Holocaust witness appeals for humanity
On the 85th anniversary of the anti-Jewish pogroms of November 9, 1938, Holocaust survivor Tova Pagi recalled humanity. "Looking back, I can say that I survived thanks to ingenuity and a lot of luck. But above all thanks to people who were still humane," said the 90-year-old at a commemorative event held by the Bremen Parliament on Thursday. Pagi was born in a small Polish town in 1933 and survived the Auschwitz and Ravensbrück concentration camps as a child.
A Polish family hid her in the attic after the National Socialists came to power, an employee in the concentration camp occasionally gave her food and on the death march a man gave her a lift on his cart, said the contemporary witness, who now lives in Bremen's Israeli twin city of Haifa. "From the bottom of my heart, I thank all the people who made it possible for me not only to survive, but also to continue to believe in humanity."
This gratitude, which Tova Pagi already felt as a twelve-year-old girl, is both touching and deeply saddening, said Antje Grotheer, President of the Bremen Parliament. "It pains me greatly to say that fear and lack of freedom have once again become a reality for many Jewish children around the world following the attack on Israel." The Bremen Parliament commemorated the victims of the pogrom night 85 years ago with a minute's silence.
Tova Pagi's experiences during the Holocaust, including being hidden by a Polish family and receiving aid from camp employees and fellow prisoners, underscore the importance of humanity within the darkest chapters of History. The resilience and faith in humanity displayed by Tova, even as a young girl, serves as a testament to the enduring power of Judaism.
Source: www.dpa.com
