Holocaust Survivors Lights Channukah Candles

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German Campaign Hosts Moving Interfaith Event

Keren Hayesod’s global campaigns have been hosting special events for Hanukkah. Below is an excerpt from a Ynet article on our German campaign’s interfaith holiday event:

Holocaust Survivor: “Closing the Circle”

Keren Hayesod’s German campaign held a moving Hanukkah candle lighting. Pesach, a 91-year-old Holocaust survivor living in Israel, lit the Hanukkah menorah in front of 650 participants during an interfaith meeting held on Zoom. He told participants, “This is my farewell event. This is the last time I will tell my life’s story, and I hope that you will in turn understand the meaning of the Holocaust. It was the hell of this world.”

Pesach survived the Holocaust, enlisted in the Israeli army, fought in many of Israel’s wars. He was even captured by the Jordanians in the War of Independence.

holocaust survivres lightning candles

“I am no longer young, and I do not have the strength,” he said. “The events, memories and images from the Holocaust are with me every day. You could say that I dedicated my life to the State of Israel. I am proud of that. It is important to me that everyone knows how committed we are to preserving our only homeland. This is my most important message to you.”

He continued by saying that “lighting the candles was a type of ‘closing the circle’ for me. Lighting the Hanukkah candles with Jews and non-Jews from Germany and seeing all the menorahs, even through Zoom, has greatly moved me. I was privileged to start a family in Israel, but I am happy to see today that the Jewish tradition is still alive in Germany. This is our real victory. ”

The president of the Keren Hayesod campaign in Berlin, Mr. Natan Gelbart, was moved by the event and thanked Pesach, who shared his dream: “I hope the world will understand that anti-Semitism has existed for hundreds of years and led to the horrors of the Holocaust. I have also shared my story with Germany’s youth. For me, this is my life’s mission. ”

Translated from the original Hebrew article available here: https://www.ynet.co.il/judaism/article/HJai6PH3v
Read an article on Israel Today: https://www.israeltoday.co.il/read/chilling-message-of-a-91-year-old-holocaust-survivor/

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