The wife of President Michal Herzog and the wife of German President Elka Bodenbender today (Wednesday) hosted Holocaust survivor Charles Sigman, for an online event of “Memory in the Living Room” on the occasion of International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
Representatives of the Jewish Student Association in Germany and students from the University of Haifa’s Holocaust Studies Program also participated. She was also joined at the meeting by the German Ambassador to Israel, Dr. Susan and Assom-Reiner; Wife of the Israeli Ambassador to Germany, Ms. Laura Kam; And the second generation representative of Holocaust survivors, Leah Schnirer.
The wife of President Michal Herzog opened the event by saying: “Hosting a” memory in the living room “event together with the wife of the President of Germany proves more than anything that there is hope. Through the cooperation between us we can bring about a better future. An important initiative like this emphasizes the memory of the Holocaust and the duty to prevent past stories from being forgotten, but to keep the memories alive. ”
The wife of German President Elka Bodenbender, who took part in the event from Berlin, added: “We must preserve the memory and keep alive the stories of Holocaust survivors and victims. We must never forget. ‘
Later, Holocaust survivor Charles Sigman, accompanied by his wife Gita Gloria Sigman, shared his personal story. Charles Sigman was born in the Netherlands in 1935, one of five children of his parents. During the war his parents separated from the children in order to try and protect them. His parents and two older brothers were murdered in Auschwitz in 1943. Charles Sigman and his other two brothers were deported to Westerbork and then to Theresienstadt. After sharing his story, the wives held an open conversation with Sigman and opened the conversation to questions from the students.
Charles Sigman: ‘For many survivors, past war experiences have challenged their faith. Where was God? Why did he allow this to happen? But the question should be: Where were the civilized people? The Nazis were determined to destroy not only the Jews but also Judaism itself. If I had abandoned my faith, it would have been a victory for the Nazis. ‘
Mr. Sigman added: “The world must remember the Holocaust. This is an urgent and important matter, since Holocaust survivors will not stay with us long to be witnesses. It’s chilling to know that there are people who deny that the Holocaust ever took place. I am to this day. I urge you to witness the Holocaust in the years to come. After the war, anti-Semites went underground for a while, but today anti-Semitism is raising its head again widely and publicly. These anti-Semitic expressions flow into anti-Israel propaganda and hatred. “
“Living Room Remembrance” is an Israeli tradition of informal gatherings, in an intimate atmosphere around Israeli and International Holocaust Remembrance and Heroism Day. This initiative aims to shape the memory of the Holocaust and turn the discourse, from a discourse of survival into a discourse on world repair. In the coming week, hundreds of memorial meetings will be held in the living room in many countries around the world, including: Bahrain, England, China, India and Germany. Participants in the sessions will take part in preserving the memory of the Holocaust and will listen to the moving testimonies of Holocaust survivors. Participants include diplomats, students and young people from around the world.
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