Chutzpah

The article “Lovers in Auschwitz, Reunited” published by the New York Times on December 8, 2019 was heartfelt as it pertained to World War 11. This essay depicts the chutzpah of Helen and David both Auschwitz survivors.

Back in, 1942 in Auschwitz, David Wisnia, age 17 and Helen Spitzer age 25 first met. Both were prisoners but held” favorable” positions in this death camp. David’s father was opera loving which influenced David’s singing talent. Even though he was forced to collect the bodies of prisoners that had committed suicide by clinging to electrified fences, David was chosen to sing for his captors. Helen became ill when assigned to grueling demolition work. When it was discovered that she was a graphic artist, Helen was assigned to office work. She was then able to “move freely” in and around the camp.

Helen spotted David. They became friends and lovers over the next few months. In fact, both secretly met in an area surrounded by the piled high street clothes of prisoners. Helen hired fellow prisoners to stand guard and watch for approaching SS officers. When they learned they would be soon be moved and separated because of approaching allies, they made a plan to meet, after the war, at a community center in Warsaw.

It’s clear that these two individuals met in deplorable conditions in an ugly time in world history. However, their needs for  Affiliation-to please and win affection; Nurturance-to help, support, console, protect, and comfort; Sex- have sexual intercourse; and Succorance-to be loved,  supported, sustained, protected, guided were met by their union. What also helped them survive was their ability to plan for a future.

Viktor Frankel, in his concentration camp experience, wrote about the life saving power of looking to the future. Having a future meant that one had significant, meaningful need related goals. These goals were difficult to attain and had barriers and obstacles that had to be overcome. The completion of goal achievement resulted in only positives and satisfaction.

While on separate death marches, both managed escapes. Fortunately, for David, he was rescued by the United States 101 Airborne. He was adopted by this unit and was instrumental in translation and interrogation while caring a machine gun dressed in an army uniform. Travelling through Austria, he and his unit made it to Hitler’s mountain retreat in Berchtesgaden. Helen, after escaping, made her way to Bratislava, Slovakia. From there she was involved in smuggling Jews across borders, helping refugees in the underground movement while moving across Eastern Europe and Palestine.

Helen traveled to Warsaw waiting for David. He never showed. She married in 1945 and was involved in distributing food among refugees; going on missions through the United Nations, and going to Peru, Bolivia and Indonesia. She also became a subject for various historians in detailing the horrors of Auschwitz and moved to New York. David, arrived in Hoboken in 1946. He married, became Vice President of Sales for the Wonderland of Knowledge Corporation and had four children and six grandchildren.

Finally, they met 72 years later. Helen, lost her husband in 1996; became bedbound and was becoming blind and deaf. Their reunion lasted about two hours. She told David that she saved him five times from being shipped. David sang to her the song that she taught him in Auschwitz. They never met again and she died last year at the age of 100.

The story of Helen and David demonstrated the power and significance of psychological needs, their emotional component and behavior. This power or drive transcended objectivity, rational thought and influenced behavioral choices. Both of these humans were taken from their homes and placed in inhumane conditions. Their dignity was stripped while they were guarded and abused by humans with rifles and dogs. They witnessed death, disease, starvation, suicide, cruelty and irrationality along with disrespectful religious prejudiced behavior. In spite of their horrific environmental conditions, they risked further abuse and most probably death. Viewing their behavior objectively and rationally, one concludes that their behavior was dangerous and reckless to say the least. Simply put, the strength and dominance of their needs accompanied by emotions dominated their thinking, fantasies, verbal and physical behavior regardless of their environmental circumstances. Let me repeat, a fixation of a psychological need supersedes and becomes dominant irrespective of reality.

Helen especially, demonstrated in Auschwitz and later on, the following attributes based on her character. 1. She accomplished what some might say the impossible by overcoming the barriers related to other human beings 2. She remained loyal to David and other humans by her charitable work 3. She was able to effectively act on impulse 4. She mastered and overcame many obstacles and difficulties 5. She was able to gain control over her environment 6. She made an impression and was able to excite others 7. She was able to give sympathy and gratify the needs of others as well as to the help, support, and console, protect and comfort as well 8. She was able to separate self from an amoral environment 9. She was able to continue to have a sexual life 10. She was able to gain a deeper understanding of the Holocaust by her involvement with historians.

Their story points to the profound and significant importance in connecting with another during times of man’s inhumanity to man. Obviously, not all significant unions occurred in times of war. Their story demonstrated the power and importance of a human connection. Many memories and fantasies are retained and played over and over in one’s psyche. The strength and significance of the connection held firm regardless of no ongoing interaction.

Both David and Helen, despite emotional scars of the concentration camp, survived and lived productive lives. Through the catharsis of telling her story to the historians, allowed her to demonstrate an understanding, nurturance, succorance in giving to others. David, became a Cantor at a Temple and had a son who became a rabbi. David was able to express aggression by his association with 101 Airborne and achieved success. His English became perfect as he identified with his American way of life.

PS

Freddy Mayer, after fleeing Germany as a teenager, enlisted in the U.S. Army and went back to fight the Nazis. He parachuted into Nazi occupied Austria, impersonated a Wehrmacht officer, and helped Allied bombers target Nazis supply trains. He also facilitated the sabotage of a secret Messerschmitt airplane factory and was captured and tortured by the Gestapo. As their prisoner, he was beaten bloody and had a punctured eardrum and missing teeth. He convinced his captors that rather than killing him they should surrender to him. They did and that allowed the advancing American army to capture the entire Austrian Tyrol without firing a shot. More about Freddy can be found in “Return to the Reich-a Holocaust Refugees Secret Mission to Defeat the Nazis.”