Continuing on with my series of article looking at the stories of so-called ‘Holocaust Survivors’ we have Ester Malek – formerly of Hungary - who has since changed her name to Eva Olsson – probably to sound less obviously jewish – who has been recounting her experiences to school children in Canada.
To wit:
‘Nearly 80 years ago, the former resident of Hungary born Ester Malek was liberated from the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. The postwar period gave rise to becoming a Canadian and, after a half-century of not talking about it, a pastime of travelling to speak about and author multiple books on her experience.
[…]
At 19 years of age, Olsson and her family were shipped off to Auschwitz-Birkenau in Poland. While there before her eventual liberation elsewhere, she came face to face with the infamous Dr. Josef Mengele. He did not speak to her, but still, Olsson recalls the cold efficiency with which he decided who would die.’ (1)
In addition to this Olsson claimed that she was the only member of her family to survive Auschwitz. (2) The problem with Olsson’s story is simply that is utterly generic and non-specific. She claims to have lost her whole family but doesn’t explain how she knew this was the case or alternative explanations (e.g., typhus) for how they might have died. She carps on about Dr. Mengele and his white gloves greeting her, which is another common trope for ‘Auschwitz survivors’ to mention.
Then she typically was transferred to Bergen-Belsen as some Auschwitz inmates were - although far too many than documents suggest were of course – and then wants us to feel sorry about how awful her life was and oh… please open your chequebook to ease your conscience.
I smell either a fraud or someone who didn’t see very much at all other than a German labour camp and is upset that the nasty Germans ruined her expensive manicure.
References
(1) https://www.sprucegroveexaminer.com/news/local-news/holocaust-survivor-urges-community-to-remember-and-reject-hatred
(2) https://www.thewhig.com/opinion/columnists/column-we-cannot-afford-to-forget-the-lessons-of-the-holocaust/wcm/b7605952-e715-4902-8593-67813b3fb8ce