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With over 11 million followers, she’s doing what no social media influencer has done before.
Montana Tucker, 29, is a singer, actress, songwriter and social media creator with over 11.5 million social media followers. A native of Boca Raton, Florida, she has been in the entertainment industry since she was eight years old. She has worked with household names like Terry Crews, Jennifer Lopez, Paula Abdul, and Anitta.
She is best known for her fun and entertaining dance videos and other media collaborations. In the past, she would sporadically post about being Jewish, and even about her grandparents’ experience in the Holocaust.
When the mere mention of her grandparents’ story spurred antisemitic slurs and even outright Holocaust denial, she realized how little most people actually know about the Holocaust, as it’s no longer required to teach in modern curriculum.
Montana didn’t just want to talk about the Holocaust; she wanted her millions of followers to join her on a trip to Auschwitz and share it in real time.
Shortly after receiving hateful messages for sharing about the Holocaust, Montana met Israel Schachter, an award-winning producer and CEO of Charity Bids. When she shared her story, he asked her if she had ever been to Poland.
When she responded no, he said, “Well, I’m going to make it happen.”
The initial plan was for Montana to go to Poland with her mother. Then, a moment of inspiration hit: Montana didn’t just want to talk about the Holocaust; she wanted her followers to join her on a trip to Auschwitz and share it in real time. They decided to use her platform to create an educational series about the Holocaust, streaming on TikTok and Instagram.
“I was excited about the idea because something like this has never been done before. Also, people are used to seeing these fun dance videos of me, so it’s completely unexpected.
“The younger generation doesn’t even know about the Holocaust. If I can teach them in a way that’s relatable, then that would be so incredible.”
The trip was about a week long, and extremely intense for Montana to film.
A post shared by Montana Tucker (@montanatucker)
“I never did reality TV. Everything I’ve ever done before was planned, with a script. Movies had scripts, dance videos had choreography. Even social media was planned. But you can’t plan for how you’re going to feel on a trip like this. There was no script whatsoever. We just knew the itinerary.”
At first, Montana was anxious about having cameras on her 24-7. “I was thinking, wow I have to have a camera on me when I’m experiencing this for the first time. They filmed all day. Every conversation, every moment was being recorded. In the beginning it was weird, but after a while, I forgot it was even there.”
Montana expressed that the most powerful moment of the trip was standing, arm in arm with her mother, in the exact location where her grandmother saw her own mother for the last time.
“My grandmother survived Auschwitz. We stood in the exact spot where the Jews unloaded from the cattle car into the camp.”
Montana with her Grandmother
These words saved her grandmother’s life: “Lilly if you get separated from me you must promise me you will stay near your sister.”
Her maternal grandmother, Grandma Lilly, was only 13 when she and her family were taken by cattle car to Auschwitz. As a child Lilly was very close to her mother and often clung to her by holding tightly to her hand. While being transported on the cattle car Lilly held tightly, as usual, to her mother. No one knew where they were going or what would happen. Her mother sensed something and whispered into Lilly’s ear, “Lilly if you get separated from me you must promise me you will stay near your sister.”
Lilly’s mother happened to be holding one of the neighbor’s twin babies and holding Lilly’s hand with her free hand. When they got off the train Mengele, who determined who would live and who would die at a glance, snapped Lilly’s hand from her mother and pushed her toward the line of young frail children. Lilly’s mother was placed in the line with the elderly and the women with young children. No one knew that Lilly’s mother‘s line would be the line to be sent to the gas chambers. Not wanting to separate from her mother, Lilly quickly ran back to the line her mother was in.
Mengele saw her swift switch and screamed out, “You over there! You dared to disobeyed me? Now I’m going to show you what happens when you disobey me!”
He ordered two Nazi soldiers to knock Lilly’s mother with their guns and beat her while he laughed with joy. Then they dragged her bloodstained body towards the gas chambers.
Lilly was pushed back into the line Mengele ordered her into originally. Lilly wanted to respect her mother’s last wish that she stay close to her sister if her and her mother were separated, so she risked her life and again switched lines, sneaking to the spot next to her older sister.
That moment ultimately saved her life, as the line that Mengele ordered Lilly into was the next line to enter the gas chambers. She and her sister survived, but the last vision of her mother was seeing her bleeding, crying and screaming. She always lived with the guilt of causing that moment.
A post shared by Montana Tucker (@montanatucker)
“Growing up, hearing these stories is one thing,” Montana said, “but nothing can prepare you for the moment of actually being there. I was in a very vulnerable emotional state, but the crew members were all so passionate and caring. When I saw their passion for this project I thought, okay, I can be vulnerable because we are all here for the same goal.”
Montana was surprised by her intense reaction to being in Auschwitz and Poland.
“Poland is a beautiful country. I found it mind-boggling that all this evil was happening in a beautiful country. People were living their lives normally, while right next to them were gas chambers. There were apartment buildings right outside the camps. How can people live like that?”
She explained, “It was more intense than I thought. I think because it was my grandparents’ story, but also it was different than being with a group of friends on a tour. On school field trips you’re on your phone, taking pictures, talking to friends…not fully immersed. I had to be fully immersed. You really retain the information in a different way.
“Experiencing it on my own in some ways made it more difficult. There was no one for me to process it with. I had to really face myself.”
Montana was also surprised by how moved the film crew was by the experience. Although the entire crew was not Jewish, they were so moved that they had to take breaks to manage their emotions.
They ended up filming one hundred hours of footage. Producers, including Rachel Kastner and SoulShop Studios, had to cut and refine it down to very short clips. “Attention spans for everyone is downhill. Because of TikTok’s bite-sized content, no one wants to watch full-length documentaries. This was a way kids can still learn.
“The goal was to release these videos before the anniversary of Kristallnacht, which we did, but with everything happening with Kanye West and Kyrie Irving, this is more important than ever.”
“Nothing happens by chance,” Israel Schachter said. “I met Montana at the right time. We came up with the idea at the right time. I met Rachel Kastner and the folks behind SoulShop at the right time. We released the series at the right time. God was leading the way. But one thing that God didn’t do was make Montana the brave, genuine and sincere that she is. That’s all her. She did that. And she used her platform to do something incredibly courageous that I hope other influencers will learn from. Having that kind of platform and reach is a tremendous responsibility, and she showed the world how it’s done. I’m so proud to call her a friend.”
Montana shared that 90% of the public’s response has been incredible. Her videos have received over four million views, and counting. “When you compare that to the fact that only one million visit the Holocaust Museum a year, that is a crazy number. We are hoping to reach six million views by the end of the series. That would be an amazing number to hit, for obvious reasons.”
Many celebrities, including Mark Cuban, Jessica Seinfeld, Maria Shriver and Scooter Braun have shared her videos, helping them reach a wider audience.
But there’s the 10% who have reacted with hatred.
“This is what needed to happen then, and this is what needs to happen now. I did write a comment on Kyrie’s page, telling him that his words are powerful, and he should watch the series. Some of the comments I received were the cruelest, most evil comments… I have never seen people talk like this on social media. Complete denial of the Holocaust and hatred of Jews. I have lost followers, but gained some incredible ones.”
Montana has been surprised by the recent hatred of Jews spread by famous figures, including Kanye West and Kyrie Irving.
“I never knew there was a division between Blacks and Jews… The way I was brought up, with friends, I always thought we were united. That bonded us more because of our history. I don’t think anything should ever be taken away from slavery. This should be talked about, and shared more. Two separate things, two horrible things, should bond us. We are both a minority group. We need to together.”
Montana wants to share the message with everyone: “Speak up against hate of any kind. Don’t be scared about losing your jobs and your friends. Speak up, and get your point out there without attacking. Everyone has the right to have their own opinions. If you don’t attack, you will be seen and heard.”
Montana hopes that her series will help change many people’s perspectives on the history of the Holocaust, and to do her part to help conspiracy theories and denials fade away. Her aim is work on eradicating hatred of any kind, and to unite all towards the common goal of universal love and acceptance.
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More About The Author
Sarah Pachter
Sarah Pachter is a dynamic, motivational speaker who has lectured throughout the US and Israel. For the past thirteen years Sarah has passionately taught women of all ages and levels of Jewish observance, drawing in large crowds with her innovative and personal touch. In addition to lecturing for many organizations, schools, and synagogues, she is a Kallah teacher, dating coach, and mentor. Sarah runs growth groups in private homes and meets with individuals for one-on-one private sessions. Sarah has been featured on the Radio, is a regular columnist, and a freelance writer for the Jewish Press, Aish.com and the Jewish Home as well as many other publications. She has authored Small Choices Big Changes published by Targum Press. She currently resides in Los Angeles with her husband and five children. Her new book Is it Ever Enough? by Feldheim was just released. Sarah Pachter is also the host of Starstruck with Sarah Pachter, the new Aish podcast.
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