November 9, 2023 marks the 85th anniversary of the Kristallnacht pogroms of November 9, 1938, when the Nazis, along with German civilians, murdered 91 Jews, arrested 30,000, and burned and vandalized more than 1,400 Jewish homes, businesses, and synagogues.
November 9, 2023 also marks 34 days since the Hamas massacre of some 1200 Israelis and the kidnapping of 240, the most horrific event in Jewish history since the Holocaust. It also unleashed a wave of antisemitism around the world, with a 500% rise in attacks on Jews reported worldwide.
And so, Holocaust survivors have asked March of the Living to share their voices in the midst of what appears to be history repeating itself.
Tirza H., who lives in Israel, witnessed Kristallnacht as a child. She says, “I never thought in my life that something as terrible as now would happen again.”
She recalls: “I was four-years-old when the Gestapo came on Kristallnacht and beat my father before taking him to Dachau where he perished. I never thought in my life that something as terrible would happen again. On October 7, Hamas came and slaughtered children, young people, and the elderly. I have to say honestly, all the lectures I give, and I give a lot, in Israel, in Germany and wherever I can, and here we are, experiencing it again. I’m frustrated and heartbroken imagining what these people must have experienced, and I hope that everyone who hears and sees this will know what we are experiencing in Israel.”
Manya W., a Holocaust Survivor living in San Diego, Ca, hid with her family in swamps, forests and cemeteries in Poland. Now she admits: “I think twice before I wear my Star of David.”
“It is a catastrophe what is happening today,” says Manya. “Not only Hamas but the antisemitism on the universities. Before, I went outside with a Magen David on my shirt, now I think twice about it. Who would have thought that after the Holocaust it would happen again? We are the chosen ones again… Should I go to temple? I am afraid. I feel distinct. We know that they are antagonizing us. How did these college students become so agitated? How did Jews harm them? Where does it come from? I just pray that Israel will win. I’m glad that the US government is not against Israel.”
Well, at least for now…
Benjamin A., living in Greece, is the Chairman of European March of the Living Network. He says: “It brings back nightmarish memories from my childhood.”
Benjamin continues: “It is unbelievable that more than 80 years after the Holocaust, we are witnessing a significant increase in antisemitic events worldwide. No, I do not fear for my life and my family’s safety. I am confident that Israel will prevail and eliminate the threat soon. I trust in the power and strength of the Jewish State. But as a child born in 1937, I don’t recall a similar situation, except for the fear my family and I felt during the Nazi German occupation of my home country, Greece. I could never have imagined that one day I would witness demonstrations and attacks against Israel and Jews on TV screens. What Hamas did to the Israelis on October 7 is as cruel, barbaric, and tragic as what the Nazis did to the Jews 80 years ago. When I see Jewish homes marked with the Magen David, it brings back nightmarish memories from my childhood, reminding me of swastikas and concentration camps. My message is that we, the Jewish people, have endured significant suffering throughout our history, with the Holocaust being the darkest period. Though the current times are challenging, thanks to the brave IDF, a sense of normalcy will soon return to the State of Israel and the Jewish Diaspora.”
Gabriella K., Los Angeles, Ca, was hidden with her family y one of the Righteous Among the Nations in Czechoslovakia. She states: “Never since the Holocaust are Jews so threatened.”
Maud D. from San Diego, Ca, says: “The October 7 terror attack brought back so many memories of what I saw as a child.”
Nate L. who lives in Canada, was a prisoner in Auschwitz. He says: “I am devastated to see how Jews are being attacked today. Jews are not safe.”
Eva K. who lives in Canada, hid as a child in Poland. She says: “The world seems a dark place right now as it teeters on the brink of what could easily turn into WW3.”
And Ben M. from the US says: “I was in six concentration and death camps during the Holocaust, and I survived. It was so hard for me to see the horrific terror attack in Israel, to see Jewish people get killed for nothing. Hamas terrorists went and cut off the heads of children – that’s unbelievable. I’m very concerned. Nobody thought that something like this can happen. People should not make any difference between color and religion – because the hatred is causing people to kill each other. If you’re positive – everything goes away. People should speak up against hate. My message is: choose love, choose happiness.”
Amen.
