LYNN — Holocaust survivor Janet Applefield, 90, stopped by Lynn English and Lynn Classical on Wednesday to promote greater awareness and understanding around the dangers of hate, prejudice, and discrimination.
Applefield, who was born Gustawa Singer in Krakow, Poland, in 1935 to a Jewish family, detailed her experience of surviving the Nazi occupation in Poland and rebuilding her life in the United States.
During her presentation at Lynn English, Applefield emotionally described the moment her parents decided to protect her by leaving her with her cousin’s nanny Maria during the height of World War II.
“I can’t remember what I must have been feeling. I must have been terrified, and they must have been so sad. I think about my own family, my children, and I wonder, could I do that? Could I give one of my children away? And I can’t answer that,” Applefield said.
Applefield said that she believed her blonde hair helped her survive the Nazis, as she “fit the profile” of what the regime thought people should look like. She recalled one harrowing memory of when a Nazi officer searched Maria’s home. However, she managed to avoid capture when Maria fabricated a story about her identity.
“He looked at me with his chilling blue eyes, and he turned around and left. And to this day, I remember what he looked like. Blonde hair, blue eyes, light complexion. He was wearing shiny black leather boots that came up to his knees. I could hear the clicking of his heels as he went down the stairs,” Applefield said.
During this time, Applefield’s parents decided to separate to increase the chances of one of them surviving. Her mother, grandmother, aunt, and younger cousin died at the Belzec death camp, while her father was forced into slave labor.
She was eventually reunited with her father, and they were able to seek refuge at her uncle’s home in New Jersey in 1947. She thanked everyone involved for not only saving her life, but for saving future generations out of “the goodness of their heart and consciences.”
“It’s my hope that any one of us will stand up to any kind of injustice,” Applefield said. “Remember that we all have power. Everyone can do something in their own way.”
She added, “We live in really difficult times right now. It hurts my heart what’s happening, so I really want to reinforce the importance of kindness.”
Applefield spoke in Lynn via Massachusetts’ genocide education grant. Erin LeColst, 11th and 12th grade history teacher, said that Applefield recounting her firsthand experience helps students learn from tragic historical events so they can avoid contributing to similar cycles.
“Having real witnesses to these events allows students to bear witness to a very personal perspective, which reaches them more than just reading about it or watching it,” LeColst said.
Lynn English 10th grader Arnav Islam expressed the main message he interpreted from Applefield’s presentation.
“It taught me how it’s important to care about these things happening around the world, even if it’s not even near you. It’s important to show empathy and grace,” Islam said.
