Jerry Springer . . . Is ENGLISH by birth?! Who Do You Think You Are?

[expatinscotland]

OMG!

I had NO idea.

He was born in London, the son of two German Jewish refugees.

Tutter - you're living in 1971?

Bloody missed it as dh is watching the fecking football

Does anyone know if it is repeted anywhere?

dh has informed me that in fact hitler came to power in 1933, and used the 'fuhrer' title from 1934

but you get my point

It never left his father.

He said when they got to America, his father would sell toys and things he'd made out of his car.

And when Jerry was a child he would ask, 'Why don't you get a shop?'

He hadn't realised his father HAD a shop, or what happened to it.

But his dad said, 'You never know who will come to a shop. You have to wait for people to come to it,' and that he preferred to be able to have more control over his 'shop' - to be able to leave quickly, probably.

It was SO so moving. The reading at the camp he visited was powerful.

Agree with Chuffinora; this is the way to make history 'real' for children (and adults too) - through personal stories like Jerry's.

Didn't think there was anything off about your post, hester, it is surprising. And kind of heartening.

I seem to recall it was Jews who invented the violin, and obviously Broadway musicals are a largely Jewish phenomenon.

Was talking about this programme with my father and he thinks he's read that JS was born in a London Underground Station during an air raid.

It was the bit at the station, with the memorial with the handprints, that started me crying.

DKMA - it will be on iplayer.

Expat - I welled up at that point (when he was talking about his dad). HOW do you just get on with 'normal' life after losing most of your family like that, having to leave your home, always 'feeling hunted'? I suppose you just have to. But, blimey.

indeed, jackie - that was when i got a headache from not crying

I was so moved by that programme, I had to leave the room a couple of times to sort myself out.

Yes. I'd head that Jackie. no idea where though!

Does anyone remember who he said wrote that reading he did at the ruins of the camp in Poland where one of his grandmothers had died? I'd like to re-read it.

I can't get the image of the 'gas van' out of my mind. Horrific beyond words.

Sorry, heard that hester (about JS being born in an underground station). wonder if it's true?

And not knowing what ultimately happened to your own mother, OldestCat, but only guessing and imagining.

I started crying when his first cousin told him that her mother and his mother - sisters - knew their mother had been deported to that ghetto. But damn, they had NO choice but to get out. And having to leave her behind because your life is at stake.

That's when I started sobbing.

What horrible desperation.

Well, he was born in London, and it would have been about the time of the air raids.

They didn't leave until 1949 and had gotten there is 1939.

Zyclon B was introduced to be a more 'efficient' for of mass murder as the 'gas vans' were considered to be too slow and cumbersome.

It defies imagination doesn't it? How people could think and do things like this and then go back to their own families at the end of the day?

david Badiel also found out about family who escaped Nazi germany. Very moving

david Badiel also found out about family who escaped Nazi germany. Very moving

God.

It's just so horrible that people could do such things to other people.

A trite sentiment, I know. But one I think Jerry got across very well, wondering about the 'normal' people (ie not Hitler) who'd put people on trains bound for camps etc.

The nazi party was voted in in a free election by a majority of German people.

Message withdrawn

Scary thing is it's something that could happen again. Look at Rwanda. Or Bosnia. Or Darfur and lots of other places.

quite. They were just not as ruthlessly efficient about it, but the intent was there and was just as wicked