Israeli Holocaust survivor to address central UN remembrance event

“As a child in a concentration camp, who lost his parents and family, I never imagined that one day I would speak to the world about the darkest era in the history of the Jewish people.”

By LAHAV HARKOV
Shraga Milstein (photo credit: Courtesy)
Shraga Milstein
(photo credit: Courtesy)
Shraga Milstein, 87, a survivor of Bergen-Belsen and an Israeli, is set to address the UN General Assembly on International Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27.
Milstein, a guest of Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon, will speak at the UN’s central memorial ceremony, which UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Ambassador Danon, US Ambassador Kelly Craft, the ambassador from Germany and others are expected to address.
“As a child in a concentration camp, who lost his parents and family, I never imagined that one day I would speak to the world about the darkest era in the history of the Jewish people,” Milstein said.
“Just as people continue to deny the Holocaust, witness testimonies to the atrocities are diminishing,” he added. “The Holocaust was not only a once-in-a-lifetime event, but a lesson to the world about the power of hatred and our commitment to make sure our voices are never silenced.”
Milstein was born in Poland and liberated from Bergen-Belsen by the British army in 1945 when he was 12 years old. An orphan, he immigrated to Israel and later became the head of the Kfar Shmaryahu local council and the chairman of the Massua Institute for Holocaust Studies. Last year, he was elected chairman of the International Council for Holocaust Memorial Sites in Germany, and is the chairman of the Bergen-Belsen refugee association in Israel. He has written his memoirs in a book titled The Journey of Life.
Danon said Milstein’s story “is the story of the Jewish spirit: from a helpless people, we have grown into a strong and successful nation.”
The ambassador added that it is important to learn history in a time of increased antisemitism around the world.
The Israeli Mission to the UN also plans to open an exhibit about the lives of Holocaust survivors in Israel and around the world.