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When the SS murdered Romanian-born Leah's parents in front of her,
a Christian neighbor heard the screams and gunshots, dashed into the house, grabbed the 9-year-old child survivor insisting she was hers, and hid Leah in a crawl space 3 years. |
Note: I first published this post on Yom Hashoah 2009.
Today, as every year on the 27th day of the Hebrew month Nisan, at 10 A.M., a two-minute siren wailed nationwide. The sound calls us to remember the six million Jews — one-third of world Jewry then, among them 1.5 million children that the Third Reich systematically exterminated in less than five years. Five million more victims perished, including German opponents of Nazism, Gypsies/Roma, Serbs, Polish intelligentsia, resistance fighters from all nations, homosexuals, Jehovah's Witnesses, people with disabilities, habitual criminals, and the "antisocial" such as beggars, vagrants, and hawkers.
In Israel, listening to the siren, activities and conversations stop and traffic halts: drivers and passengers exit cars, busses, taxis, and trucks; and pedestrians stand still. Yom Hashoah memorial ceremonies follow at the Knesset (Parliament), the Yad Vashem Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Authority, and in schools, organizations, and institutions nationwide.
At the corner of Tel Aviv's Allenby and Yavne Streets, in the first public Beit Avot (Home for the Aged), I joined the residents, most of them Shoah survivors, for their memorial ceremony.
Watch the video (5:21 minutes).
My related posts
- Extermination Categories (poster) in the Museum of the Liberation of Rome
- Kristallnacht: Night of Crystal, or "Night of Broken Glass"
- Happy 107, Alice Herz-Sommer: Oldest surviving Holocaust survivor
- In Atlanta: Remembering Holocaust Martyrs and Heroes
- Stefan's Urgent Message
- Holocaust Remembrance Day and Vivi's timely e-mail
- In Tel Aviv: learning from elders
8 comments:
Thanks for the video... I am staying with a friend in San Francisco and showed it to her - she finally understands what I mean when I tell her that this is a very different, special day.
Keep on posting! I enjoy it!
Dear Tamar,
thank you for the link.
And now I discovered your blog. I enjoy it; I am sure we are going to meet one of these days on the streets of TLV
Hag sameah
My grandparents were Romanian. Lucky they came to the US at the turn of the century. Very large ideas from such a small place, Israel. Imagine a whole country standing still to learn from and dwell on the past. Powerful moment and impression on young and old, far and near. Tamar, thank you for bringing this near to me. Craig
There should be a day like this with sirens in Europe, too. The perpetrators, bystanders and their offspring also should remember, not only the victims.
Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for documenting the ceremony Tamar. It touches everyone, and many who live at the home
have very personal connections. I especially like the way you chose to end it with a an affirmation.
Susanne
Dear Tamar, This is indeed a great day not only for the Jewish People but for the mankind. My question always is, Why did this happen? It's sad. I wish I am there [in Israel] to comfort the people. My support and solidarity for Jewish people is always there. — With warm regards, Tulasi
I love this, Tamar!!! Soooo beautiful... glad u went there :)
Impressive film edition- you make professional movies- but the theme is difficult. Nice that you re involved with that.
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