The Story of the “Upstanders”

Upstander: a person who speaks or acts in support of an individual or cause, particularly someone who intervenes on behalf of a person being attacked or bullied.

Give our Husbands Back

Elsa Holzer married Rudi Holzer in 1929. He had been baptized and was active in the Catholic church but as the son of secular Jews, he was targeted under Germany’s Nazi regime. Elsa was pressured to divorce Rudi, but she refused, saying “I married my husband because he is supposed to be my husband.” Rudi was detained during the “final round-up” in February 1943, along with 1,800 Jewish men who were married to non-Jews and their children, with the intention of sending them to Auschwitz.  Elsa went to the Rosenstrasse detention center and found other women outside the center. In the bitter cold over a period of 7 days, 1000 women gathered, chanting, “give our husbands back!” The SS pointed their weapons, threatening to kill the women, but they would not back down, yelling “murderers!” at the officers. Fearing the optics of slaughtering this large gathering of women, the Nazis relented, releasing the 1800 men and children.

Maybe we are not there yet, unless you ask the loved ones of those who have been kidnapped off the streets, unlawfully detained or sent to a prison in El Salvador without due process.

On April 17th, a group of 30+ folks gathered at the Bear Canyon Library for an Evening of Action to learn what we can do to resist the illegal and destructive efforts of the current administration. Each of our panel members developed strategies that are easily doable, along with how-to guides, available to anyone who wants to make their voice heard. Our numbers and efforts are growing, so spread the word.

Thank you, panelists Pat, Sharon, Cheri, Dianne and Carmen, for being Upstanders!

Cathy Davis