Page 8-THE NEWS-June/July 1994
Irene Opdyke, a Righteous
Gentile Speaks to Charlotte Jewry
Students from both temples surround Irene Opdyke.
Irene Opdyke — Another View
By Audrey Krakovitz
In early May, Irene Opdyke,
who was awarded the title of
“Righteous” by the Commission
for the designation of the Right
eous, spoke to a number of
different Jewish groups during
her stay in Charlotte. The title
is given to Gentiles who risked
their lives to save Jews. Opdyke’s
visit was sponsored by the Wom
en’s Division Education Com
mittee of the Jewish Federation.
Her Charlotte stay began with
a Saturday evening Education
Committee dinner meeting at the
home of Marilyn and Mike
Tuckman. Then, on Sunday
morning, Opdyke spoke to the
4th through 7th grade classes of
both temple Israel and Beth El.
She related to the wide-eyed
audience, her experiences while
saving Jews during World War
Two. The manner in which she
told her story to the children was
captivating and spell-binding.
After her presentation, the chil
dren asked her many questions.
At lunch, the 25 students of
the Consolidated High School
listened as Opdyke told her
story, beginning at the time
when she was a teenager, similar
in age to the students. After
wards, students gathered around
her for hugs, pictures, and of
course, more questions.
Dinner brought Opdyke to a
special Lion of Judah and Pace
setter Dinner chaired by Lee
Blumenthal. With nods of ap
proval from the guests, Opdyke
explained that she was an Hon
orary Lion of Judah as a result
of her fund-raising efforts on
behalf of UJA and Israel.
The evening found Opdyke at
an open community desert re
ception at Temple Beth El,
which was attended by more
than 200 people. Once again she
cast her spell over the audience
as she related in gripping detail,
her role in saving and helping
hundreds of Jews during the
Holocaust. After her presenta
tion, Opdyke signed copies of
her book, “Into the Flames,”
The reception was organized
under the leadership of Ann
Langman and Judy Kaufman
and carried out with the help of
Women’s Division Education
Committee members Dorothy
Ashendorf, Wendy Helms, Susie
Lepow, Linda Levy, Nancy
Tarbis,-Marilyn Tuckman and
Marci Willenzik. Special thanks
to Roz Taranto for home hos
pitality.
Opdyke’s final Charlotte
speech was given to the Up-
towner’s Group chaired by Steve
Garfinkel, Judi Van Glish and
Peter Levinson. Twenty Uptown
Charlotte business people ga
thered to hear her inspiring and
heroic tale.
Opdyke and Sheila Kritzer hold
hands and exchange feelings.
photo by Donna Foster
By Harvey Cohen
The sun was shinning brightly
from an untroubled spring sky
and made the air comfortably
cool and pleasant. The weather
exactly reflected Irene Opdyke’s
personality, the person we were
to interview. One morning in
early May, three people sat in
the lounge at the JCC; Irene
Opdyke, a reporter from the
Charlotte Observer and me.
Today, secure inside the walls of
the JCC, Opdyke fairly sparkled
throughout the interview as she
recalled better times and the
good things that happened to the
people she helped. But her mood
changed instantly when she
recalled some of the horrors.
What strikes you first about
Opdyke are her eyes. They are
a deep, rich blue when she smiles
or laughs, but turn dark and
ominous when she speaks of a
past filled with terror. As the
interview went on, the mood
shifts were transparent through
her perceptive, penetrating eyes.
Even if we couldn’t have heard
her words, we could tell how she
was feeling by looking at her
eyes.
I didn’t want to report just her
dramatic story of saving Jews,
so my questions were different
than Brian Steiner’s, the reporter
from the Observer. Space
doesn’t permit publishing all the
questions and answers covered
during the interview. What
follows are some select questions
to which Opdyke responded.
CJN; Why did you feel re
sponsible to help Jews despite
the risk of being killed?:
O: Because of my upbringing.
My mother was a very strong
woman and felt it was our duty
and responsibility to help others.
She helped gypsies when others
turned their backs. She taught
us that we must help others no
matter what and it was a lesson
I learned well. There was never
a question in my mind of not
helping.
CJN: What about those who
could have helped but didn’t?
O: I don’t blame those people,
after all, most people had fam
ilies and if they helped and got
caught, they would be killed;
their families would have noth
ing or they too would have been
killed. 1 only had myself to
consider, I had no family. People
act out of fear but when you’re
not afraid, you do what’s right.
No, I don’t blame people for the
fear they had.
CJN: What did you think of
the movie “Schindler’s List?”
O: One thing that needs to
cleared up is that in the movie,
Schindler said he took Jewish
workers because they didn’t have
to be paid. That’s true, but
what’s not true is that Polish
workers were paid. They
weren’t! They too worked as
slave labor.
CJN; How do you feel about
what’s going on in Bosnia?
O: After all these years, we
haven’t learned anything. What
happened to the Jews started like
a Bosina (ethnic cleansing). The
world is closing it’s eyes. When
are we going to learn, when are
we going to learn?
CJN: What can be done about
all the hate in the world?
O: Hate is not something any
of us are born with. We learn
hate in many different ways. But
I think in order to overcome
hate, we must reach children
when they’re very young. We
must teach them that there are
no differences in any of us
although I may believe this and
you believe that. We are all one
people and we must teach that
lesson or history will repeat
itself. There are people who now
say the Holocaust never hap
pened. That’s why we must tell
that story over and over again
or history will be re-written! It
won’t be long before all the
Holocaust survivors will be
gone. Then who will tell that
story?
After more than an hour, this
hearty 70 year-old lady had to
rush off to yet another speaking
engagement. I will share with
you one last question I asked
her.
CJN: Because of your avowed
deep feeling for Jews, have you
ever considered becoming Jew
ish?
O: I’m often asked that ques
tion by adults, but more often
by children. My feeling for the
Jewish people couldn’t be any
deeper and stronger, but I feel
deeply about all people. If I have
any one message to deliver to
people today it is that whether
you’re Jewish or Catholic or
whatever, there really is no
difference between any of us. In
my heart and in my soul I am
as Jewish as can be.
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