Dr. Werner Cohen and Gail Rosen breath life into Hilda Stern Cohen's work

On October 18, 2009, at the Bethesda, Md., The Writer's Center held a reading of Holocaust survivor Hilda Stern Cohen's work, published for the first time in English--translated from her native German--in Words That Burn Within Me.

Her husband Dr. Werner Cohen laid the groundwork for the reading by describing how he came upon her seven journals after her passing and how he strove to bring those writings to publication.  She wrote about 150 poems in addition to her prose. 

Hilda Stern Cohen spent three years in the Lodz Ghetto before she was transported to Auschwitz and later embarked upon a death march to another concentration camp.  She was the only woman of about 2,000 Jews to survive the first stage of Auschwitz, according to Dr. Cohen.  When he met his wife in Baltimore, Md., she did not speak English and wore secondhand clothes.

Dr. Werner Cohen; Photo Credit:  Serena M. Agusto-Cox

Initially his wife's writings were published in German: Genagelt ist meine Zunge.  The Words That Burn Within Me, which is the English publication, took its title from one of Cohen's poems, which "bitterly laments how her own sense of self is tied to a language and culture that sought to destroy her."

He also did a delightful and impassioned introduction of the unique qualities of her writing, particularly since she observed not only her own suffering but that of those around her in the Lodz Ghetto and the concentration camp of Auschwitz. 

Dr. Cohen indicated that his wife was a "writer from the womb," helping her fellow students with their writing assignments.  He noted that she was placed in a "displaced persons camp" following the end of WWII and the liberation, which is probably where she wrote down her history and that of her fellow compatriots in the camps. 

Gail Rosen read from Words That Burn Within Me, which include not only Rosen's interview material with Hilda before her death, but also Hilda's essays and poetry.  Rosen had the pleasure of interviewing Hilda before her death and did not know that Hilda's poems existed.  Both agreed that Hilda's writing depicts not just the trauma, but the drama of WWII and the Holocaust.

Gail Rosen; Photo Credit: Serena M. Agusto-Cox

Despite the minimal turnout, the audience was at rapt attention as Rosen breathed life into Hilda Stern Cohen's essays and poems.  Audience members enjoyed the anecdotes from both Dr. Cohen and Gail Rosen, who knew Hilda well. 

Hunger and death are mainstays of Hilda Stern Cohen's prose and poetry, but latter portions of the book also move beyond those events that shaped her to show readers how she thrived in spite of those trials.  With 12 grandchildren, she always wanted to make sure they were well fed and protected, said Rosen.  The suffering was never far from her thoughts.

Rosen said near the end of the reading that Hilda wanted to "share humanity and transform it into something noble."

Rosen also indicated that Cohen's writing is more than an illustration of the facts; it engages readers in a dialogue to help bring about understanding and the enormous potential of humanity, both for good and bad. 

Check out a partial video of the event below:

For more information about this event, check out the recap on Savvy Verse & Wit, which includes additional video of Gail Rosen's reading.