In my interview with Mr. Benzel, we discussed the Holocaust and the impact it had on his family. Mr. Benzel shared personal stories that brought the historical tragedy to life in a powerful and informative way. Something that textbooks alone often can’t convey is the human side of history, so it was important for me to have this interview in hopes of sharing this information. Mr. Benzel emphasized how important it is, especially for teenagers, to learn about the Holocaust from different perspectives so we can truly grasp its significance and the real suffering behind it. With the rise of social media, many people, especially younger users, are spreading harmful stereotypes, making jokes about the Holocaust, and treating Jewish people with cruelty and ignorance and they don’t care about learning the harsh truth behind such historical events. Education and empathy are more important than ever, especially in today’s society. When we hear real stories from real people, it becomes harder to ignore the pain others have gone through, and it becomes easier to stand up against hate.

Flora -“What was your family’s life like before the Holocaust? Where did they live, what did they do for a living?”

Mr. Benzel– “My Grandpa was Born in Budapest Hungary in 1909 (94 years) during that time Austria-Hungary was a very culturally healthy place, apparently he danced with a famous person named Zsa Zsa Gabor. (Hungarian American Actress) He had kind of an idyllic childhood, Vienna was the center of Europe’s Intellectuals as well, there was also lots of emphasis on arts.”

Flora- “So he was very involved in, the arts?”

Mr. Benzel- “Yes he played violin, and he went to medical school in Vienna.”

Flora- “So when everything first began to start tumbling in, were they ever forced to go into hiding or sent away to any concentration camps?”

Mr. Benzel- “I think my grandfather was very good at quickly realizing that things were going south, so he basically married someone not out of love necessarily, but so he could escape to America. He first thought that he could actually take my great grandmother and that she could eventually come here as well. Now my grandma whom he married was born in Germany in 1924 in the southwest part of Germany, her dad was Jewish but her mom was not Jewish so she actually severed ties with her dad and there may have been rumors that she had been working in production for the Nazis but refused to talk about anything Germany. She left Germany towards the end of WW2 and came down to Switzerland and then down to the U.S and eventually became very sick.”

Flora-“Were they ever sent to any camps?”

Mr. Benzel- “My Great Grandma was. She was whisked away and killed. My Grandpa could not make the arrangements for her to ever come down here even though he wanted to.”

Flora-“I know you mentioned your parents were MAGA, how does it affect them knowing about your families past?”

Mr. Benzel- “I think my mom grew up in a culture of fear, my grandparents really enjoyed living here in the U.S and set foot in New York but eventually moved to Zanesville Ohio where my grandpa became a smalltown doctor. And my grandma became the bookkeeper and could write a mean legal argument. But they never told my mom that they were of Jewish heritage, and she learned that when my dad met one of my grandfather’s cousins from Hungary. So politically my parents were kind of traditional conservatives.”

Flora- “What was your family’s life like in the U.S?”

Mr. Benzel- “Well there was a time when my grandparents first came to Zanesville Ohio, there was a frontpage newspaper story featuring immigrants and their impact on the community and how they were assimilating into the community, and it was a point of pride. My Grandpa had a career of distinguished service; he was a town doctor. If people couldn’t afford medical care, he would accept barters.” (a direct trading of services)

Flora- “Has your family made or kept any traditions going after being involved in such a traumatic experience?”

Mr. Benzel- “I think it was important that I was educated on Judaism even if my Great Grandparents didn’t practice it. I think my biggest takeaway from traditions is a Friday night Shabbot dinner. I think it’s nice to have that day of rest. Theres always a value of family and that we support and love each other unconditionally.”

Flora- “What is it to be Jewish? What are some of the morals? I want to make sure I get this question in so people can truly understand.“

Mr. Benzel- “Judaism has a pretty wide range. Up here in Indianapolis there are Orthodox communities. They have a very regimented viewpoint. So, like other religions there is a huge range. There are conservatives, where some people are kosher and adhere to wearing the Yamika. There are other Synagogues (A Jewish House of Worship) where not a lot of people keep kosher and it’s not very rigid. I find my spiritual home in the Unitarian Universales church. UU is a progressive religion where we take from many different traditions including Judaism. We believe in being progressive for Social Justice. But I have a couple drawbacks from Judaism, I believe that many congregations have an elitist attitude.”

Flora-“Is it ever difficult for you to share you family’s past?”

Mr. Benzel- “No I feel like it’s really good, and it drives me. The story drives me, and as sad as it was to lose my great grandmother, I feel like that they could come here and live here and be relatively prosperous while living the distinguished service and they had a really great marriage as well, my grandpa met my grandma while she was sick with meningitis, she was his patient. I saw in his Fogle years at 93, he was pretty deep in Alzheimer’s, but she refused to put him in a nursing home and took care of him, so it was just a culture of valuing their relationship and valuing being here.”

Flora- “What is it that you really want your students or any student in general to take away from this?”

Mr. Benzel- “I think I would challenge you guys to demand better of your communities. And there was a time when people were valued more and that differences were valued. When we learned about U.S history, we were taught that this was a country where underdogs could come and make something of themselves. On my dad’s side of the family his great grandparents were Lithuanian immigrants who settled in factory towns in Connecticut, my grandma’s older brother had to drop out of high school for them to afford shoes. My grandpa was told he couldn’t amount to anything, and he was a d student who might as well go to trade school, but he became a pharmacist and created Benzel’s Pharmacy in Connecticut. But there was a time where immigrants were valued, and they worked hard to live the American Dream.”

Flora- “I agree, now it’s almost like people now are wanting the exact opposite and it’s so horrible because yea America was for people from all over to come over and share their different cultures but now it’s just a group of White Christian Nationalists trying to take that away but that was what made America so great.”

Mr. Benzel- “There’s a Podcast culture right now on Toxic Masculinity that some high school boys are getting into. So, I would definitely challenge the young men right now to really think about these hateful displays and whether that really shows you’re a strong person, and that maybe you need to kind of get out a little bit and look around you and understand the people that make up this country are different and some of the underdogs actually might have lots to offer that can really benefit people. The type of thing I have no respect for: during my 2nd year of teaching there was a kid that drew a swastika on my math test (Flora- Was it because he knew you were Jewish?) Oh yea, and the next day he came in with a Nazi war cap. There had been other incidents where there were some boys who made the Heil Hitler symbol or Nazi Salut, I don’t have tolerance for that.”

Flora- “How has that impacted you, has there been any other incidents where that has occurred?”

Mr. Benzel- “I mean I would say it’s not common but that’s where I would say I’m kind of worried about because of Toxic masculinity. Because they are going to be coming into working age pretty soon and y’know there is a culture of blaming in that group and blaming others for their own problem. But they need to look at themselves and see do they have what it takes to be competitive and employable even. Some of them right now need to learn how to interact with people who are different than you. You have to be a good person which are the people who are ultimately going to be successful. There are many people your age who are doing great things and advancing and taking the right approach.”

Flora- “How did your families experience shape the person you are today?”

Mr. Benzel- “One thing I forgot to talk about a bit is generosity. I think my grandparents lived frugally. They weren’t rushing to buy the fanciest car or mansion; they spent it on education and giving to the community. I think I became a teacher to serve.”