Remember Us
My Journey from the Shtetl through the Holocaust
What's it about
Have you ever wondered how the human spirit can endure the unimaginable? This gripping account reveals the true story of a young boy who survived the horrors of the Holocaust through sheer resilience, courage, and an unbreakable will to live, offering profound lessons on hope in the darkest of times. You'll follow Martin Small's harrowing journey from a peaceful Polish shtetl to the brutal reality of concentration camps. Discover the split-second decisions, the small acts of kindness, and the fierce determination that kept him alive against all odds. This is more than a historical record; it's a powerful testament to the strength of memory and the importance of bearing witness.
Meet the author
Martin Small is a Holocaust survivor who endured multiple concentration camps, including the infamous Mauthausen, and bravely shared his testimony with the USC Shoah Foundation. After the war, Martin immigrated to the United States, built a successful business, and dedicated his life to ensuring the horrors he witnessed were never forgotten. He collaborated with author and historian Vic Shayne to transform his vivid recollections into this powerful, first-hand account, preserving his story of resilience and hope for future generations.
Opens the App Store to download Voxbrief
The Script
In the chaotic aftermath of a city-wide power outage, two hospital chaplains are given the same directive: comfort the families in the pediatric ICU. The first chaplain, a man of deep and practiced faith, enters a room and begins reciting prayers, offering the structured solace of liturgy. He speaks of divine plans and eternal peace, his words forming a familiar, protective ceiling against the unknown. In the next room, the second chaplain, a younger woman new to the role, finds she has no words. She sits beside a distraught mother, takes her hand, and simply meets her gaze, sharing in the silence and the fear. She offers only her presence, a quiet anchor in the overwhelming darkness. One chaplain provides a system of belief; the other provides a moment of shared humanity. The question is which one connects.
This stark difference in how we connect during crisis is what drove Vic Shayne, a lifelong interviewer and storyteller, to seek out the experiences of those who lived through humanity’s darkest chapters. He was haunted by the stories of survivors who remembered small, quiet acts of empathy. To give these memories the weight and context they deserved, he partnered with Martin Small, a Holocaust educator who has dedicated his life to preserving the personal, human-scale details that are so often lost in the sweep of historical narrative. Together, they embarked on a journey to capture these fleeting, powerful moments of connection, believing that in these small acts of remembrance, we find the true essence of our shared humanity.
Module 1: The World Before the Catastrophe
Before the war, Jewish life in the small towns of Eastern Europe, the shtetls, was a complete and vibrant civilization. The authors paint a vivid picture of this lost world as a home filled with real people.
Life in the shtetl of Maitchet was materially poor but culturally rich. The community's wealth was measured in family, tradition, and interdependence. They had no electricity, few cars, and relied on horse-drawn wagons. This lack of modern convenience forced a deep reliance on neighbors. Survival was a team sport. People worked hard, but always made time to "drink in the richness of family life." The authors conclude that despite having no power or connections, "we were the richest people on earth."
This world was anchored by specific cultural practices. The synagogue, the Torah, and the Sabbath formed the spiritual and social heart of the community. The synagogue, or shul, was a holy place where the community gathered. The Torah scroll was its greatest treasure, a record of their history and identity. And Shabbat, the weekly day of rest, was the cornerstone of existence. At sundown on Friday, all work stopped. Families gathered for massive meals filled with food, song, and laughter. It was a sacred pause that reinforced their bonds and their faith.
Building on that idea, education was a moral calling. Jewish study cultivated a mindset of perpetual inquiry and ethical reasoning. Young men studied ancient texts in a yeshiva, a religious school. They debated complex legal and ethical dilemmas, like the famous "desert dilemma." A man in the desert has enough water for one person to survive. He meets a man with no water. If he shares, both die. If he doesn't, he lives, but lets another man die. There is no easy answer. The point of the exercise was to sharpen the mind for life's impossible moral choices—a skill that would soon be tested in unimaginable ways.