“Unveiling the Past: Joanna Rubin Dranger’s Graphic Memoir Reveals Hidden Stories of Resilience and Remembrance”
What struck me most was how the photographs captured them—happy, well dressed, modern, surrounded by colleagues, friends and family. Ice-skating. Skiing. Rowing boats with friends. Having picnics. It made me acutely aware that those who had been reduced to a word—”disappeared”—had once been as alive as I am today.
This research also deepened my awareness of how history repeats itself. The mechanisms that led to the Holocaust—othering, scapegoating, dehumanization, racism and antisemitism—did not vanish with the end of World War II. They are still at work today. That’s why remembering, telling these stories, and engaging with history is not just about honoring the past; it’s about understanding the present and safeguarding the future.
