Oct 5, 2021
Happy Birthday TeachPitch! We are 7 years old today on UNESCO’s
World Teachers Day.
Recent times haven’t been easy for educators and with this
interview we wanted to do our little part in showing that we
care.
In search for tips & tricks to cope with all the challenges coming
our way, Aldo speaks to life-long teacher and best-selling author
Dr. Edith Eger about the adversities she overcame as a Holocaust
survivor & refugee. Loads of wisdom and valuable advice from this
94 year old world-renowned Psychologist.
Guest Introduction:
You have books and then you have Books with a big capital B.
As a reader you can be touched by a book for many reasons; its
intention, its story line, its plot, the message it has for the
world and/or fall in love with one or all of its main
characters.
Often just one of these components is already enough to make it a
big success but very rarely have I read one or better said two
books that have it all.
‘The Choice’ and ‘The Gift’ written by the renowned psychologist
Dr. Edith Eger surpassed any expectation I had and left me in
admiration, awe and with a lot of deep questions about us human
beings.
By any standard I can say that both works are absolutely monumental
reads, undoubtedly here to stay.
Dr. Edith Eger shares with us the story of surviving the most
horrific atrocities in Auschwitz. Her ordeal as a 16 year old
Jewish girl growing up in Hungary during the Second World War is
beyond anything you can imagine. With both her parents killed in
the gas chambers, having undergone the torture, the
humiliation and many systemic attempts to be killed, Edith and her
sister Magda miraculously make it out alive of this death camp.
Step by step Dr. Eger tries to rebuild her life in post-war Hungary
but not even 5 years after the war she is again led in incredibly
difficult circumstances as the Russians seize power in the East of
Europe.
Dr. Eger, her husband Bela and daughter Marianne seek refuge in the
United States where they need to start over their entire life
again, with not a penny to their name and only the motivation to
build something new.
Both books by Dr. Eger ‘ are about resilience, loss, bereavement,
bravery, anger, forgiveness but most of all about the unique power
given to all of us that we can always make a choice.
“We have the capacity to hate and the capacity to love. Which one
we reach for,” Dr. Eger states, “is up to us.”
When reading the incredible story of Dr. Edith Eger you are moved
beyond belief. It is a story that overwhelms you not only because
of what happened to her but also how you will be transformed when
reading them.
You cannot carry on as normal after you have read the books of Dr.
Eger.
‘I will be forever changed by Dr. Eger’s story’ says the mighty
Oprah Winfrey and who am I to disagree?
Now this Podcast Program is all about challenges and how great
people have overcome adversity and setbacks and went on to achieve
great things.
I for one cannot come up with a guest more befitting for our
Podcast or as a journalist for the New York Times describes it:
“I can’t imagine a more important message for modern times. Eger’s
book is a triumph, and should be read by all who care about both
their inner freedom and the future of humanity.”
Without a doubt Dr. Eger and her story personify everything we
stand for it is my distinct honour to bring to you this interview
with her on our 7th birthday and UNESCO’s ‘World Teachers Day’
Dr. Eger I am filled with gratitude and humility that you could
make some time available to talk to me. A very warm welcome to
you!
More on Dr. Eger's book 'The Choice' & 'The Gift' can be found
here: https://dreditheger.com