MIAMI – The Goodman Jewish Family Providers held a birthday get together honoring the life of 6 Broward Holocaust survivors who are 100 and older.
They are 101-year-aged Helen Diker, 101-yr-outdated Lucy Blicker, 101-12 months-outdated Chaim Greenberg, 100-calendar year-old Elaine Lefkowitz, 100-yr-outdated David Sroka and 100-calendar year-outdated Rena Reiter.
Guiding all those smiles are stories of pain, struggling and survival.
Elaine Lefkowitz shares how she and her sister survived the detest of the nazis. “When we were being on the death march, I felt like I’m dying, felt like I cannot make it any more. We hid with my sister in a hay barn,” she remembers. “It happens to be that the Czech border was not far away, so they guided us toward there and that’s how my sister and I survived,” she claimed.
In the US, there are much less than 50,000 Holocaust survivors now and South Florida is house to just one of the largest populations. They are the ones who are still left to share their 1st-hand accounts of how bigotry and detest guide to the mass murder of tens of millions.
Lucy Blicker was taken to Auschwitz. “When the war broke out, Jewish folks experienced to cover, disguise, hide,” she mentioned. “By some means they acquired my mom, me and my sister and I survived.”
With the support of her son Asher, they describe the horror of the Nazis. “They took my mom mainly because she was younger. They put her to operate and they took her mother and put her in the chambers, the fuel chambers, similar for her father, exact same for other users of the family members,” her son Asher Weissman explained.
Rena Reiter remembers the chaos of getting shoved off the practice right after arriving at Auschwitz. “They divided us, the outdated folks go that way, the young people go this way, the kinds that can operate. By no means see them once more, Kids, in no way. Long gone,” Rena recollects.
Randy Colman from Goodman Jewish Family members Solutions describes why it is essential to study the lessons of the survivors. “It can be critical that we must hardly ever forget about, especially in the entire world right now where we are dealing with so numerous loathe issues and acceptance concerns,” Colman claimed.
Their life are testimony to beating the horrors of the Nazis and obtaining the power and resilience to make a daily life really worth residing.
“My father has taught me and I’m living that example, Do your great deeds right now because you you should not know what tomorrow delivers and reside as nevertheless you will live permanently,” Elaine claimed.
In this article is a little a lot more about the honorees:
Rena Reiter, 100, born in the Czech Republic, and now lives in Davie
Reiter was taken to Auschwitz in 1944 and then on to the demise march in Ravensbruck. She was liberated in Hungary by the American Military. Reiter arrived to the United States in 1946 where she met her partner and settled in Hicksville, New York. She labored as a learn seamstress at Lillie Rubin for above 25 many years. She has 2 sons, 2 grandchildren and 2 fantastic-grandchildren.
Helen Diker, 101, born in Poland, resides in Pembroke Pines
Through the war Diker was in the Lodz Ghetto, Stutthof and lastly Auschwitz until she was liberated by the British in 1945. She has two young children (1 surviving), 4 grandchildren and four excellent-grandchildren. Diker went to Sweden soon after the war for the reason that she had no remaining household. She married in 1941 and immigrated to the Bronx, NY where by she was a machine operator producing coats. She moved to Florida for her husband’s wellness and has lived in Century Village for 25 yrs.
Lucy Blicker, 101, born in Poland, resides in Pompano Seaside
Prior to the war, Blicker’s dad and mom were being in the oil company. Her household was taken to a ghetto in which her mothers and fathers have been in the end killed. When she was 14, she was taken to Auschwitz and was there for above a few many years. Soon after tries to escape, she was captured, returned to Auschwitz and compelled to entertain Nazi soldiers by singing. She remained in Auschwitz until finally liberation. Blicker and her spouse came to America in 1959 and moved to the Bronx, NY. Soon after her husband’s untimely dying in 1962, she was still left to support her loved ones on ends meet up with.
Chaim Greenberg, 101, born in Poland, resides in Hallandale
When the war commenced, Greenberg fled to Palestine and joined the British Army at 16. His parents had been remaining guiding in Poland and had been despatched to a concentration camp. He is a shining illustration of resilience and loves sharing stories of his many travels, investing time outdoors and becoming a Florida resident.
Elaine Lefkowitz, 100, born in the Czech Republic, resides in Tamarac
Lefkowitz lived in Poland and was taken to live in a ghetto. She escaped and lived in hiding until eventually she was liberated in 1944. Lefkowitz arrived to the United States in 1946 with spouse and children customers and settled in Brooklyn, NY with her partner and sister.
David Sroka, 100, Born in Poland, resides in Hallandale
David has relished residing in his apartment in the vicinity of the intercoastal for several decades. He was recognized as a amazing handyman in his younger times and loves holding in contact with his close friends and family. He stays energetic each day.
For more details about the Holocaust, click on below.
