Today the headlines are full of the news about the theft of the sign over the gate to Auschwitz, which states in wrought iron, "Arbeit macht Frei." ( Work Sets You Free)

Indignation and sadness are the emotions that people are expressing, both entirely justified. I hope the police find the sign and restore it to its place.

A few weeks ago I would not have read more than one article about this incident. I may not have even opened a story, but been satisfied with reading a headline. Today I read everything I can on it. Why?

I have been invited, with my husband, to be part of a delegation to visit Auschwitz at the end of January. January 27, 2010, marks the 65th anniversary of the liberation of the camp. I want to walk under that sign, and step in the shadow of millions of feet that walked in that gate and never walked out.

But our delegation is very different from other groups who will be there for the official ceremonies. The slogan "never forgive, never forget" has been used in events remembering the holocaust. Our delegation, lead by survivor Eva Kor, will never forget, but we hope to learn about forgiveness. Eva, a survivor of the infamous Mengele Twins group in Auschwitz, has freed herself from victimization by declaring that she has forgiven Josef Mengele and all other Nazi officials who inflicted suffering on her. She has discovered, and promotes, the rebirth from victim to healer that happens when we can forgive deep hurts. Outrage is usually the response of other survivors when they hear Eva’s story, and it’s understandable. I cannot explain how Eva forgives. But I have taken it deeply into my heart, and thought about it.

I am the daughter of another woman who forgave the Nazis. My mother was a small girl when everything and everyone she loved was stripped away from her by the Nazi regime. She escaped with her life, but when the war was over and she discovered that she was the only one of her friends and acquaintances living, she started to consider herself a survivor. Her story has been published in Why Forgive, by Johann Christoph Arnold:

Hela Ehrlich grew up in Nazi Germany. Her grandparents on both sides and all her childhood friends lost their lives in the Holocaust. For many people, the passage of time softens heartache; for Hela, the opposite occurred. Slowly, almost imperceptibly, her hurt turned into bitterness, and her pain into anger. Hela did not want to be bitter; she wanted to be free to live and love. In fact, she struggled constantly to keep from hardening her heart. But she could not forgive. Then one day it dawned on her: she would never be able to forgive her family’s executioners until she was able to see that despite their guilt, they were still fellow human beings. "Trembling, I realized that if I looked into my own heart I could find seeds of hatred there, too. Arrogant thoughts, feelings of irritation toward others, coldness, anger, envy, and indifference – these are the roots of what happened in Nazi Germany. And they are there in every human being. As I recognized – more clearly than ever before – that I myself stood in desperate need of forgiveness, I was able to forgive, and finally I felt completely free. "

I have thought a lot about my mother since planning our trip to Poland. My mother never talked about her act of forgiveness before she passed away, certainly not in any public forum. When I stand at the ovens in Auschwitz, and light the Jahrzeit candles, I will think about the million souls who perished there, and I will think about my mother, who found it in her heart to forgive the unforgiveable.

The replacement sign above the gate to Auschwitz says "Work Sets You Free". This was a lie, and has always been a lie. The only thing that sets you free is forgiveness.

Read follow-up article about this story.

 

---

Your Turn. Tell us what you thought about this article:

Responses

I really love all your articles and I'm thankful you give us these opportunities to look within...I'm learning that loving another or forgiving them doesn't guarantee the other person will...but I am responsible for my wholeness of soul, like Hela.

Bless you and your staff.

Debbie
Los Angeles, CA

---

I was very moved by this article!!! I wept while reading it! I too am going to Auschwitz this January 2010 with Eva Kor!!! I was very upset when I heard the sign was stolen. It is such a unique symbol of the Holocaust! I am glad that it has been found, even if it was cut up in pieces.
Thank you Carmen for sharing your story!
Blessings and Peace,

Amber Rose
Woodstock, NY

---

This article is deeply touching. I, too, can fully identify with the thoughts of 'seeds of hatred' in my own heart, however, I had not had to endure the suffering in concentration camps or during the war. My suffering is so small compare to people like Miss Hinkey. I am very touched to read about people who have survived such times and still have found strength to forgive to those who wronged them so painfully. They are a very big inspiration for me and I find a great deal of healing reading articles like this one. Healing and conviction which leads me to greater forgiveness for others in my life. Thank you.

Katariina London, UK