Monika Shafi

I really enjoyed the lecture presented to us by Monika Shafi. I really enjoyed the in depth discussion about the life of Gertrud Kolmar and all the influences that really show up in her writing. I cannot fathom what it must have been like living in Nazi controlled Germany, let alone trying to be an female poet, which is extremely difficult not in war times. The fact that Kolmar was upper-middle class, she still did not let that deter her from realizing her dream is one of the great stories to come of the Holocaust. She really shows a lot of Jewish pride and the perseverance that has been exhibited through all the hardships and anti-Semitism over the years. The fact that she openly saw herself as isolated, yet didn’t let this affect her motivation is something that is truly inspiring. The fact that she was never discouraged from creating great poetry (probably more than we’ll ever know because of what was lost) is really amazing.