In commemorating the liberation of Auschwitz, which was the largest of all the concentration camps and was the death camp with the highest number of victims, we also remember the atrocities committed there and in other camps, and listen to firsthand accounts from survivors.
Many of the provisions for Holocaust survivors in Israel have been supplied by evangelicals, such as the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem, the Friends of Zion, and other evangelical movements, which provide food, clothing, and accommodation, as well as social and cultural activities – all of which are especially beneficial to those survivors who are alone and impoverished.
One of the activities of the Friends of Zion is a weekly meeting of nonagenarian survivors, most of whom, in addition to their suffering at the hands of the Nazis, also speak of the miracles that enabled their survival.
These meetings, under the title “Dolls and Dreams,” are led by Michael Fundaminsky, who compiled the stories into a book called I Also Remember a Miracle.
The book was launched last Sunday, in the presence of numerous survivors and invited guests, who included former chief Rabbi David Lau, who is a second-generation survivor. His father, Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau, who is also a former chief rabbi, was liberated from Buchenwald in 1945. Also present was Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion.
For most members of the group, Oct. 7 brought back painful memories, as did the Yom Kippur War more than half a century ago.
Through the book, the survivors want to give the people of Israel a sense of hope and stronger resilience, coupled with the determination to choose life even in the most desperate of circumstances.
The book was presented to Lau and Lion by Auschwitz survivor Yardena Zalevsky, who this week celebrated her 98th birthday.
Zalevsky, who was one of the children on whom the notorious Dr. Josef Mengele experimented, said: “The Nazis took away my dignity, but the activities and ceremonies here have restored my pride and my faith. It does me good to see the Israeli flag, and the soldiers of the IDF, and to sing ‘Jerusalem of Gold.’”
The shared miracle of those whose stories are in the book is first and foremost their survival, but more than that, after all that they endured, the fact that they were spared to live to such an advanced age in the holy city of Jerusalem, to remind the generations that came after theirs that persecution of Jews, gypsies, and other victims of the Holocaust must never again be allowed to happen.
Social responsibility of someone who has become wealthy
One of the opportunities in a developing country is that it allows people of very limited financial means, but with good business sense, to become extremely wealthy and influential.
One such person is Rami Levy, who grew up in Nahlaot, adjacent to the Mahaneh Yehuda market. One of six children who lived in a one-room tin shack, he opened his first grocery store on Hashikma Street in the market and began selling the items at wholesale prices.
Since then, he has opened a chain of discount supermarkets across the country but continues to operate his original small store as a reminder of his beginnings. That reminder is accentuated by the name of the chain, Hashikma Marketing.
From supermarkets, he branched out into real estate, cellular communications, shopping malls, tourism, and aviation. He is now interested in buying a bank, having long ago reached the conclusion that diversification is the name of the game.
Perhaps because he knows from personal experience what it means to live in poverty, Levy, in addition to his business acumen, has a strong sense of social responsibility. This was honored last week at a ceremony at the Jerusalem International Convention Center, where he was conferred with the title of Yakir Ha’uma, in recognition of his wide-ranging business and social entrepreneurship.
Levy said that he was surprised to have been chosen for such an honor but underscored that the award strengthened his resolve to continue working for Jerusalem by initiating new projects through a deep sense of commitment to Israeli society.
Israel cracking down on money laundering
Israel's taxation authorities have been cracking down for some time on money laundering, and now the overwhelming majority of transactions have to be accompanied by an ID number. This includes currency exchanges, even for small amounts such as NIS 50, payment of certain bills, and donations to charity.
Matan, the Torah study center for women, has advised its friends and donors that in accordance with the new guidelines of the Israel Tax Authority, it is required to report all donations together with the ID number of the donor.
Unless donors update their personal information as it appears on the Matan records, they will not be able to receive a tax credit from the Tax Authority.
Matan’s systems will be integrated with those of the Tax Authority, and donors will be able to find their receipts in their personal areas on the income tax website. These conditions apply to all organizations to which donations are tax-deductible.
Public long-lasting trauma following the Israel-Hamas war
Trauma is often long-lasting and not always obvious. Two years of warfare and continuing call-ups for reservists have taken their toll on thousands of IDF combat veterans and their families, who are still living with emotional injuries and daily struggles.
In the realization that trauma on such a broad scale is not a private issue but a national responsibility, the Phoenix Communities Association is building a national network of community-based day centers for emotional recovery and rehabilitation for combat veterans and their families.
The first pilot center, which is now being established in Jerusalem in partnership with the Jerusalem Municipality, is designed to serve as a model for nationwide impact. The international launch, with the participation of Mayor Moshe Lion and other prominent Israeli figures, will take place on February 22 at 5:30 p.m. Further details will be published as they come to hand.
greerfc@gmail.com