Born in Romania, Pinsker shared his personal story with hundreds of participants from the Leo Baeck school and discussed the importance of maintaining the memory of the horrors that took place during the war.
"The Holocaust and can not be explained to a stranger, a stranger who was not there can never truly understand what happened," he said. "I have accompanied 73 delegations of school children, soldiers and policemen. This is my mission and I feel that thanks to my story, people finally understand what the Land of Israel means for the Jewish people."
The event, held via Zoom, was attended by Romanian Ambassador to Israel, Mr. Radu Ioanid, who spoke about the responsibility we all have in combating hate speech in our communities whilst advocating for tolerance and acceptance of the other.
The ambassador also mentioned Romania’s complicity in the Holocaust and its refusal to reconcile with its dark history until after the fall of Communism, and referred to the Holocaust as a "European project" that would not have happened without the involvement of many countries.
Robert Singer, Chairman of the Center for Jewish Impact thanked Ioanid for his attendance and mentioned the vital role education has in maintaining the memory of the Holocaust.
“The Center for Jewish Impact is pleased to take part in the opening event of Brave Together and to bring to the attention of hundreds of students and participants the importance of Holocaust remembrance education through this exciting encounter," Singer said. "Thank you to the Romanian Ambassador to Israel for your important words, together we will continue to work hand in hand through education and information for the benefit of future generations," he added.
Brave Together seeks to change the paradigm in how the Holocaust is remembered as a sacrifice of heroes and heroines, to one where survivors and those that perished are an inspiration.