What our Survivors had to say...
Judith Weiss - 1936 - Hajdunanas, Hungary
What are your feelings on hate and anti-Semitism today?
“I feel very sad and angry because we thought it would be never again and never again is now. It came back worse than ever anti-Semitism.
What is something we can learn from the Holocaust about hate that it should never happen again?
“We need to hold together.”
What is your message to the youth today about stopping hate?
“Find out what the Holocaust was and make your friends and family aware.”
Miriam Kiperman – 1932 – Poland
What are your feelings on hate and anti-Semitism today?
“I don’t like what is going on now and I’m here since 1952. I see people grabbing the Yarmulkas off of the heads of Yeshivah boys and throwing it down to the floor.”
What is something we can learn from the Holocaust about hate that it should never happen again?
“The people who are in charge have to show acceptance and the schools need to educate and show good examples.”
What is your message to the youth today about stopping hate?
“Be strong! The Jewish will always be here!”
Henry Golen – 1939 – Baku, Azerbaijan
What are your feelings on anti-Semitism today?
“Anti-Semitism has been going on for a long time. Jealousy is a big reason for this hate. I want to fight anti-Semitism theoretically and practically.”
What is something we can learn from the Holocaust about hate that it should never happen again?
“We have to think about other people and accept other people.”
What is your message to the youth today about stopping hate?
“Never be anti-Semitism, and fight against anyone who says hateful things.”
Trudy Tayjerstein – 1933 – Vienna, Austria
What are your feelings on hate and anti-Semitism today?
“Very bad. It reminds me of 1938. We ran because of it and I’m worried that my children might have to run away one day. It’s like the beginning again.”
What is something we can learn from the Holocaust about hate that it should never happen again?
“It’s about people doing things to stop it. Look, people are saying that there was no Holocaust. It’s not understandable.”
What is your message to the youth today about stopping hate?
“If you’re a good person, you don’t hate. Hate doesn’t get you anyplace.”
Pinchas Blumenthal – 1943 - Hungary
What are your feelings on hate and anti-Semitism today?
“There was always anti-Semitism. People don’t like when others are different and they get jealous.”
What is something we can learn from the Holocaust about hate that it should never happen again?
“Where I was born, in Hungary, there was jealousy and that was how Hitler came into power and was able to tell the people to kill the Jews and take away everything from them.”
What is your message to the youth today about stopping hate?
“People need to accept each other, even with their differences.”
Edith Mindel – 1937 – Vienna, Austria
What are your feelings on hate and anti-Semitism today?
“It’s horrible and scary and it reminds me of the Holocaust.”
What is something we can learn from the Holocaust about hate that it should never happen again?
“We learned a lot, but now I see it happening again.”
What is your message to the youth today about stopping hate?
“Be kind to everybody, no matter who, how and where they are from.”
Yaffa Eisner – 1937 – Budapest, Hungary
What are your feelings on hate and anti-Semitism today?
“I’m trying to do my best. There was always anti-Semitism.”
What is something we can learn from the Holocaust about hate that it should never happen again?
“Unity. We need to all work together.”
What is your message to the youth today about stopping hate?
“You can’t have a world without people taking care of each other. Live your life with meaning and do things for others.”
Judith Frydman – 1943 – Budapest, Hungary
What are your feelings on hate and anti-Semitism today?
“I’m mad and frustrated. I think it’s mindboggling that after more than 75 years we are back at the same thing.”
What is something we can learn from the Holocaust about hate that it should never happen again?
“We did not learn our lesson. I was reading Anne Frank’s Diary and we’re seeing similar things happen again.”
What is your message to the youth today about stopping hate?
“By getting together with other people you can work together and make change in the world. If you talk to even one person and try to explain to them, maybe that one person can see that the way they presently live is not ok. We need to educate people against hate.”
Ari Felzman – 1936 - Poland
What are your feelings on hate and anti-Semitism today?
“It’s terrible. It should not be this way.”
What is something we can learn from the Holocaust about hate that it should never happen again?
“After what we went through, this should never be like this.”
What is your message to the youth today about stopping hate?
“People need to respect each other. People have to be educated. People need to learn the difference between good and bad. They need to realize what happened and learn from that.”
Zhanna Lipnitzky - 1936 – Kiev, Ukraine
What are your feelings on hate and anti-Semitism today?
“Now it’s terrible.”
What is something we can learn from the Holocaust about hate that it should never happen again?
“It’s good that people can learn now about the Holocaust. In the past many people did not know about what happened. And now I go to schools and teach them about what happened.”
What is your message to the youth today about stopping hate?
“The lesson is to be strong and to bring religion into your life.”
Ruth Mermelstein – 1923 – Munkacs, Ukraine
What are your feelings on hate and anti-Semitism today?
“It’ not good at all. Too many people are hateful and anti-Semitic.”
What is something we can learn from the Holocaust about hate that it should never happen again?
“I lived through all this before.”
What is your message to the youth today about stopping hate?
“We all have hearts and we should all work to get along with each other.”
This project was made possible by a generous grant from the NYC Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes, the NYC Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice and the NYC Commission on Human Rights.
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