Dr Samantha Mitschke 🧡🇺🇦

2/2 In Ep 5 (I did say newish!) we explore "Our Class" by Tadeusz Słobodzianek, translated/adapted by Ryan Craig, and based on the controversial history of the #Jedwabne pogrom. You can listen to it below and catch up with previous episodes on @Spotify. open.spotify.com/show/6r89o4kgK…

1/2 I haven't been on here for a while, but popping back to let you know about Lights Up on the Dark: The Holocaust Onstage. It's a new(ish) podcast hosted by @alxgellner and me, where we discuss all things #Holocaust #theatre. #LUOTD

🚨 #MSF condemns a despicable attack on its ambulance in El Fasher, killing one passenger On January 10, an MSF ambulance was shot at in El Fasher, #North_Darfur, by an unknown gunman while referring a female patient in labor requiring emergency surgical procedure from MSF field hospital in Zamzam camp to Saudi Hospital in #El_Fasher, the only public hospital with surgical capacity still standing in the area despite relentless attacks. In the clearly marked ambulance with the MSF logo and flag, were the patient, her two caretakers, MSF drivers and medical staff. One of the caretakers was fatally injured by the gunfire. She passed away after the crew eventually reached Saudi Hospital. This is the second shooting against an MSF ambulance in less than a month in El Fasher. “We are horrified by this deadly attack on a humanitarian crew carrying out lifesaving medical work where it’s desperately needed. Our priority is to support the people who have been attacked and are obviously shocked. We also need to engage with all armed actors active in the area to understand what happened and obtain guarantees that patients, medical staff, ambulances and health facilities are respected to continue working”, says Michel Olivier Lacharité, MSF's head of emergency operations. An MSF ambulance was hit by bullets in El Fasher on 27 December during a similar referral of patients from Zamzam to Saudi Hospital, but no one was injured. Fighting between the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Armed Forces allied with a coalition of armed groups have significantly escalated in the area since May 2024. MSF currently runs a field hospital in #Zamzam_camp, where people face repeated shelling from the RSF after months of siege and starvation. Because of the worsening security conditions, we had to suspend part of our medical services, like the outpatient program for malnourished children, to focus on the most critical cases requiring hospital care. Since December, we have treated 51 people injured by the shelling in #Zamzam.

Today, as we do every day, we will come together in love. We will build bridges where others build walls. We will stand with displaced communities. We will work towards a world that chooses love and justice, for everyone.

@ask_aubry “deserves?!?!”

Dump him.

@ask_aubry Yep, call the police. Yikes.

Police, now.

Lily Ebert — 1923-2024. A light that shone so brightly has today gone dark.

@DovForman Her memory is already a blessing...sending nothing but love, light and warmth to you and your family.

To all my Jewish friends and colleagues: Shanah Tovah! May the year bring peace, health and happiness.

Today marks the 83rd anniversary of the Babyn Yar tragedy. On September 29-30, 1941, in just two days, the Nazis shot over 30,000 Jews in Kyiv. Entire families—men, children, women, even those pregnant—were forced to walk down the "Road of Death" to the ravine. The scale of this evil is still hard to perceive. In total, approximately 100,000 people were killed at Babyn Yar during the Nazi occupation. Nearly the entire Jewish community of Kyiv was murdered, along with those who tried to save them. Other nationalities also fell victims. Babyn Yar is a terrifying symbol, showing that the most heinous crimes occur when the world chooses to ignore, remain silent, stay indifferent, and lacks the determination to stand up against evil. When the eyes of the world are closed, humanity loses. Babyn Yar is vivid proof of the atrocities that regimes are capable of when led by leaders who rely on intimidation and violence. At any time, they are no different. But the world's response should be different. This is the lesson the world should have learned. We must guard humanity, life, and justice. We must defend ourselves against evil. Eternal memory to all the victims of the Nazis. Eternal condemnation to everyone guilty of the murders at Babyn Yar.

I’ve met so many people who “hated history” in school because it was taught to them as a list of battle dates, but fell in love with it as adults when they read a witty, well-written historical biography. History is not a list of dates; it’s about people.

“Eyewitnesses, records, image and film are all crucial to be able to remember and learn from the past, and remembering defines us as human beings. Art adds another layer to this, directly appealing to our humanity on an emotional and deeply personal level” bit.ly/3XCvX4q

As we approach a difficult anniversary that holds a huge amount of significance for a wide variety of people, here’s our guide for schools on navigating the anniversary of Oct 7th and the start of the Gaza war. It is important for this period to be marked with... [1/2]

On this day in 1935, the Nuremberg Laws were passed by the Nazi party. The laws aimed to isolate Jews from 'Aryan' society and would lay the foundation for further horrific antisemitic measures in the future. Image: @HolocaustMuseum

Many houses seemed empty, although I knew too well that most of the occupants were inside, trying to pretend they weren't. Some were afraid of the vengeance that was surely coming. Others were hiding out of habit." Thoughts? (5/5)

"The first hour or so of walking was uneventful, although you’d never have known that from the galloping of my heart. I made my way through the filthy alleys and roughly-patched dirt roads, headed out to the start of the rural districts. (4/5)

WRITERS, READERS, AUTHORS, BOOK DEVOURERS! I have a question. Do you prefer past or present tense when reading a non-fictional first-person narrator? For example... (1/5)

Behind our work at MSF UK is a brilliant, hard-working team. And behind some of them, are their excellent dogs. On National Dog Day, we're celebrating the dogs that keep us grounded when the work gets tough 🐾 #NationalDogDay #DogsOfMSF