Imagining the horrors of the Holocaust might be impossible for those who didn’t live through it, but survivors, witnesses and veterans who fought for the Allies in World War II insist it must never be forgotten.
The Utah Jewish Community gathered at the IJ and Jeanné Wagner Jewish Community Center along with friends and government leaders yesterday to commemorate the Holocaust as part of the annual national Days of Remembrance. This year’s theme, “Never Again: Heeding the Warning Signs,” focuses on remembering the Holocaust and watching for warning signs to ensure the horrors of history will not repeat themselves.
Alex Shapiro, executive director of the United Jewish Federation of Utah, emphasized the importance of individuals in stopping genocide.
“There were many powerful examples [during the Holocaust] of what can happen when ordinary people in ordinary communities choose action … Today we honor those who were lost and those who chose to act,” Shapiro said.
Gerald Molen, Academy Award-winning co-producer of “Schindler’s List,” joined in the commemoration and relayed miracles he witnessed in making the film.
The film tells the story of Oskar Schindler, an ordinary businessman who brought Jews to work in his ammunition factory during the Holocaust, ultimately saving 1,100 from the concentration camps. Molen believes the making of the film was guided by a divine hand.
He explained the careful planning that went into filming in Kraków, Poland. Because there were many winter scenes in the script, the team had carefully planned to film early in the year, before spring came. But when they arrived, there was no snow on the ground or in the forecast. Everything was ready for Steven Spielberg’s arrival and the commencement of filming, except for the weather.
“There was just one thing missing,” Molen said. “Snow.”
The crew began frantically talking about carting snow from the mountains into the city using Polish army trucks. The day before Spielberg landed in Poland, they still didn’t know what to do.
The next morning, Molen woke up to the sound of wind and looked out the window to see a torrent of snow. He felt it was a miracle.
The winter held until the snow scenes had been shot and longer. The time came to shoot spring scenes, and the crew was in danger of losing time on location. When they couldn’t postpone filming any longer, they prepared to melt the snow with fire hoses. But another miracle happened. When they woke up to start filming, the snow had melted. The cycle repeated itself several times during the filming process. Molen said the whole experience seemed to be guided by divine intervention.
“I have always believed that. I always will,” Molen said. “What else could it be? Luck? I think not. The film was destined to send a message to the world, and indeed, it did just that.”
In 1993, Molen estimated there were 6,600 descendants of the Jews Schindler saved.
“ ‘Schindler’s List’ has a legacy of reminding us that while men can do evil things, the best of men still come to the fore,” Molen said. “The goodness of men should always be what inspires us. Oskar Schindler stands out as an example of how one man or one woman can make a difference.”