefully, he’ll at least help and provide for her. What I never thought was that
he’d marry her. She was my wife! I guess you can’t stay lonely for long. At least
now, she’s happy, they all are.
Triangle
Joe’s Perspective
I never knew . . .
Anonymous
Joe Hanley
Anonymous
Kevin’s Perspective
Joe is a man who at the age of twenty was care free and had no strings attached
to his life as a single man. He joined the army and was a master when it came to
fire arms. His favorite was the machine gun. Although his gunman status was
high, he never fought in hand to hand combat.
In the waning days of the war, he and his friend Kevin were still on duty. Now
they had to fight hand to hand. It was raining bullets. At one point, Joe and
Kevin went into different directions. Then Kevin was shot.
This was no joke. Kevin was dead. Kevin was very much missed by his wife,
Rosemary. When Joe came back from the war, he started to meet with Kevin’s
wife to help her move on with her life.
Ironically, they had chemistry and got married. Joe became a heavy drinker.
Things didn’t go well for him. Joe wanted to just be a quiet cartoonist, but
instead wound up earning a living as bartender and a bookie. However, through
the help of Rosemary he got better. Although he has a great family and life, he
can’t help but think, why me and not Kevin. I was just a nobody. I had no
responsibilities. Nobody would’ve ever missed me.
I wonder if his wife had similar mixed emotions about Kevin’s death and Joe’s
survival. I also wonder why she chose him.
Rosemary was probably thinking about Kevin, While she was making coffee. She
was probably thinking about the moment when she found out he’s dead. Studs
Terkel probably deliberately didn’t want Rosemary and Joe to be interviewed
together because he thought that they probably wouldn’t be comfortable talking
about the war and Kevin together. Some things that they wanted to say, couldn’t
be said, because they wouldn’t want to talk about it to each other.
Rosemary was only 22 years old when she married Kevin (he died in 1944, met
him in 1942), Joe came back in 1946 to see Rosemary’s daughter (she married
him in 1949). For Rosemary who had had 3 other children with Joe, it seemed
like it was a continuation of her life
There’s a sadness in my life, losing my first husband. But then comes meeting
Joe and marrying him. We had three other children It seemed like it was a
continuation of my life.
What I think Rosemary is trying to tell us is that life never ends. When you lose
someone, you lose a piece of your heart. Especially when that person was a very
loved one. Sure, they did take a piece of her heart and life away. That part was
replaced by worry and woe. But she still had a heart, and she still had a life. All
you need now is a gentle push to move on. When that special someone passes
away, a flicker of happiness, hope and faith remains. As much as you loved your
dear departed, that person would never want to see you in pain. All you need to
do is spot that flicker of light in the dark. Once the survivor can spot that flicker
of happiness, hope and faith, it’s okay to keep on walking. People can pass away,
things might go wrong, and nothing’s the same. Yet for survivors like Rosemary
and all of us, life goes on.
In-laws encouraged Rosemary to get out and have fun Dec 15 – every time
Kevin’s death anniversary occurred. Once married to Joe. The surviving pal of
Kevin, Rosemary secretly felt, I did not dodo the right thing by marrying him.
Maybe I bring the war to him. Maybe if Joe had married someone else, it might
have left him. How could we have 3 great kids and yet still feel this ongoing
pain? Life moves on.
Rosemary
Rosemary was probably thinking about what Joe was saying to the interviewer.
Rosemary was also wondering why they were interviewing Joe and her
separately. She was probably sad and thinking about her first husband Kevin.
She was probably thinking about the good times she was with Kevin. If Kevin
were still alive, he would probably be happy for them. He would be happy that
Rosemary remain frozen by his death. She moved on to be happy. He would
probably be happy that Rosemary married Joe because he probably thought Joe
was a nice person. He would be happy for his daughter to have a father to help
the family.
Rosemary was probably feeling a little uncomfortable. When Studs and Joe
were talking about Kevin. As she brewed coffee in the kitchen, memories of
past happy times with Kevin flooded her heart. In spite of these memories of
Joe, she even thought how she was blessed to have Joe, Why did she fall in love
with Joe? Love is not something that can be controlled.
Why
Joe’s Perspective
From the interview with Yehudah Lindenblatt a survivor of the Budapest Ghetto
Eyes closed.
Pain felt.
No words.
The feelings of unspoken people.
Tears shed.
Sorrow filled hearts.
Lives gone.
The unspoken shades of people who were.
Close your eyes and see-
What they saw.
Had we lived one more day,
Our unspoken words
would have been heard.
Until that day
a story untold from words not said
Curled up in a corner.
Screams heard as others die,
Shuddering in fear,
No hope for life, no energy to try
I lie there waiting.
Waiting for all of it.
To be blown away.
Like when your hair will blow.
On an ordinary summer day,
The lights of those summer days,
I would see no more.
Doors shut on me.
As if not knowing how they tore,
I cried there, waiting.
Whips were uncurled.
Guns cocked ready to shoot.
We sat unmoving.
Passing sleepless nights.
I cared no longer for life.
No urge to run.
I watched and waited.
Waiting to be able-
To break free.
Past all boundaries,
Able to be just me.
Rip that yellow star off.
Rip away the pain.
Run through the land.
Be like all the same.
I lived and waited.
Hope left me.
Patience too.
Yet here am I to tell the story.
I came through.
Honorable Judge William Rigler, Dr. Rose Reissman, and Hanna Rigler.
4. War of the Worlds- To Soldier Forward or Not-
Reflections on an oral history Study with Valerie
Murdock
Game
In time,
You’ll see this crime.
It’s in yourself.
And it’s by you, yourself.
You want proof,
That you’re no goof-
But inside you see,
You’ll never ever flee.
Freedom is the cause.
But in no way, can you pause.
You want to save the black
And then you look back.
You laugh and crack up,
Your sad friend says what up
You say remember the crack
And he got to go wack.
You get upset and kill the man.
Then you search his bag.
And find your wife’s pic.
Then you look at your kill.
You look at your wife.
And see there is no life.
So you shoot yourself.
You did it – to yourself.
Do I?
The army, we see this as our taking a part of our country’s need, we may think
it’s the greatest thing to accomplish by helping people in need.
One of the greatest feelings in the world is feeling that you helped someone.
You also get rewards and benefits and money. But is it worth it?
You may die. You can never see your family again. You can’t say what you want.
I don’t. I would be good for the army for only one reason, in my life.
I always thought there was nothing wrong for me for asking why.
Why can’t I do it my way? I’m sorry if I don’t want to be part of this, but this is me.
My personality involves doing things my way.
Do or die
We had to run like rabbits
I was a rebel, I always marched to another drum
Sabrina Irmoogan 850
Light
Destruction, pandemonium
Is that what it comes to?
Dangerous, crucial
Only with love will I get through.
When you lose a loved one,
They rip a piece of your heart,
Taking it away from you.
Making everything fall apart,
Especially when you’ve just come back,
From a brutal and deadly war.
Things just don’t stay the same.
There isn’t love anymore.
But when you find her,
The special someone.
The one that makes you happy.
Makes your heart run.
But when that someone
Was unfortunately taken
By a deceased loved one-
Only then did my life awaken.
Pain looks through me.
Anguished blood pumps through me.
What to do? I finally break free
If love was what was needed-
What would bring happiness to his life
Why drink anymore?
I would do what was right.
I was someone different.
To be or not to be.
I was trapped before.
And than broke free of the old me.
I guess that if I did join the army, my future would depend on the circum-
stances. I would never join the army, because I wouldn’t be able to watch bodies
being blown up right before me. Even if I were promised that college would be
paid for me, there’s always the chance that I would not make it. Then, college
would mean nothing to me. However, if I were required to join the army, I think
I am the type of person who can take orders without questioning authority. The
problem is that I’d keep all of my belligerence. deep inside. Though I’d keep my
comments to myself, being in this situation would do damage to my mental
health. The stress would kill me. I’d be driven to be an emotional wreck. No
doubt, the “Army Way” wouldn’t be right for me.
War is a game
War
It isn’t a bore.
Hard to the core.
You can’t be soft.
You have to keep going,
Even if you are lazy,
I know it sounds crazy.
But you have to keep rowing,
Since it’s like a boat,
And you don’t want to drown.
You can’t act like a clown,
Must protect your country.
Take the stress
Make sure, I can see you’re a mess.
Once the weakness is seen,
No one is going to fight clean.
Tricks turn dirty.
I know this rhyme’s getting wordy.
So sorry for this
I just want to get the point across-
“Life is bliss”
We don’t need death.
But we see it right to left.
We’ve got to stop this war .
It don’t make sense.
Not even a little bit!!
Who?
War
The war
Can change the lives for many people.
It can make you become
a different person.
It changes the way you
Think… speak… and act.
It can change you,
Emotionally, mentally and physically.
It kills you on the inside
And changes who you are
Forever.
Can’t
He’s a father who regrets the things he’s done on the streets.
Who wanted to do things for his daughter.
It seems to me, he is a drug dealer that just wanted some money
for his daughter’s college fund.
He feels that since he’s the man, it was his job to do this.
Even if he’s distant, he’ll find a way.
I can’t do it.
I can’t be saved.
I tried and tried
To save myself
With the bible.
I fall . . .
Fall
Hell will take over me
The worst part is
I “ain’t “ dead
Hell on Earth
Can’t be saved
Left daughter.
Loves daughter.
Still wants to help daughter.
Misses daughter.
Wishes for daughter.
Still going to fight for daughter
And he knows
And she maybe knows
But I know, because he said so
The same
Anonymous
The Same
You know how it feels when you have the sense that you are somewhere you
don’t want to be, at a particular point in time? It’s a feeling I had the very first
day this program started. An oral history program for teens? What on earth
were we going to be doing? This was just going to be a waste of time. That time
would have been better spent going online, like any normal teen. Except that
through this program, I have become just the opposite of any normal teen. I’m a
teen who cares. I’m a teen who has made history.
As an oral historian and a reader of oral history, I’ve made a mark, not only for
people, but for my life. I changed it completely. I am not talking about “change”
as it is shown in the movies. That change is all made up. This is real change.
I have interviewed people, who survived the Holocaust. They shared their real
experiences as survivors of the Holocaust. I breathed in these real experiences.
Through oral history in this year 2010, I have been able to “feel” what it was like
to survive during that time.
The journey I and other 850 students took to create both a video —The Living
Proof –The Holocaust Happened and this book including other oral history
interviews and writings; was a challenging one. It was also enjoyable. In the
process, we made new friends. We learned much about history, others and
ourselves. We went past boundaries. We went to places, we had never visited.
This has been a journey, we loved making. We reenacted and wrote about some
of the stories shared. In the future, we will share some of these stories.
Bibi Morium
Reaching out to the current generation of leaders:
As an educator and literacy support for this project, it has a joy to work with
these spirited, caring and responsive students. Their talents, grasp of language
formats, and their deep emotional connection to the various historical eras/
personalities, demonstrates that oral history is a powerful vehicle for engaging
21st century citizens.
Creating the film that accompanied this project and crafting this art rich book,
allowed these teens to produce products that richly reflected the transformative
power of their dialogue with those who had experienced adult life in all its
vicissitudes.
They will share these histories, generate others, and make their own.
Congratulations.
Hannah Rigler. (2006). 10 British Soldiers Rescued Me. New York: Jay
Publishers.
Studs Terkel. (1997). The Good War. New York: New Press.
Check out: Ditmas Award Winning Living Proof documentary- The Holocaust
Happened
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qCku3w1sAs
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFelc8Ftq-8&feature=related
We, the Students- Writing Institute Press