Holocaust survivors tell ambassadors about their trauma
The survivors also called for greater understanding of Israel’s military actions in defending itself, saying that the country acted strongly to protect another calamity befalling the Jewish people.
By JEREMY SHARONA Holocaust survivor holds a flower during a ceremony in Jerusalem.(photo credit: REUTERS/CORINNA KERN)
At the state ceremony on Monday to mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day, survivors of the Nazi genocide told ambassadors and dignitaries about the trauma that has accompanied them throughout their lives.They also called for greater understanding of Israel’s military actions in defending itself, saying the country acts strongly to prevent another calamity from befalling the Jewish people.The state ceremony was staged at the Massuah International Institute for Holocaust Studies in Tel Yitzhak for the 15th year. It was attended by some 60 ambassadors to Israel.“The experiences that I went through in the Holocaust were traumatic, and they left a massive mark that shaped my life,” said Sir Frank Lowy, an Australian businessman, philanthropist and Holocaust survivor who recently immigrated to Israel.Addressing the ambassadors, he said: “You have criticized us [Israel] many times, often justly. I request that when you judge us, remember that we are human and that those years [of the Holocaust] rule over us.”Israeli film director Avi Nesher, the son of two Holocaust survivors, said the events of the Nazi onslaught against the Jewish people would always color the mindset of the Jewish state.“For the world, the Holocaust ended 75 years ago. For us Israelis, it will never end,” he said.“There is no way to understand the Israeli experience without understanding its past,” Nesher said, adding: “For you, the war ended. For us, it did not. You continued onward; we did not. We did not chose to be tormented with this post-trauma, and every time you condemn us because we acted too stubbornly, the post-trauma gets even worse because, as we see it, we are just trying to avoid another tragedy.”Australian Ambassador Chris Cannan said all governments are obligated to educate about the Holocaust and to counter antisemitism today.“We have a duty to work to eternalize the memory of the Holocaust, we have a duty to teach about the historic events and history of the Holocaust in schools, we have a duty to support education about human rights, and we have a duty to fight against antisemitic incidents and the phenomenon of racism everywhere around the world,” he said. “This is a deep and mutual responsibility for all the generations, and everyone of us must bear it with determination.”
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