Self censorship is control over actions and words to avoid castigation. Historically, people have unfortunately experienced much trauma and horror in circumstances away from home. When this happens, our longing for human connection kicks in. Many of those involved in circumstances like World War II and the Holocaust chose to write letters to loved ones while they were away. Thankfully, our generation gets to dive into these letters and grasp an understanding of important individuals, and life back then. It is fascinating to ponder the thought process behind the letters, and how the writers chose what went in them. During drastic times, people made bold choices of exposing and hiding full truths of events and emotions in their letters, each for their own unique reasons.
The Holocaust and WWII were filled with destruction and scheming, but much of what went down is unknown. Many soldiers in WWII were given orders of censorship by the government in regards to what their letters couldn’t include. Reason being, there was no certainty of whose hands these messages could end up in. If a soldier wrote of details of their location, carried items, and plans, and it somehow ended up in the hands of an enemy, it could cost them all their lives. Wilmer Cressman, a Muhlenberg alumni (class of ‘43) who served in the US Navy, got promoted to holding a position in the communications department of his ship. This role opened his eyes to the government’s strictness in regards to exposure of their circumstances. In 1944, while at sea in the pacific, Cressman wrote to his friend Gordon, “I sure do know my censorship regulations, after censoring the crew’s mail for all these months. In fact, I know them so well that one of my letters to you never left the ship.” He also says, “I can say little about the ship, the duty, or where I am at present– the censorship jinx… ” The government’s push of censorship is clearly important for safety, and is understandable as to why it is enforced.
On the flip side, some letters were uncensored, and shared a great deal of information on events. In December of 1943, Cressman was stationed in Japan. In letters, he explains his circumstances vividly. Cressman had a gift for writing with a creative flow (he ended up being a writer for Muhlenberg!) Furthermore, we get amazing imagery in his letters. He writes, “…immediately the ships were cloaked in a heavy smoke screen which nearly suffocated us… so dense you could not see the bow from the bridge…full picture of desolation arose. Block after block of rubble…” While this is not a beautiful scene, it gives us clear insight on his situation. I’m sure his friends were happy to receive these messages. Because he was across the world, these letters were their only form of communication. It seems as though any news received would be enough to make Cressman’s friends satisfied, but getting full details probably made it even better, like they could understand his situation clearly, even if it wasn’t the best.
Another example of how truths from the past can be revealed in these letters is by understanding Azriel and Varda’s story. During the Holocaust, the Grin family was traveling the world to stay alive. Unfortunately, they were separated in their travels, ending up in Hachshara, Eretz Israel and Panevėžys ghetto. One of the son’s, Tuvia, thankfully escaped the ghetto. Later though, he was killed fighting as a Partisan. Azriel’s parents and sisters were murdered in Panowitz. Azriel was one of the few family members to survive, alongside Hava’s daughter, Varda. The only way we know this tale is thanks to their efforts to share it and make a change. Exposing personal stories of trauma can be difficult, but they were brave enough to speak up. In, “The Last Letters from the Hollocaust”, it states, “Pages of Testimony are special forms created by Yad Vashem… restore the personal identities… record the brief life stories of the six million Jews murdered by the Nazis.” In 1956, Azriel submitted to Yad Vashem Pages of Testimony in memory of his parents (Moshe and Hene Grin) and sister (Gitta). In 2005, Varda Talmor submitted in memory of her uncle (Tuvia) and aunt (Miriam). There is much importance behind using your voice in hard situations. Now, the people of our generation get to unravel the historical details, reflect on them, and learn about our world’s past, and how to make a brighter future.
As well as exposing events’ details, we must consider feelings, and to what extent they were shared. Some chose to be fully open when writing, while others tend to hold back. During the holocaust, when most of the Grin’s were trapped in the Panevėžys ghetto, Tuvia ecaped. The last letter from him was to his sister, Hava. It reads, “Dear sister… I fled Lithuania, Panevėžys. I left everyone… Mother and Father, in the ghetto. I feel terrible for leaving them in the thieving hands of Hitler’s robbers, and who knows what is happening to them.” This was clearly a horrible situation. Rather than sugar coating or writing with fake optimism, Tuvia is blatantly honest with Hava, saying he feels awful for leaving them behind, and that he is very uncertain of what comes next. It is nerve-racking being honest with loved ones in hardship due to not wanting to worry/upset them. Here though, we see Tuvia open up. He got to fully express himself to someone he trusts without feeling the need to hide something. Also, Hava was able to truly learn about Tuvia’s mindset and wellbeing.
Not all letters dealing with these true emotions are negative, though! While at a rest stop in Noumea, New Caledonia, Wilmer Cressman climbed a mountain. In his letters, he explains how meaningful/moving this was. He says how, compared to always being eye level with flat surfaces and water, it was a new scenery. This moment was beautiful and special to him, and made him feel happy and peaceful. For someone at war, that’s all you can ask for. I can only assume that the person back home reading felt at ease knowing that Cressman found something that gave him a spark, even just for a moment.
In contrast, some letters are nowhere near as vulnerable or emotionally open. After the German invasion in the 1940’s, Rosette Bomblat and her family fled to France, with much troubles in their travels. She helped her father and mother hide from the police, who were after them unreasonably. Then, Rosette and her sister Sara were arrested/taken away. Due to Rosette’s citizenship, she was released back home, but not Sara. She then went back to France to save her. Out there, Rosette joined the “Amelot” organization, which helped hide/rescue Jewish children. Sadly, in June of 1943, she was arrested and sent to Drancy. There, she wrote her final letter to her family. But, after much distress and chaos, Rosette speaks only positively in her letters. She writes, “The main thing is – don’t worry about me. My health is good and my morale is not bad at all… The food is not bad…” Here, she’s disregarding all negative information, sharing only goodness. She does mention that she has been captured, but shares only an optimistic outlook; “I have met many friends… Mrs. Rapoport promised me that during my incarceration, she will be my second mother…” Then, she pivots the conversation into being solely invested in her family, clearly pushing away talk of her circumstances. She writes, “The only thing that worries me is you. I would like to know that you are well… Look after your health and your hopes.” There are many reasons we can predict why Rosette was not disclosing the trauma and hardships she’d encountered. One reason I can assume is that since she got very occasional chances to write to family, she did not want to fill it with sorrow. Also, she clearly did not want to worry her loved ones. Knowing this, it is understandable why she went about communicating with a positive approach.
Depending on context and situation, censorship may be used, or not. I’ve learned that some things are left out simply because the writer wanted it to be that way to protect their loved ones from being hurt or worrying when they read it. This is seen in letters from Rosette. Other times, content is stripped away from letters by higher powers due to keeping safety among their people, which we learn from Cressman. Oppositely, there are many things kept in order to share full experiences and feelings, as Cressman, Tuvia, and others show us. Regardless, all of these decisions have motives behind them. Now, we as a generation get to study them. I feel grateful for these letters. Because of them, we all can grasp a better understanding of what life was like, and more importantly, what we can learn from it to make a better future.
Works Cited
Yad Vashem. The World Holocaust Remembrance Center. (2021). “Last Letters From
the Holocaust: 1943”
https://www.yadvashem.org/yv/en/exhibitions/last-letters/1943/grin.asp
Yad Vashem. The World Holocaust Remembrance Center. (2021). “What are Pages of Testimony”
https://www.yadvashem.org/archive/hall-of-names/pages-of-testimony.html
Special Collections and Archives, Trexler Library, Muhlenberg College. (2000). “Artstor”
https://library.artstor.org/#/asset/24650011;prevRouteTS=1633033704206
