(Mad Men Spoiler Alert!)
Mad Men, that perennially hot TV show that kept fans waiting 16 months between fixes, now has a Jewish copywriter. His name is Michael Ginsberg. Being a Jewish copywriter myself (or, more accurately, a copywriter who happens to be Jewish), I was initially intrigued by this new character. But last night’s episode threw me for a loop. Michael told fellow copywriter Peggy Olson that he was born in a concentration camp. (For those less familiar with Mad Men, it’s a period-based show set in late 1960s New York City). Peggy, obviously disturbed by this pronouncement, later told her boyfriend that it just couldn’t possibly be true, could it? Michael feels it can’t be true either, and feels his stepfather must have lied to him. His stepfather also “conveniently” told him that his real mother died in the camp.
I’m interested to see where this particular storyline goes since it’s eerily like the basis of my book about my mother-in-law who really was born in a concentration camp. In 2001 when my then-boyfriend — now husband — first told me his mom was born in a camp, I was shocked. I didn’t believe it was even possible, as I assumed all pregnant women were killed and if one was lucky enough to slip by Mengele, I figured that child would instantly be killed at birth. Apparently, that isn’t necessarily so.
My very much alive-and-kicking mother-in-law, Hana Berger Moran (age 67), was indeed born in a concentration camp. In fact, there are at least three babies who were born in concentration camps that I’m aware of, which leads me to believe there must be others. Each of these babies and their mothers defied the odds to survive, which I believe was due much in part to circumstance and luck. But of course, that’s only part of the story.
Can’t wait to see where the show’s creator, Matthew Weiner, goes with this subplot. He best not disappoint.
Thanks for the spoiler alert, cant wait to circle back and read article.
Hi Julie! What a wonderful accomplishment. I look forward to hearing more. I am a 3G and have recently discovered my grandmother’s story of survival.
I noticed your mother-in-laws name and it hit close to home. My great grandmother (did not survive) was a Berger, and I believe her name was Hanah. One of her brothers, Chuna, did survive. I am wondering if this is just pure coincidence or if there was some distant relation.
If you are interested I would love to explore this.
I look forward to your next posts and the book.
Best,
Lacey
Lacey there are a number of facebook groups for 3Gs – there is a New York, DC and Boston one. You can search for them and you’ll find them if you’re interested..
I just read a “Yahoo Answers” that said it was impossible for Ginsberg to have been born in a death camp because he was too young to fit the timing, but if he is 21 in 1966 (which is when he made the claim) then he was born in 1945. That totally fits. Pretty unlikely though. About at likely as a guy successfully deserting from Korea by posing as his dead commander… oh wait…
Unlikely but not impossible. My mother-in-law was born in 1945 in Freiberg, a slave labor camp. Two days later she and her mother (along with about 1,200 other female prisoners) were put on coal cars headed to another camp, Mauthausen. The trip, which should have taken a few days, lasted nearly three weeks b/c the Germans were zigzagging all over the place in an attempt to dodge the advancing Russian and American armies coming at them from both sides. The train arrived at Mauthausen and only 100 or so of the original 1,200 prisoners survived. My mother-in-law and her mother were among the survivors. They were spared once again when the camp ran out of Zyclon-B gas the day before and were unable to kill them in the gas chambers. A week later the 11th Armored Division of Patton’s 3rd Army liberated the camp. That’s the story in a nutshell, a very tiny nutshell though as there are many more twists and turns and important people (like the U.S. soldier who saved her life — hint: penicillin — and how she tracked him down via Google 60 years later to thank him) in her story. All of this is documented and some of it is archived in the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and Yad Vashem.