Surviving the Shadows: Jochen Wurfl's Escape from the Holocaust and Holly Marie's Unexpected Family Mystery
This week, we’ll hear the stories of two individuals who were tragically separated from their families at an early age. Though they faced unimaginable losses, they fought to hold onto what was left of their families, and continued to seek God as they also searched for their belonging in the world.
Jochen Wurfl has seen more than his fair share of suffering. As a Holocaust survivor who experienced firsthand Hitler’s persecution of the Jewish people, and separation from his parents, Jochen clung to his brother to survive, and held onto faith that they would make it through. Holly Marie’s parents were members of a cult, who compelled them to give Holly Marie up for adoption when she was just a baby. When members of her biological family connected with her years later, there was an emotional reunion, and revelations that would forever change her life.
Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned:
Past interview: Ellie Holcomb
Upcoming interview: Anita Renfroe
Thank you to our sponsor: www.give.cru.org
Dean and Tina Linn Clouse Memorial Fund
Interview Quotes:
“We found the cell where my mother was, and she said, ‘Boys, be good at school. Learn as much as you can. Pay attention. I know you love me and I love you. I want you to leave right now because I am afraid you're going to be arrested and you're going to be sent along with me.’ We never talked to our mother again. We never saw her again. She was taken to Auschwitz and she was killed there.” - Jochen Wurfl
“Eventually, our entire family was killed in the concentration camps, or somewhere by the Nazis. Everybody. My brother and I were the only two people who survived.” - Jochen Wurfl
“That was probably the happiest day of my life when we landed in LaGuardia and I knew that I was in this country, a country where we had freedom, where you had democracy. Coming from Germany, from the Second World War, the difference was so immense.” - Jochen Wurfl
“I still remember when I was twelve years old back in Germany, and we heard then on the BBC that the troops had landed successfully in Normandy. And here all these years later, I was in the color guard in Normandy to celebrate the success of the invasion. The sun was rising over the channel, and we stood there lowering the flags, listening to the tides. It was just an unbelievable experience.” - Jochen Wurfl
“I was so blessed in this country and by my life as a whole.”
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