Dear Irit and Ezra…
Moaza Ezorit Menashe project had started a year ago. Immediately I wanted to join in because I love theatre so much. I hadn’t thought that it will be related to the Holocaust subject.
Many times in my life I have heard survival stories from the holocaust.
I have always become sad, and it was very hard to me to picture myself as one of the survivors.
At the beginning I was afraid to join the group, because I didn’t know how to handle such a heavy and difficult issue. I was sure that in every encounter one adult will get the opportunity the tell his story from the beginning to the end, therefore it will be easier to me. Every time one hears a new story, one remember less and reflect less to the previous one, and that’s it – we move on. But here, every time someone told his story, someone else continue it and it was unable to forget or not to reflect the previous one.
When we just started the project, I felt that every youngster connected to adult, and I didn’t have one person which I connected to to. Every time someone told part of his story, I connected to him and admired him so much for his ability and courage to come over, stand and tell his story.
But afterwards I realized that im connected to all of the survivors, and that I was emotionally connected to them and to their stories.
Every time I went out of the meetings my head was somewhere else.
I couldn’t continue in my life normally thinking there are people that
Dealing with the horrible trauma they have been through, and have to live with it – every day.
When I was reaching home, I was immediately telling my mother what
Was today's meeting about. I felt that I must put it all off me in addition to handle with what I have just heard.
Later on, I realized that maybe we, youngsters, by listening to their stories, helps the adults to cope with what they have been through.
When I got the roll of EVA, I didn’t know if I could manage to convey
Her story appropriately, I was afraid to get into a character of a holocaust survivor.
I was afraid to try to think what they have thought, in those terrible moments they have been through.
In the end of the last performance, EVA came to me and said that I was great, and that I convey her story as she expected. I was so excited that she told me this. She also add that with our assistant, the youngsters, she is coping with the trauma more easily.
In the go away meeting, she passed me the wire, look into my eyes, and said – thank you. I was so full of tears and excited that the small thing I did to her, helped her so much.
I want to thank you because you are the reason im here. And thanks to you I was able to help EVA and to other survivors to deal with what they have been through more easily.
Dear Irit and Ezra - you were always here for me, as much as it was necessary. You were always adding a word, or a small act which was helping to obtain the life to normal.
Im so happy and thankful that you gave me the opportunity to come,
Listen and to be a part of exciting, emotional and touching project.
Before I joined I project I thought I could pass on the stories of the holocaust to the next generations with the little I knew about it, I wasn’t sure that I could mange to do it the right way.
Today, after I have been part of Testimony theatre project I am sure!
That all of the next generations i will be connected to, will know and learn about the holocaust, which will never be forgotten and will never happen again.
All of your family (Irit, Ezra, Nimrod and Omri), contributed a lot to this project. Thanks to you, it isn’t just another project about the holocaust.
It is a project with the young generation, which comes and hears and stays with the adults, all the time, helping them, and making them
Reopen and put out all the burden that on their hearts.
Im so great full and happy that I have known you. It was an exciting experience, sad and touching, which I will never, never forget!
Loves so much,
Michal Tal
