Despite Pain From the Past, Holocaust Survivor Keeps Helping Others

Selien Stodel, a native of Holland, was robbed of her humanity at the age of 24 in the Hitler death camps. She spent 2 1/2 years at Auschwitz, and there is a large part of her that will never heal, never experience sustained joy.

She is relentlessly somber, and obsessed with talking about the horrors she experienced.

But she is also a person of action. Recently, Stodel was unanimously voted Senior Citizen of the Year by members of Culver City’s senior community. The award citation praised her “willingness to be loving and caring in spite of hardships and tragedies in her life” and said she was “an inspiration of the meaning of life.”

For the last 14 years, Stodel, along with her sister, Klara, and her husband, Max, also victims of the Holocaust, have been volunteers at the Culver City nutrition program. Stodel can be found at the center early each weekday morning getting the tables ready for the hundreds of diners. She also worked for the Meals-On-Wheels program.

“I remember when we were so starved in the camps that we saved crumbs in a bag,” she says. “When there was no food, everyone took their bags and poured them into one bowl. We added water and passed it around. That was our meal. Now, it gives me pleasure to serve people food.”

Stodel also volunteers for the Culver City and Los Angeles marathons, the Culver City swim team and various children’s events.

“I have to go out and help. I have to be busy helping others. That’s the only time my mind is not someplace else,” she says.

But it’s the Special Olympics for disabled children that brings an almost-smile to her face. “Those children, I will never forget how they looked when they received their medals.”

Stodel has been married to Max for 45 years. Her first husband was murdered in the camps. She has a daughter, and a grandson who just entered USC.

As for being an “inspiration to the meaning of life,” Stodel doesn’t make much of her volunteerism. Getting up at 5 a.m. to help serve breakfast to 800 disabled children is not a big deal to her.

For Stodel, life has been overshadowed by a past she’s not sure how she managed to survive. She insists that she is not a fighter. By doing for others, she is doing for herself, she says.

Perhaps a portion of the humanity that was stolen from her is restored with every caring act she does for others.

Bulletin Board

Prostate Cancer--The Wellness Community-Westside will hold its monthly prostate cancer networking group meeting; 2200 Colorado Ave., Santa Monica; 7 to 9 p.m. Monday; information: (213) 453-2200 (free).

Gray Panthers--The Gray Panthers of Los Angeles will hold a discussion on “The Right to Die”; Ken Edwards Center, 1527 4th St., Santa Monica; 7:30 p.m. Monday; information: (213) 472-9365 (free).

Discussion Group--Jewish Family Service will sponsor a “Power Talk” discussion group for people 60 and older; 1424 4th St., Santa Monica; 1:30 p.m. Tuesdays; information: (213) 393-0732 (fees on a sliding scale).

Seniors in Art--The deadline is Wednesday for seniors to submit original works of art for a juried exhibition that will go on display at the City Hall Bridge Gallery later this year. For more information, call the Senior Citizen Section of the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks, (213) 485-4851.

AARP Meeting--Vivien Mason will perform for the American Assn. of Retired Persons; Ken Edwards Center, 1527 4th St., Santa Monica; 1 p.m. Friday; information: (213) 395-2045 ($5 chapter dues).

Senior Club--The Mar Vista Senior Center Club will have bingo and blood pressure day; 11430 Woodbine St., Los Angeles; 9 a.m. Friday; information: (213) 398-5982 (25 cents).

Art Classes--Beginners’ art classes are being offered at Pico-Robertson Senior Center, 8838 W. Pico Blvd., Thursdays. There is no charge. Call Neta Handler, (213) 271-3306.