I was reminded of the deep and lasting bond I have had for over twenty years with members of One by One, Inc after our first meeting in the Black Forest of Germany in 1993. We were fourteen people, children of Holocaust survivors and descendants of the Third Reich who came together to bear witness to those who perished in genocide and war and to seek out the humanity in one another’s stories of pain, guilt and suffering. Over time we learned that as the stories are heard and held by the other, it is possible to transform the impact of our legacies, offering hope to future generations.
I am inspired by the work of The Compassionate Listening Jewish/German Project (which we can read about below) and so grateful to be part of the Compassionate Listening family. Compassionate Listening is a beautiful work that teaches us to really listen and speak to one another from the heart; to move beyond judgment and old attachments, and to open to the possibility of being together in new ways. I am also grateful to Roshi Bernie Glassman for inviting Ginni Stern and me to attend the very first Bearing Witness Retreat at Auschwitz/Birkenau. It was a life changing experience which I will never forget and it is an honor to have Ginni Stern and Barbara Wegmuller create a Bearing Witness event for us at the site of the former Women’s Concentration Camp at Ravensbruck. Last, but not least, I’m so grateful for the amazing presenters who will join us and for the members of the Jewish/German group on our NING web site; for their on-going help and support of this project. People are responding with enthusiasm and amazing connections are being made. Howard introduced his new friend Walter, who lives in Frankfurt, Germany to our project and Walter has arranged for a concert that will feature the songs that were once cherished and sung by Howard’s father.
With love and gratitude —Suzanne Schecker
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