Live Broadcast of Holocaust Remembrance Day 2019 opening ceremony at Yad Vashem

Distinguished audience, the President of the State of Israel, the Prime Minister and his wife, the Speaker of the Knesset and the President of the Supreme Court and her husband, accompanied by the Chairman of the Council of Yad Vashem and the President of Yad Vashem. You are requested to stand up. His Excellency, the President of the State of Israel and his wife, the Prime Minister and his wife, the Speaker of the Knesset, the Chief Justice and his husband, Honorary Chief Rabbis of Israel, Chairman of the Council of Yad Vashem, President of Yad Vashem, president of the Center for Organizations of Holocaust Survivors in Israel, members of the diplomatic corps serving in Israel, Holocaust survivors from Israel and abroad, family members of Righteous Among the Nations, distinguished audience, one and all.

To mark the

opening

of the National Day of Remembrance for Holocaust Martyrs and Heroes, the national flag will be flown at half-mast. To light the commemorative torch, I have the honor to invite the President of Yad Vashem, Mr. Avner Shalev. Please take a seat. Holocaust Martyrs and Heroes Remembrance Day

2019

is titled: The war within the war, the struggle of Jews to survive during the Holocaust. After the First World War, all human beings shared the hope that another world war would never break out again. This hope was dashed on September 1, 1939, when German military forces invaded Poland. World War II was a total war of unprecedented magnitude and scale, as well as the deadliest recorded in human history.

At its peak, it spread from one corner of the earth to the other. Violence and death cast a dark shadow over humanity and are accompanied by a moral decay that was previously inconceivable. While Nazi Germany sought to annihilate all Jews, the Final Solution could only be achieved in a world war. For Jews, war fronts determined the limits of persecution, oppression, and murder. Under the Nazi occupation, Jews attempted to join the fight against the Nazi Germans and their accomplices. Most of them, however, were forced to fight for their own existence. However, by risking their own

live

s, they showed solidarity and helped their persecuted brothers and sisters.

Meanwhile, he continued his fight to maintain his identity, culture and faith. The Jews began clandestine educational activities. They secretly distributed newspapers and managed a prosperous political activity. Religious Jews fought for the existence of their communities, for their prayers. Jewish music continued to be played behind closed doors, paintings, songs and stories were composed and hidden to preserve them for future generations, to remember the past, grieve for the present and dream of the future. President of the State of Israel, Mr. Reuven Ruvi Rivlin. Holocaust survivors, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife, Knesset Speaker Yoel Yuli Edelstein, Supreme Court Chief Justice Esther Hayut and her husband, Israel's chief rabbis, ministers and members of the Knesset, the head of the General Staff Council of the Israel Defense Forces, Aviv Kohavi, the acting chief commissioner of police, Moti Cohen, the acting commissioner of IPS, Mr.

Vaknin, the ambassadors, the mayor of the city of Jerusalem, Moshe Leon, the Chairman of the Yad Vashem Council, Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau and his wife, the Chairman of the Yad Vashem Board of Directors, Avner Shalev, Israeli citizens, distinguished audience, each and every one of my brothers and sisters. Zalman Gradowski was born in Poland in 1910. In December 1942 he was sent with his wife and his family to Auschwitz-Birkenau. Upon his arrival, all members of the family were taken away to be exterminated, while he was assigned the terrible task of Sonderkommando at Crematorium 4 in Birkenau. Zalman, Zalman, an Avrech Zionist, a Beitar Movement Zionist, one of the leaders of the Sonderkommando uprising, would wrap himself in a prayer shawl at the end of each day and say Kaddish in memory of the victims who were reduced to ashes. that day.

In the midst of this hell, Zalman wrote a diary that he intended for future generations. Only parts of his diary remained and Zalman buried his diary among the remains of Crematorium #3, where it was discovered after the war. And so he wrote to us from there, and I quote: "Come to me, you, citizen of the free world." You, that human morality and rights "are guarantors of your existence and your security." "How modern criminals and vile murderers" trampled all ethics of life and the laws of existence were contaminated. "Leave the warm and quiet palaces" where you reside. "Gather your courage and join me on my journey" across the European continent "where Satan has extended his dominion." "Let me tell you" and let me prove with facts "how the supreme and civilized race destroyed a people" who were weak. and defenseless, "a people who were not trained for crime - "the Jewish people." "Separate yourself from your friends and acquaintances" because after seeing the sadistic atrocities of this so-called civilized demon..." demonic people, "you want erase your name from the man's family "Then you will regret ever seeing the light of day. "You will seek comfort among the cruel animals of the field." Thus Zalman wrote before the people of the Sonderkommando barricaded themselves in the crematoriums and rebelled, helplessly, against the human beast. 80 years have passed since the outbreak of that war, in which the systematic and calculated extermination of our 6 million brothers and sisters was planned and executed.

In Europe, in the 1930s, many felt that the ground was burning and danger was getting closer and closer. "Do you think democracy will win?" asked Etty Hillesum, a Jewish girl from Holland, when escape was still possible. Etty was murdered in Auschwitz in 1943, but her question, her question, remains with us. At the end of World War II, Europe constructed itself, especially Western Europe, as New Europe, a negative film of Old Europe. The new Europe saw itself as a beacon, a beacon of democracy and liberalism. The European community drew for the entire world a horizon of open borders, cooperation, human rights, and civil rights.

However, today, 80 years after the outbreak of World War II, it is up to us to look directly at current reality. Today Europe, like other parts of the world, is once again changing its face. Today Europe is once again haunted by the ghosts of the past. Perceptions of superiority, nationalistic purity, xenophobia and blatant and murky anti-Semitism are rampant across Europe. It is important to emphasize and clarify that we are no longer in the 1930s. We are not on the verge of a second Holocaust, God forbid, or anything that could come close to it, but it is impossible to ignore the new and old anti-Semitism that once more has reared its head, fueled by waves of immigration, economic crises and disappointment with the political establishment.

From the right to the extreme left, anti-Semitism permeates the hearts of European leaders. Meanwhile, we are witnessing a record number of anti-Semitic attacks in Britain and France. A third of European Jews say they avoid attending Jewish events for fear of their

live

s. There is a dramatic increase in hate crimes against Jews in the United States, and once again, just this last Saturday, on the last day of Passover, and in Eastern and Western Europe we see anti-Semitic and racist movements and ideas revived. and find their place even in governments and parliaments. Distinguished guests, I am not afraid for us, for the State of Israel.

The Jewish people are no longer weak. He is not defenseless. The State of Israel is not only a stable democracy, we are also powerful. We have military power, political and economic power. We will always defend ourselves. We will defend the State of Israel and be committed to the security of Jewish communities in the diaspora. Furthermore, in a world like this, a world with an awakening of extreme left and right, and Islamic fundamentalism, with strong anti-Semitic and racist perceptions, in a world like this, I believe that the message transmitted by the State of Israel must be clear and sharp.

Each State and each society has the legitimate right and even the duty to choose its own policy and preserve its identity. Not all European right-wing parties that believe in the need to stop immigration or preserve its unique character are necessarily anti-Semitic or racist. However, political forces that consider anti-Semitism and racism to be part of their language, their heritage and their spirit should never be our allies. Whether anti-Semitism and racism are disguised as immigration discourse from the right or human rights discourse from the left, we must denounce them everywhere. Today it is no longer necessary to convince anyone that those whitewashed words of an extreme anti-Zionist left according to which the only way for Israel to exist is to cease to exist as a Jewish State are an act of anti-Semitism.

More and more elements and our allies in the world see and understand this. There is no such thing as loving Israel and hating the Jews, just as there is no such thing as loving the Jews and hating Israel. This is a hoax and has been revealed and exposed and the masks were torn in the wake of the strengthening of radical neo-fascist and anti-Israel forces. We may find ourselves in a position where our important allies in Europe will be led by governments in which anti-Semitic elements will operate or, God forbid, they will be led by anti-Semitic leaders.

Faced with such a reality, the message of the State of Israel in particular must be clear and unequivocal. No interest or realpolitik considerations will justify a pact of shame with racial groups and elements that do not recognize their past and their responsibility for the crimes of the Holocaust. If we do not know how to be clear and unambiguous, how can we demand that the nations of the world take responsibility and educate their younger generations in the memory and lessons of the Holocaust? As a result of growing anti-Semitic voices, I recently addressed leaders around the world to invite them to an international conference to be held here at Yad Vashem on January 27.

International Holocaust Memorial Day commemorates the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz camp. Here in Jerusalem, together with presidents and heads of state, we will join hands in an uncompromising fight against anti-Semitism, racism and Holocaust denial. Distinguished guests, anti-Semitism, racism and hatred are completely contrary to the values, principles and spirit on which the State of Israel was founded. We do not forget and we do not forgive. Our past must be the basis of our values, our actions and our alliances, the alliances we forge. This is our history and this is our heritage and it is also the great message of the Jewish people to the entire world.

A man born in the image of God is dear, Israel is dear, because they were called children of the divine. There is no contradiction between love and the people, between our love and commitment to our people and our commitment to love all human beings. Israel pleases God and the man who was born in the image of God also pleases God. This is not only the lesson we learned from our painful history, but also the fundamental cause, the root of the roots of Israel's Torah. This is the most fundamental Jewish truth. And this is also the only cure for the terrible beast that lies within man.

That beast documented by Zalman Gradowski in his diaries from the heart of crematory hell. My sisters and brothers, Holocaust survivors. On Iyar 28, 1944, a Jewish girl was born in Slovakia. Her birth took place a week before the eve of Shavuot and the parents of her baby named her Ruth, Ruti. Four months later, on Sukkot, Ruti was sent along with her mother and sisters to Auschwitz-Birkenau. When the nuns asked her mother to hand her over to them and thus save her life, her mother refused. "If I live, she will live. If I die, she will die too," said the mother.

Baby Ruti moved with her mother to Auschwitz-Birkenau and underwent selection. The Nazis tattooed her number on her small hand. : 2007038. In the following months, Ruti survived wrapped in a scarf under her mother's prisoner shirt. Ruti Levy survived. She was released along with her mother on January 27, 1945 at the age of 8 months. They immigrated to Israel to Acco. Ruti went to school, got married, started her own family. She has children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Unfortunately, Ruti couldn't be here with us tonight, but she is now watching us with her family. Holocaust survivors and survivors. Each and every one of you is a miracle, a symbol of the growth of life from death.

The hope and faith in the life and eternity of Israel that will reverberate forever in us. May the memory of our brothers and sisters be preserved in our hearts from generation to generation and may their soul remain bound in the bundle of life. Amen. The Prime Minister of the State of Israel, Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu, will deliver his speech. The President of the State of Israel, Reuven Rivlin, the Speaker of the Knesset, Yuli Edelstein, the President of the Supreme Court, Justices Esther Hayut and David Hayut, members of the Knesset, government ministers, the Chief of the General Staff, Aviv Kohavi , acting CommissionerChief of Police Moti Cohen, Acting Commissioner of Correctional Services Mr.

Vaknin, Chairman of the Yad Vashem Board Avner Shalev, Chairman of the Yad Vashem Council Rabbi Meir Yisrael Lau and his wife, the Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi David Lau. , the Chief Rabbi of Israel, the Rishon Le'Zion, Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, the mayor of the city of Jerusalem, Moshe Leon, the ambassadors, the relatives of the Righteous Among the Nations who are dear to our hearts, and tonight , more than anyone and before anyone else, the survivors of the Holocaust. When one writes about the Holocaust, he does not write the words, but fights against the words. Because there are no words that can describe what the victims felt when death was the norm and life was a miracle.

So wrote Elie Wiesel, a Holocaust survivor of blessed memory, whose books express the victory of the human spirit over the depths of evil. Writing about the Holocaust, telling about the Holocaust, describing the Holocaust, all of this must be done with the fear of God in your heart. And soon we will hear the stories, the moving stories, the heartbreaking stories, the amazing stories of the heroes of the Holocaust, the survivors who will light the torches of

remembrance

. My wife and I met him yesterday in my office. Some of you came with your grandchildren, soldiers who serve in uniform in the IDF.

We listen to you with great emotion, with tears in our eyes. You were children and your childhood was taken from you with endless cruelty. You escaped like hunted animals from the Nazi Germans. And when you were saved from the hell of those fields you found refuge in the sewers, in the chicken coops, in the frozen and snow-covered fields. And during this terrible and tortuous journey you demonstrated spiritual strength that is purely incredible. Bela Eisenman, from Poland, survived the hell of Auschwitz. "Where's mom? "Where's mom?" he asked every day while he was at camp. And one day he remembers that someone pointed to the smoke coming out of the chimney and said, "Your mother is there" in that smoke coming out of the chimney.

Chimney." Shaul Lubovitz, from Belarus, told us about an acquaintance of his who was a child. The relatives were all huddled in a well where they hid and heard the voices of those who were chasing and searching for them. They were forced to strangle that child to death so that he would not scream and hand them over. Fanny Ben-Ami, from France, was only 13 years old. She smuggled Jewish children to Switzerland. And after this endless journey full of torture and suffering, when she finally crossed the border into Switzerland it turned out that one of the girls, who was only 3 years old, one of those girls was left behind in that demilitarized zone between the two. countries.

Fanny turned around and came back to her and took her in, hugged her, and under a volley of bullets fired at her, she zigzagged, ran with the girl, and carried her to a safe haven on the Swiss side of the border. This was a savior, an angel, only 13 years old. Yehuda Mimon, whose parents were murdered, joined the underground in Krakow and participated in the attack on Nazi officers. Yehuda told us: "We did this. "We did this only for 3 lines in the story, "so that you know "that we did not go like sheep to the slaughter." The stories of Tsipora Granat, Sara Shapira and Menachem Haberman actually made us tremble.

You are all true heroes. Menachem from Czechoslovakia, he also survived Auschwitz. And he summed it all up in one sentence. "Here, in our home, in Israel, I know 'that I beat the murderers big time.' "I beat them big time." This victory is not at all trivial. It required great spiritual force and an indefinite force of activity and deeds. As Prime Minister of the State of Israel, I feel this great victory of our people in every visit I make to the places of extermination. In the last two years I visited with my wife those places where Jews fell prey to their predators.

In Budapest we commemorate the victims who drowned in the waters of the Danube River. in the monument of the shoes as a silent testimony of the atrocity. In Thessaloniki most of its Jews were sent to extermination. We discovered the sign that informs visitors about the construction of the Holocaust Museum. In Vilnius, in Ponar, we paid our respects to the Lithuanian Jews who were shot and thrown into the death pits. In Paris, at a moving

ceremony

at the train station from which Jews were transported to the extermination camps 75 years earlier, we stood alongside some of the survivors.

And in Warsaw, two months ago, we laid a wreath at the monument... at the monument in memory of the rebels, the risers of the Warsaw uprising. In all those places the blood of our brothers and sisters cries out from the ground beneath our feet. I was standing there with my head bowed but I stood tall. I felt terrible pain for the terrible tragedy that befell them, but at the same time I felt immense pride in representing our people who rose from the ashes and established an independent state. Israel today enjoys unprecedented appreciation throughout the world, and I am not exaggerating when I say that it is unprecedented admiration, including those countries whose soil is filled with the blood of our brothers and sisters.

In exile, our abysmal weakness led us to our destiny in our homeland. The power we established makes us a rising superpower, many seek to be close to us. Therefore, when I am here, near the Valley of Destroyed Communities, I am moved again and again as I witness the miracle of revival. However... However, revival is never complete. We are proud of our achievements, but we are not ignorant of the dangers that lurk everywhere. There is no contradiction between the two. Even the most powerful superpowers are aware of the dangers around them and are preparing to thwart them.

Awareness of danger is a prerequisite for life. We live today in a paradox: the admiration felt towards the state of Jews throughout the world is accompanied by a growing hatred towards Jews. The extreme right, the extreme left and extreme Islam only agree on one thing and one thing only: hatred of Jews. And this hatred is expressed in vile attacks against people who pray in synagogues, as recently happened a few days ago in San Diego and before in Pittsburg. The desecration of Jewish cemeteries and the publication of cartoons and articles of hatred towards Jews and Israel, even in those newspapers that consider themselves distinguished newspapers.

This is not a legitimate criticism of the State of Israel, this is not what it is, but rather a systematic hatred, full of lies and deception that undermines the legitimacy of the Jewish nation state and only the legitimacy of the Jewish nation. state. This is an intolerable hypocrisy that we cannot accept. The danger arising from hatred of Jews in the West is compounded by a greater danger in the East. Iran sends threats of annihilation day after day. We do not ignore these threats and we do not become discouraged. There were years when we fought alone against the entire world, against that dangerous nuclear deal with Iran, but our insistence bore fruit.

We really appreciate the very strong stance of President Trump, who opposed the Iran deal and recently declared the Revolutionary Guard a terrorist organization. Our policy towards Iran is clear. In the military field, a very strong stance against Iran's attempts to establish itself along our borders, and internal pressure, pressure and more pressure. Against threats of annihilation, Israel would not extend its throat to be slaughtered. Unlike what happened in the Holocaust, we are capable and determined to defend ourselves with our own power. A strong IDF and it is one of the strongest armed forces in the world, and it can...

And again, unlike what happened in the Holocaust, we are forging alliances against this tyrannical regime that threatens us and many other countries in our region, international shipping routes and all the peace in the world. And to those who seek to annihilate us, I wish to say from this place of all places: We have returned to the stage of history, we have returned to the foreground of history. We won our oppressors in the past and, God willing, we will win you too. Distinguished audience, today more than ever I hear within myself the words that my father, Professor Ben Zion Netanyahu, of blessed memory, addressed to me nine years ago here in Jerusalem, on his centenary.

My father was in both world wars and contributed greatly to Zionism. He was a historian who knew well the thousands of years of our existence. From his advanced age, he said: "The people of Israel show the world" how a nation should behave "when it witnesses a danger to its existence." Look that danger directly in the eyes "and maintain composure." in a way "what can be done". "I have a firm belief" that our people will be able to thwart the danger "that threatens to destroy them." I received this vocation from you, Father, and we all received the same order from our predecessors and we can summarize it in three words, or in English in two words: Never again.

The light turning

ceremony

. The six torches will be lit in memory of the 6 million of our brothers and sisters who were murdered by the Nazi Germans and their accomplices and in honor of the Holocaust survivors who recovered their lives and joined the national effort to build and establish the State of Israel and became key partners in preserving the memory of the Holocaust and instilling it in future generations. The torch lighters will be accompanied by their families. The first torch will be lit by Bela Eisenman-Federman, born in Lodz, Poland. Let the torch be lit. The second torch will be lit by Shaul Lubovitz from Braslav, Belarus.

Let the torch be lit. The third torch will be lit by Fanny Ben Ami Eyal, born in Baden-Baden, Germany. Let the torch be lit. The fourth torch will be lit by Menachem Haberman Orlova, Czechoslovakia. Let the torch be lit. The fifth torch will be lit by Sara Shapira-Zeitner, born in Radauti, Romania. Let the torch be lit. The sixth torch will be lit by Poldek, Yehuda Maimon, born in Krakow, Poland. Let the torch be lit. On behalf of Holocaust survivors we will now hear from Tsipora Granat, born in France. After her parents were arrested and transported to Auschwitz, where her younger brother, Tsipora, also died, her brother and sister remained alone, alone in occupied France.

With the help of the Salvation Army, they were hidden and ultimately survived. In 1946, Tsipora emigrated to Israel. She became an educator and for more than 30 years she dedicated herself to teaching. Currently, Ella Tsipora actively participates in sharing her testimony with teenagers to whom she tells her story. My name is Tsipora Granat from Gershenfish. I am 87 years old and I stand here in front of you desperately missing my parents who were murdered in Auschwitz. It may be strange to think that I, at my age, would miss my mom and dad. But in a nutshell, this is my Holocaust story.

We were a happy family before the war and we lived in France. A mother, a father and four children. I was the oldest of the four. I grew up in a house full of warmth and love. A house that was not rich in material goods, but a house rich in Jewish warmth. The memory I still carry with me to this day is of my father blessing me under the tallit on Yom Kippur. And in 1940, the Germans entered Belfort, our hometown, and the world I had known began to fall apart. July 1942 was the last day we were still together as a family.

That was the day my mother was arrested and I never saw her again. Her last request for me was to take care of my dad's shirts and make sure to cover the dining room table with a white tablecloth for Shabbat. I endured the war with some of my brothers, Sima and Shmuel, and when it ended I was terrified to discover that my hope had faded: my parents were killed, as was Yossef, my four-year-old brother. From the depths of the abyss I drew my strength to face the strong pressures exerted on me by my dear relatives who insisted that I move to Canada and make it my home.

I won, we left for the land of Israel. I knew this was my only home. I remember the serenity I felt when the ship I was on entered the port of Haifa and I, the very young girl, was on board looking at Carmel Mountain with my own eyes. Thanks to Aliyat Hano'ar I was sent to Mikveh Israel, where I graduated from high school and then drafted into the navy. Little by little I made friends, former members of the Bnei Akiva youth movement, through whom I met my husband Avraham, who is also a devout Jew. We got married and formed a united family, a cohesive and independent unit.

Our three sons served in the IDF and have constantly contributed to this country and now have a glorious new generation of their own. Like a tree whose roots are deeply planted in the earth, which is education, warmth and love that I received at my parents' house, so the branches of the trees aspire to reach higher heights towards the future and embodied hope. for my children, my grandchildren and my great-grandchildren. I always tell my children that I am proud of those born in this country, you know, but I hadthe privilege of making Aliyah and immigrating to the Land of Israel.

I realized my dream and here in Israel, as a teacher, I raised generations of students and built a home and a family. I decided, despite the longing and pain, to straighten my gaze and look directly to the future. When my friends and I, Holocaust survivors, look at the families we have now and the younger generations growing up in this country, our hearts are filled with pride, hope, and confidence in our future as a people. In 1942, Noah Kliger, of blessed memory, was arrested by the Gestapo for his involvement with the Belgian underground and then sent to Auschwitz.

We were four. Sally and Sam from Holland, Jean from Belgium and me. We arrived only three days earlier on a transport to Auschwitz in January 1943. At dawn the doors of the barracks opened and three SS officers entered. One of them roared: "Which of you is a boxer?" Sally, Sam, Jean and I raised our hands. "Come here," he ordered, "I will write your names, but woe to you if you have lied to me!" The camp commander was crazy about boxing, so he decided to organize regular fights in his camp. To do this, he attracted all the boxers who came on all the transports from all over Europe and if they were qualified, he included them in the boxing team.

We met our training partners. It turned out that most of them were like us: Jews from different countries, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Greece, France, like me, and Germany. During a conversation with one of the Frenchmen, he pointed to the corner of the hallway where a short boxer was punching a sandbag. "This is young Pérez," he told me. I thought he hadn't heard correctly. "Did you say Young Perez?" "Yes, yes. It really is Pérez," he assured me. My astonishment knew no limits. Víctor Young Pérez, originally from Tunisia and French citizen, was one of the most famous boxers in the world.

I found it difficult to believe that this venerable man was actually a prisoner and inmate of Auschwitz. In any case, I approached him the first chance I got and we struck up a conversation with each other. He was a good man who smiled easily. On that first day of training I met some other inmate boxers. Among them, from Thessaloniki Jean Jacko Razone, Solomon Oroch. Jacko worked in the kitchen and like Pérez, he used to help the other inmates. Many of those who survived Auschwitz did so thanks to them. At the end of that first training session the coach said that next Sunday he would fight Jacko.

Jacko understood immediately that I wasn't exactly what you'd call a champion. I was only 16 and a half years old. And he asked me in a low voice: "What do you know about boxing?" I explained to him that I had no idea. Jacko smiled and said, "Oh, never mind, we'll arrange a fight." As a veteran and experienced boxer, he allowed me to occasionally hit him with a punch that didn't hit him too hard while he himself stopped direct punches so as not to kill me on the spot. The staged fight went off with great success. Jacko was declared the winner, of course, while I successfully passed the baptism of fire and was accepted into the team.

Over time, I became very close to the two men from Thessaloniki and the young Perez. On the night of January 17 to 18, 1945, the Germans decided to evacuate the fields. The transfer of prisoners was carried out in inhumane conditions and entered the horrible annals of Holocaust history as the Death March. Tens of thousands of people died from freezing cold, exhaustion and road disease. On the morning of the fourth day of marching near the Gleiwitz camp, young Perez was killed right in front of me. We always walked in large groups of 20 smaller groups of five. Suddenly we realized that Young was not with us.

One of us said that he saw him run toward the center of the camp when we were ordered to get up and continue marching. While we were there, worried about his absence and trying to figure out what happened, we saw him leaving the camp. He carried a large sack on his back and shouted to us from afar: "Guys!" I found a sack full of bread in the kitchen "and from now on we will have no more problems with food." He approached us and wanted to jump over the narrow ditch that separated the field from the road, but an SS guard who was there stopped him. "Wait here!

Join the rear of the unit!" the he ordered he. Young, speaking a mix of French and German, tried to explain: "These are my friends. We've been marching together the whole time." But the guard was not convinced. "Name!" he ordered. Young seemed to think there would be no problem there, so he ignored the order and jumped over the ditch. When he approached us he smiled and said, "It's okay, we have food!" We were standing in front of him, in front of him, and we clearly saw how the SS guard nonchalantly pointed his submachine gun at Young. The blood froze in our veins as the guard fired a short burst into Young's back and he fell onto his bag of bread with a smile still on his face.

On a snowy and icy side street near Gleiwitz was the corpse, the body of Víctor Joven Pérez, world boxing champion, small in size in the boxing ring, but an enormous figure in life. Dedicated to his friends in suffering and torture, a truly noble spirit. I am proud to have known him and been his friend. After liberation, Noah Kliger volunteered to serve in the Bricha Movement and was among the commanders of the illegal immigration ship Exodus. Noah fought in the Revolutionary War and worked as a journalist for more than 60 years. In December 2018 he passed away.

His wife and his granddaughter are with us tonight. The verses of the psalms will be recited by the Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi David Lau. The public is asked to stand. The Kaddish prayer will be recited by the Chief Rabbi of Israel, the Rishon Le'Zion, Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef. The prayer El Maleh Rahamim, God Full of Mercy, will be recited by the cantor Yehonatan Haimovich. The national anthem, Hatikvah, The Hope. The ceremony has already come to an end. The audience is asked to remain seated until the President, Prime Minister, Speaker of the Knesset and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court have left the square.