For thousands of years, humans have used storytelling to enhance and change lives. From prehistoric fireside stories, to songs, novels, films, even social media reels, we are hardwired to seek identification and knowledge through hearing about other people’s experiences.
Some of my most popular podcast episodes to date have featured guests who do just this – relating their extraordinary life experience to fascinate, move and benefit all of those who hear it. And I’m honoured to add today’s guests to that list.
Ruthie Meir is the daughter of the late Holocaust survivor Hannah Pick-Goslar. Dina Kraft is Hannah’s co-writer who helped bring her incredible story to life, in the brand-new book My Friend Anne Frank. Together Ruthie and Dina bring authenticity and emotional resonance to a real-life story, that will change the hearts and minds, of all who hear it.
If you are familiar with the famous ‘Diary of Anne Frank’, Hannah appeared in it as ‘Lies Goosens’. As Ruthie and Dina explain to me, Hannah was born to Jewish parents in Berlin in 1928. After the Nazi Party was elected in 1933, the family escaped to what they believed was the safety of Amsterdam. And it was here that she met her friend, Anne Frank. The two became inseparable – until one day Anne just disappeared. Then in 1943, Hannah’s family was arrested and transported to Bergen-Belsen concentration camp and somehow Hannah managed to survive, until the camp was finally liberated.
It would have been lovely to talk to Hannah herself about her story, but she actually died back in October 2022 just a few weeks shy of her 94th birthday.
This is without question, a horrifying, unimaginable, and crushing story but at the same time, within it, there are definite moments of beauty, compassion and humanity.
It really was a great privilege to talk to Ruthie and Dina about Hannah and her life. I hope you enjoy listening.
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