“I, for one, cannot think about what those persons who were deported to extermination camps felt, but I do know one thing, that is, if someone took away my mother, my sister or another family member, a friend or a relative, I would go crazy, I could not think of life without that person, especially killed in such a way."
“I felt very sorry about what I learnt today. I did not think that something like this could happen in
“I think that we cannot understand what was going on in the souls of people back then. I was most impressed by the story of Eva Heyman and by the way in which she described what was happening to her. Poor girl! I am trying to imagine what it would be like for us to be deprived of our rights and I cannot realize how that would be…What happened is sad, completely inhuman.”
“It was impressive.”
“In my opinion, this little girl named Eva did not have to go through such hardships. She was only an innocent child. Just as she said: I do not want to die, I want to live. The little girl deserved to live, but unfortunately, because of the Nazis, she left (died).”
“I find it very inhumane that a 13-year old child dies just because she is Jewish. If I had been her, I do not know what I would have done.”
“It is a very strange story; if all this were the same nowadays, I think that nobody would be there to say STOP!, except for the really brave ones."
“It is painful to learn how the Jews were scoffed and humiliated, because they were first of all humans, and the Nazis were nothing superior to them. These cruelties are inhuman, not even an animal deserved to be treated like this. Sincere condolences to all the bereaved families!”
“I think that if I had been in Eva’s shoes, I would not have had the courage to go on living while being subjected to such injustice. I think I would have also thought of writing a journal because I would have been terrified with what was happening”.
“It is tragic to think that something like this happened in our town and that this little girl, Eva Heyman, went through an experience of such terror. When I read the excerpts from the journal written by the little girl, I felt a sense of fear, it would have been awful to go through such an experience and have such a tragic death.”
“Who would have thought that the streets of
“Impressive story, now we can realize how lucky we are to be able to live our childhood in peace. I am honestly glad to have participated in this exhibition and to have learned more about what happened in the past. What happened is unimaginable, so many disasters, and for what? We only have one life and we must live it peacefully.”
“My opinion about this History lesson…honestly, I would not have liked to live back in those times…and I am sorry for Eva Heyman.”
“This presentation saddened me because I learned that thousands of innocent children had died.”
"These stories are impressive."
"This presentation has touched me profoundly."
"A real tragedy; if that many Jews were still living in our city we would probably have the most developed city in the country."
"Had I been her I would have tried to escape, to go anywhere just to escape, because in the end she was going to die anyway."
"This exhibition was impressive and I would like to see many more history-themed exhibitions."
"The deportation of Jews was a horrendous event, but the critical point was the killing of millions of people. I read a lot of books on this subject, but, as I discover more information, it is as if I get to experience those horrible moments myself."
"Was it necessary that millions of people die in order for us to understand that we all, as human beings, are equal and share the same rights? But do we nowadays truly realize that we are all equal? Something has certainly changed, but not enough…I hope such disasters will not be necessary again for us ALL to understand what equality and democracy mean…"
"I would like to describe how I feel right now, after this presentation: I am shocked! I have never imagined that something like this could have ever been possible in Oradea. The buildings which I see almost daily have such a horrific past, just like so many other places in this city. I cannot believe that what has been presented actually happened here, in Oradea, a peaceful city nowadays. What is even more tragic is the fact that all these events are relatively recent and that many of us (myself included) do not have even the slightest idea regarding the horrible things that happened. Until now, I was regardless of the drama experienced by the Jews, but this journal has truly opened my eyes. I promise that I shall look further into this subject. Thank you for helping me understand what world we live in!"
"We should have helped the Jews and protect those who could not protect themselves. Their death is the result of those people who were not capable of doing anything. They should have taken attitude against such injustice."
"I am honestly extremely sorry for these people and especially for these children who experienced those horrible ordeals. I personally do not know how I would have reacted; I would have probably fought to live for my dear ones. We thank them for having written those diaries and we are thankful for having had the opportunity to find out what they have gone through."
"The lives of Eva Heyman and Anne Frank impressed me profoundly. How much sufferance have these two little girls endured? And for what ? For a man with a sick mind, cruel and merciless before these innocent children who, instead of living their lives, died like animals in the camps. The Jews are human beings as well, who did not deserve all this. But, fortunately, there were still good people left like Irena Sendler, who saved children."
"I did not expect to learn that such tragedies took place in
"It is very painful to learn that acts of such cruelty took place, that innocent people saw their death or that children could not enjoy their childhood. I cannot imagine how the Jews felt, but if children my age and I went through such ordeals, I do not know how I would react. I cannot describe how I felt when I read those lines in Eva`s journal; although young, Eva was aware of everything that was happening around her and she knew that she was going to die."
"Something like this should not have happened, I do not understand why people in
"My opinion is that these two little girls were very strong and endured everything that the future held for them, the fate to die innocent, without committing something. We should be proud not to have lived in those times in which you did not have any rights; Jews were human beings, just like us. What happened was disastrous and it makes you think. What if we had been one of them?"
"What happened to Eva could have happened to us all. I do not think that people in Oradea or other citizens did well when they simply ignored what was happening to the Jews. Each religion has its right to manifest. Hitler and other leaders who considered that Jews had to be killed showed an inhumane attitude.
The idea to kill the Jews did not involve any feelings of the leaders or of the citizens who were not Jewish. There were very few solidary people. These stories moved me profoundly and made me think in greater depth about priorities in life, the greatest of which is to live in happiness. I am very sorry for all those people. Had I lived in those times, I would have helped them."
"Despite the hardships experienced by these two little girls, young persons on the brink of adolescence, they showed courage, which should be a model for everybody, regardless of their age, race or culture. They showed courage and accepted their tragic fate, despite their innocence."
"The macabre things experienced by the Jews during the Second World War cannot be expressed in words, the Nazi cruelty was limitless in those times, the concentration camps and ghettos everywhere were an undescribable cruelty. I hope that we can learn from the mistakes and macabre things in the past so that we do not repeat them in the future!"
"I still cannot understand how some people in those times could have been so cruel (for example Adolf Hitler). It was very painful to find out what had happened to Eva and to all the Jews back then."
"A sad image emerged in
I highly appreciate your efforts to promote the tumultuous past of the innocent Jews who were killed."
"I am deeply impressed that attitude is being taken and that these massacres brought to the Jewish population are reminded. I wish to volunteer in the association and share in work. My e-mail address is xxxxxxxx or, for a potential collaboration, you can reach me at xxxxxxxx."
"What happened to Jewish children in that period is unfair, and if fundamental rights to life are infringed again, measures should be taken in due time."
"I appreciated this presentation very much, but the story of Eva saddened me."
"I did not think that something like this could have happened in
"I am surprised to learn that people back then managed to live under such inhuman domination. I am very curious to know how it would have been nowadays if it hadn’t been for the Nazis."
"I find it very cruel that a 13-year child dies just because she is Jewish, it is tragic. If I had been her, I don’t know what I would have done."
"These events are sad."
"Something like this should not have been allowed to happen."
"I was engulfed in a feeling of restlessness and fear, of regret and disturbance when reading the testimonies of these incidents and sufferance of children who, at very early ages, were victims of such tortures."
"What children experienced in those times is unfair because neither they, nor the others, had any fault."
"This exhibition depicts events that are frightening and full of sufferance and torture of the Jews. I am scared to think about the things that the Germans put the Jews go through, things which eventually resulted in their death."
"If I had been in her place, I would have tried to escape at all costs and I don’t think I would have written in a journal."
"I think that those times were very difficult and such a thing should not have been allowed to happen."
"The moment we stop caring is the moment we lose all humanity."