The Des Moines Public Library is the second in the United States to start a program that tells the story of Holocaust survivors to middle and high school students. The “Testimony to Tolerance Initiative” recorded the stories of people like Peter Pintus of Des Moines, a German born Jew who ended up in a concentration camp during World War Two.
He says one thing they had in the camp of 700 inmates was hate, “We hated the Nazis with a passion and it kept us alive, because we just didn’t intend to give our lives to them.” He says hate and anger aren’t thought of as good emotions today, but he says back then they helped him stay alive. Pintus says he was one of the lucky ones to survive. He says as far as he knows, he’s one of three survivors who escaped from the camp and did not die. The project to tell the story of Pintus and others is being done in partnership with the Shoah Foundation which has chronicled the stories of 52-thousand Holocaust survivors. The videos of the testimony will not only be available to students, but can be seen at the library. Pintus, who is 78, says it’s extremely important as the survivors are now dying. He says the record allows people to see first-hand, as he says people tend to forget. Pintus says people tend to focus on recent events. He says it’s difficult since 9-11 and Hurricane Katrina to think back to an event 60 years ago. But he says the Holocaust was the one event in human history that changed people’s attitudes toward each other and the respect for life. Pintus believes his stories and others will make an impact on students. He says he spoken to thousands of kids in public and private schools and gets wonderful letters back from those who say he changed their life. The Iowa Holocaust interviews that go along with Pintus include: Charles Anolik, Hanrry Fishel, Linda Fishman, Ingrid Mazie, Rose Szneler and Francis and Meyer Shurman of Des Moines; Irene Friedlieb of Bettendorf; Sam and Ruth Goldstein of Sioux City; Richard Jacobs of Iowa City; Katherin Williams of Council Bluffs.
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