Martha Sternbach was a teenager in 1944 when she was forced to enter and work in the Nazi’s largest extermination camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau. But shockingly it was after the Holocaust that her nightmare began — when she first learned that her entire family (and almost everyone in her town in Hungary) had been killed. Now at 93, Martha looks back with a broken heart and a deep burden of guilt for surviving the Holocaust but grateful to be alive and to have survived.

Martha’s 93rd Birthday was on November 17 — marking 75 years since the Holocaust had ended for her. With reverence, we honor Martha by starting our podcast with her story, forever a bright candle to light our darkness.

Transcript: https://www.bellystory.com/s1e1 (https://www.bellystory.com/s1e1)

Our Story: BellyStory.com

In our first season of life here at the podcast, David All guides you through a collection of extraordinary personal life stories told by folks of all ages. Collectively, these 13 stories illustrate the overall pattern of a ‘Belly Story,’ our personal transformation.

By listening to these stories, our hope is for you to remember that the change in your life that forced you into the dark, gooey stage of life -- wasn't all unicorns and rainbows, but that is where you found your pot of gold -- and climbed up a new person.

We all find: Wisdom for our Soul; But for you today: It's Courage for your Journey.

Episode Summary

- Martha was at Auschwitz-Birkenau from June-October 1944

- She had no idea the camp was a death camp; would later learn her entire family had been killed there

- Surviving the Holocaust was a different kind of nightmare for Martha and led to a deep sense of ‘Survivors Guilt’

- For more than four decades, Martha hid her experience from her husband and family

- Still today, Martha has a deep sense of generosity in her heart, everyone must be kind to one another

Quotables

This is a song that Martha sings for us:

“Hallelujah, I’m alive. Hallelujah, I’ve survived.

"But Dear God I’m broken hearted and very very sad because evil men murdered my whole family and my friends, But I know that their soul is up with you in heaven.

"So please Dear God take good care of them, and the day will come when my soul will be together with them, then I’m going to sing Hallelujah again.”

Learn more about Martha Sternbach

Martha’s recent testimony to the Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust: https://youtu.be/L5-XR1leg8k (https://youtu.be/L5-XR1leg8k)

Martha’s 1994 testimony - her first time sharing the story:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxQks_SWSMU (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxQks_SWSMU)

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Thank you for listening.

Warmly,

David All

Creator, Storyteller, Producer

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