Toby Levy hid for two years during the Holocaust. That was a time from 1941 to 1945. Adolf Hitler was the leader of Germany then. His group killed 6 million Jews. As a Jew in Poland, Toby lived in a barn to avoid being caught.
News-O-Matic readers had many questions about this. Here are the rest of Levy’s answers:
Mercy: What were your first feelings when you were old enough to understand what Hitler was doing.
Levy: I never understood. I still don’t understand. I don’t understand the purpose of it. But in order for me to survive the whole
, I have to live without hatred. This is what my father said. “If we make it, we can’t hate. We can only try to correct it, to understand it, and to teach.”
Kenlee: How did you stay warm during the winter?
Levy: The barn was open. We brought along our beddings. And we had a lot of hay. I probably could not have taken it today. It must have been 50 degrees or 30 degrees. But it didn’t matter.
William: When did you come to America?
Levy: The Jewish agency had a boat. It filled with
. We were two weeks on the ocean. I remember the trip coming down the Mississippi. Well, let me tell you, I was so excited. Finally, we coming to a place we can make roots and make a life. So, I came to New Orleans — 1949.
Russ: Do you have tips for kids who might be frustrated because of COVID?
Levy: Say to yourself, “I’m still lucky.” It helps an awful lot when you think positive. You have no idea how much it helps when you say, “This is
.” I just got my vaccination Sunday. I didn’t go to a party. But I was celebrating. I see an end.
We were two years in hiding. I’ll never forget that day when [Stephanie] came. Not only did she leave the food, but she stayed to talk to us. She says, “I see a light at the end of the tunnel.” There was an end.
This [is the] same thing.
Owen: What do the words “never again” mean?
Levy: Nothing to me. Sorry. It’s only words. I’m terribly disappointed. I’m not only disappointed; I’m scared. I don’t like what I hear. And I don’t like what I see. The same hatred, the same words. So, how can I sleep at night? I can’t.
Sasha: How can children help?
Levy: Please go to your parents. Ask them, "What did they remember? How do they feel about Jews? What does anti-Semitism mean to them?”
Russ: Do you have a final wish for Holocaust Remembrance Day?
Levy: People should become wiser a little bit. People like you should say, “We have to act every day.”
Never lose hope. That’s going to get you where you want to go. And [don’t] hate. I don’t hate. So I can smile.
Updated January 27, 2021, 5:01 P.M. (ET)
By Russell Kahn (Russ)
