“Pokračuj” (Keep going)
A letter to Teah, my grandma’s best friend and my “other” grandma.
To My “Půvabný” (Lovely),
The word “struggle” is defined as “a forceful effort to reach a goal,” according to many dictionaries and web searches. It is inevitable that people face many struggles throughout their lifetime. Some struggles can be very simple and small, while others can be so extreme that it changes ones life. You’ve faced many struggles in your life, but none of those other struggles could remotely match the struggle you endured during your forced time at a concentration camp. I’ve read and heard about Jewish concentration camps and the persecution Jewish people faced back in time, but to hear the words come from your mouth was a chilling and heart-wrenching moment. In my class, we read a book called Between the World and Me, authored by Ta-Nehisi Coates. His book centralizes around his experience living in America as a black male. Though you never had difficulty living in America, you did have horrific experiences in your home country and my family’s ancestral home country, Czechoslovakia. You told me about your time at Theresienstadt, the German-run concentration camp of Czechoslovakia. You told me how you “adopted” a little 8 year-old girl, named Alzbeta, after her mother was taken to Auschwitz and how you tried to teach her to have hope that things will change in the future, but couldn’t find the words. Coates tried to do the same thing for his son. He wrote, “I did not tell you that it would be okay because I never believed it would be okay” (11). Coates tried to give his son hope that their lives will one day be normal, despite being black. He struggled with this lesson because he himself wasn’t seeing any beneficial changes for the African American community.
Coates struggled to survive and help his family survive. They lived in constant fear for their safety. Just like you and Alzbeta. Many of the people you came across, you never saw again. You were lucky enough to not be executed due to your impeccable tailoring skills and Alzbeta was lucky because you were teaching her to tailor. I can’t imagine the fear that ran through your body during that time, but I believe that fear is similar to the fear Coates and his family faced. I see how difficult and emotional it is for you to speak about it now and I am grateful you shared your experience with me, to teach me the life lessons you taught Alzbeta. Struggling is all you’ve known for most of your life and it was Coates has known for most of his life. He writes, “The struggle is really all I have for you because it is the only portion of this world under your control” (107). You chose to accept your limitations and control what you could. You decided to continue your faith and continue fighting, despite your unfortunate circumstances. You didn’t let your capturers define you. You didn’t let them take your faith or your dignity away. You controlled it. You said, “I am Jewish and I will always be Jewish. They can treat me the way they want, but I will still be Jewish.” Like you, Coates had a similar mindset. He wrote, “They made us into a race. We made ourselves into a people” (149). Coates believed that despite struggles, anything is possible to achieve. There is always another door open.
As you know, I volunteer at Rotacare, a free healthcare clinic for those who can’t afford it. Like you and Coates, the people I come across every time I am there face struggles far more than I can imagine. Most are probably undocumented and most fought to come into America to try and achieve their American Dream. They struggled and continue to struggle to survive. They are also scared for their lives and their family’s lives. I can only imagine how scared you were for your lives, but look how far you’ve come. You’ve achieved the American Dream. You live lavish and fear-free. You’ve made a name for yourself and created a legacy for your family to remember. Just like Coates, you didn’t give up and for that, I am inspired.
As you tell me every time we say goodbye… “Pokračuj svou vzácnou dívku” (Keep going my precious girl). Because of you, I will.
Love Always,
Your “drahé děvče” (Precious Girl)
