Nailah Calhoun

Prof. Wertz-Orbaugh
UWRT 1103-007
January 25, 2016

Weekly Writing 2

Why was I selected to live, why me? Reva Kibort. This was the main quote that stuck
with me from Reva Kiborts testimony. I was filled with mixed emotions that ranged from sad
and sorrow to joy and happiness. By viewing Reva Kiborts testimony about her life and
survival, I truly believe the person above was definitely watching her; as she would say.
One of the most memorable moments during her testimony was when she talked about
her navy blue shoes with tussles that her father made her for Passover. She described how those
shoes helped her through the Warsaw Ghetto until she out-grew them. As a child, shoes may not
seem of great importance, but they certainly were to her. Mrs. Kiborts father died in 1939,
shortly before they were forced to move to the Warsaw Ghetto in 1940. Sadly, that is her fondest
memory and the only thing that she had to remember her father. This really touched me because I
can only imagine the sentimental value of those navy blue shoes and how much they must have
meant to Mrs. Kibort. After all these years, she still remembers even the littlest detail of the
shoes.
Mrs. Kibort mentioned a lot regarding Passover. I had no idea what Passover was until I
later researched it. Passover is an important Jewish holiday that is a commemoration of their
liberation by God from slavery and freedom as a nation. During the testimony, she talked about a

matzah. This was also the first time I heard the term matzah and come to find out, it is an
unleavened bread that is traditionally eaten during Passover. Being that this is such an important
holiday, it was to my amazement that Mrs. Kibort wasnt able to celebrate Passover with her
entire family since her relatives lived far away.
When Mrs. Kibort talked about her childhood and her memory of standing in line to
receive a ration of bread and water, I got a little emotional. She described how her mother told
her she had nothing to feed her and told her to go play so she could forget how hungry she was.
At that moment, I realized the extent that Jewish people went through during the Holocaust. She
later went on to tell how she would go to the railroads to steal coal that she would soon sale for
food. To make matters worse, her sisters were smugglers! I did not know that individuals were
forced to go the distance for food even with the risk of getting killed was high.
Out of Mrs. Kiborts testimony, the biggest event that really impacted me happened
during July 1942. This is when Mrs. Kiborts mother and sister did not make it under the wall to
escape the Warsaw ghetto. It was later told that they were being transported to Treblinka. As a
child, I would have been heartbroken, hurt and depressed if I knew that my mother was right
behind me but didnt make it under the wall to freedom. That just goes to show that somebody
was watching over Mrs. Kibort specifically. That is when I really put myself in her shoes.
Reading about the Holocaust and actually hearing a survivors testimony are two
completely different experiences in my opinion. Im glad that I watched this testimony because
she gave vivid details and first-hand encounter experiences.