dailyloe.com – Etty Hillesum, a Jewish author, was murdered in Auschwitz in 1943. Hagai Levi, a 62-year-old Israeli filmmaker, believes her diaries should be required reading in schools.
Levi stated, “I think they really speak to young people, they can empathize with Etty and understand what happened back then.” His series, titled “Etty,” will be available on Arte starting May 21.
Bishop Heiner Wilmer, chairman of the German Bishops’ Conference, echoed similar sentiments a year and a half ago. Wilmer described Hillesum as a great observer of Europe and a fighter for humanity.
Levi emphasized that Hillesum’s diaries could provide a significant insight into that period. He noted, “Young people could also recognize the danger that something like this could happen again.”
He drew parallels between Hillesum’s story and current situations in Israel, particularly regarding fascist tendencies. He remarked, “I think in Europe it’s similar: the danger from right-wing extremist movements is omnipresent.”
Levi clarified that “Etty” is not a Holocaust series. He stated, “It’s about the question of how to live your life in difficult times.” He aimed to capture universal themes relevant to today’s society.
According to Levi, people today, regardless of age, rely heavily on external feedback. He believes that one lesson from Etty is the importance of self-reflection.
Finding an inner refuge is crucial, he stressed. Born as Esther Hillesum in Middelburg, Netherlands, in 1914, Etty was raised in a Jewish family but received little religious upbringing.
In early 1941, shortly after the German invasion of the Netherlands, Hillesum met psychoanalyst Julius Spier, with whom she developed a romantic relationship. Spier encouraged her to keep a diary.
In 1942, Hillesum volunteered for the “Social Care of Resettlers” at Westerbork camp, where she was eventually detained. The following year, she was deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau.
