Is It Okay To Boogie at a Concentration Camp?

That's the question of the day, believe it or not.

Recently, a video surfaced of a Holocaust survivor and his family dancing to the Gloria Gaynor tune "I Will Survive" at Auschwitz, the former Nazi camp where over 950,000 Jews were killed.

Some people don't find it very funny.

Australian artist Jane Korman filmed the video last summer with her three children and her father, Adolek Kohn, an 89-year-old survivor of the camp.



Adolek is shown wearing a T-shirt saying "Survivor." He leads the family in a conga line, and is also filmed peeping out of a cattle car that was used to transport Jewish prisoners during the Holocaust.

The video recorded 500,000 hits on video site YouTube before it was yanked off the site on Thursday over copyright issues.

"I think it is wonderful, wonderful that so many people looked at this," Adolek told BBC News. "Of course not everyone understands why we dance at Auschwitz."

Some are gravely offended that the topic of genocide should be treated so lightly, even by a man who lived through it.

I saw go ahead and dance old man! Life is a celebration, and you have something spectacular to celebrate.

If anyone else doesn't like it, they don't have to watch....

reply to post by MRuss


The man lived through it.

If he wants to break dance to Sabatoge naked on those grounds then he has earned that right.

I'm think its great he has found such happiness in his life that he can look back at one humans greatest tragedies and celebrate surviving it.

I was about to say that the place is a somber place and a reverent attitude of respect is desirable, until I read who it was that was dancing.

If you and your family are direct survivors, I think you can do whatever it is that brings you closure. If dancing there brings you happiness then I think it would be alright.

He was proberly dancing at the thought of all the dead palistinians. Enclosed within the walls of his nazi state.

The man survived. Let him do what he wants, not one of us has the understanding and direct experience needed to judge him or what he does for closure.

reply to post by jaego

He was proberly dancing at the thought of all the dead palistinians. Enclosed within the walls of his nazi state.

Ya. I'm sure that's exactly what he was doing.



[edit on 17-7-2010 by LadySkadi]

I think he earned the right to dance there if he so chooses.
Obviously he has come to terms with that part of his life and his happy.
So let the man be. He's alive. I'd be happy too.

Short answer: YES!

Long answer: This thread has been done before.