World War II was a terrible time in human history. From 1941 to 1945, about 6 million Jews were killed during an event called the Holocaust. On January 27, the world pauses to remember what happened. It is International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
Even though millions of people died, many survived. News-O-Matic talked to three of these survivors. Seventy-five years after the Holocaust ended, they shared their stories so kids can learn from them.
Edith Cord: Born in Vienna, Austria, 1928
When she was 10 years old, Edith had to flee her home. It was not safe to be Jewish in Austria. She and her mother escaped to Italy. Then they went to France, then Switzerland, and back to France. She bounced around schools in each place.
Edith faced discrimination wherever she went. But she always kept her courage. That’s what you need to “stand up to the bullies,” Edith said. “First on the playground, and then in the world.” It’s the “biggest thing you can do.”
Rose Schindler: Born in Seredne, Czechoslovakia, 1929
Rose was forced to go to Auschwitz when she was 14 years old. More than 1 million Jews were killed at that concentration camp in Poland. “Stay alive,” her father told her, “so you can tell the world what they’re doing to us.” Rose never saw her father again. The concentration camp was liberated on January 27, 1945. Rose still tells about what happened there.
Rose had faith that she would survive. “Never give up hope,” she said, “because if you don't have hope, you’ll never make it. You always have to know that tomorrow is going to be a better day.”
Judith Steel: Born in Berlin, Germany, 1938
Judith was just a baby when the Holocaust began. There was nowhere for her family to go to be safe. A Catholic family adopted the young Jewish girl to protect her. “They saved my life,” Judith said. Her parents were later killed.
How did Judith move forward from the pain? “Forgive and let go,” she said. “It’s very difficult,” she admitted. “But it’s necessary to go on with your life.” Eventually, she learned how to find peace. Holding on to anger doesn’t solve anything, she said. “Fear is only a great enemy of ours.”
It’s been 75 years since the Holocaust ended. However, we have not forgotten. Learn from the survivors and make your voice heard. Spread your own messages of courage, hope, and forgiveness.
Make sure the world knows: Never again.
Updated January 24, 2020, 5:02 P.M. (ET)
By Liz Lane, Russell Kahn, and Sara Merkin
