Further Together the ORAU Podcast
Episode 62: Bearing Witness: Lauren Shaffer recounts her family's escape from Nazi Germany in the 1930s
If Lauren Shaffer's 10-year-old brother had not been required to interview someone who lived through the period of history depicted in the book, "Number the Stars," she and the rest of her family may never have heard the story of her great-grandfather's flight from Nazi Germany, or of her grandmother living in hiding for over a year before visas could be secured to get out of the country, or of Uncle Willy, who risked his own life to save a number of Jewish families from the extermination camps. After sharing the story for the first time, her grandmother spoke to classrooms and school groups in Michigan and Florida for years. Now, the torch has been passed to the younger generations of the family to continue to bear witness and keep history from repeating itself. Lauren shared this story as part of ORAU's annual Heritage Day, sponsored by the Diversity Council. We are honored to that she agreed to share the story again for Further Together.