Holocaust Speaker
By: Hope Mallon
On February 7th during lunch and learn the Jewish Student Union brought in Holocaust survivor, Sarah Meller. Sarah Meller is currently 93 years old and was only 10 years old when the Holocaust broke out. Throughout the duration of lunch and learn she shared her story and what it was like to live through the Holocaust for her and her family.
Born in Split, Yugoslavia, Sarah continued to live there until the German occupation of Split in 1943. When this happened her dad, brother, and older sister became Partisan Fighters leaving Sarah with her mother and younger sister back in Split. Eventually, after getting kicked out of school and realizing that the Germans were after all the Jews, Sarah convinced her mom and sister that they had to flee. They soon found a lady who would take them in, and they ended up living in a closet, hidden away, for 6 months. After leaving, Sarah and her mother and sister then stayed in another house hidden away in Vis Island for the next 3 months.
Finally, after they could no longer stay in that house, Sarah and her mother and sister went up to the mountains and stayed with the Jewish Partisans. They would keep quiet and hide during the day but would travel throughout the mountains at night. Despite being very weak from the lack of food and having to travel in dresses and unfit shoes, Sarah and her mother and sister managed to survive the weeks they spent in the mountains.
Eventually Sarah and her mother and sister were able to make it to the Displaced Persons Camp in Italy. There Sarah was able to reunite with her brother, dad, and uncle. Shortly after, Sarah and the rest of her family became passengers on Henry Gibbons. Eventually they arrived in New York City to meet with the current president at the time, FDR. Sarah and her family were some of the first Holocaust survivors to come to America. After meeting with FDR, Sarah and her family stayed at the Fort Ontario Refugee Camp.
Out of 70,000 Jews from Yugoslavia only 4,000 of them survived, including Sarah and her immediate family. Sadly, throughout the course of the Holocaust 64 members of Sarah’s extended family did die. Sarah’s stories of her childhood during the Holocaust and the courage she exemplified really sheds light to how much of an inspiration and hero she truly is.
Personally, I felt very touched by her story and feel that I learned a lot by attending this event. Overall, I think that it was amazing that she was able to dedicate her time to come speak and share her experiences with the students and staff of CB West.
