Ryan Belz

Professor Wertz-Orbaugh
UWRT 1103
25 January 2016
Reva Kibort Testimony Response
Reva Kiborts account of her experiences through the Holocaust were astounding. Her
ability to recall events, people, even the smells of the times is remarkable. The most troubling
question I was left with at the conclusion of the testimony was how did the transport feel to the
people involved? I wanted to know more about the experiences of being dehumanized, packed
together, and shipped out to the camps. One thing that did surprise me was how vividly she
recalled her fathers shoe business, the holidays, and how important the pair of shoes she was
made for Passover were to her. Another part of the interview that stood out to me was her sisters
courage. When Revas name was called to go on the train, her older sister stepped forward in her
place. It was amazing to me how Reva claims that it was a show he protection that not even
parents would do at that time. She explains how war turns people selfish, mean, only concerned
with survival. Viewing this video was definitely a good way to get a more personal feel for the
Holocaust victims and how its effects people years later. We might find ourselves looking at the
numbers of deaths and underestimating the true weight of the event. No matter how many deaths,
every death is a tragedy to someone.
The testimony didnt stir up any emotions, I didnt really care all that much about her
testimony. I wasnt that interested in the human side of the holocaust or how it felt to someone.
The pieces of the holocaust Im most interested in learning about are the camps and the crowd
control/ death techniques that the Nazis used on the Jews. This particular testimony lacked

extensive information on the camps. She briefly mentioned that she would spend most of her
time in the barracks hiding from sight. She also mentioned that the bunks were infested in lice,
bedbugs, and roaches. This is more on track with what I want to know. I also am interested in the
facilities themselves, which this testimony also lacked. Also, being a young girl during the
German occupancy of Poland, I dont think she was the best person for us to learn from as far as
testimonies go. I would have much rather listened to someone who was a teen aged male at the
time. This way, we could get a fuller understanding of the working conditions and the camps that
the able bodied men were taken from the ghettos to.
The last thing I wanted to point out was how she described the liberation. I think we, as
people that had no idea how the experience was, look at the liberation as this perfect moment
when the oppressed and abused people are given new life. But she kept saying over and over
how it was chaotic and no one knew where to go or what to do. The words she used were caged
animals being freed. This is what led to her and her sister being split up from her other siblings.
They truly made an amazing, movie-worthy journey across hundreds of kilometers with rags on
her feet begging their way to survival in the midst of a Polish winter.
Regardless of my distaste for the content of the testimony, I had tremendous respect for
her and those that went through the Holocaust. What she showed me was important to get a
better rounded view of the Holocaust and will show me other sides of the content I will inquire
into later in this class. My focus will most likely be on the camps themselves and the facility
management, because I am interested in the types of people that worked these camps as guards
and doctors. I would also like to dive into the notorious doctors that operated on the prisoners in
order to create some sort of super- solder I have heard about. I once read about the Nazis toying
with technology to create a super solder. I now know the direction I will take in the future.