The Third International Conference on “The Legacy of Holocaust Survivors”

An english class for DP camp children- Berlin' 1945

Several of the conference’s initiators, guest speakers, and prominent figures give their views on the main impetus for the conference and its significance at this juncture in human history:

Professor Elie Wiesel—Holocaust Survivor, Nobel Prize Laureate, Author:

“There have been and still are many people writing on the Holocaust. With some exceptions, most of them are commentators, analysts and interpreters. But only survivors could tell the tale whose authenticity remains unequalled. And their numbers are dwindling. Our moral message must carry the weight of a warning. We owe it to the dead and to the children yet unborn.”

“The tragedy that befell the Jewish people affected all people. It is true that not all victims were Jews, but all Jews were victims.”

Moshe Sanbar—Chairman, Centre of Organizations of Holocaust Survivors in Israel:

“The Shoah is not relevant to Jews alone; it has universal applications. These include acting against racism and all forms of oppression—whether emerging from prejudices such as ethnic background, skin color, or religion—and countering the slogan “the end justifies the means.” If we do not act against these phenomena at an early stage they will become a growing trend ending up as a political power that is hard to counteract.

“It is essential that the conference be held at this particular moment in time because this is the last chance for this generation of survivors to voice their message to future generations. Also, after what we witnessed at the UN conference in Durban—where a conference targeting human rights was misused for political purposes and platforms of racism and hatred—this conference became all the more necessary.We the survivors of the Shoah would like to emphasize at this conference our wish for less hatred among human beings and our hope for a better life for everyone and everywhere without any political considerations.” 

Zvi Gil—Chairman of the Public Affairs Committee, Centre of Organizations of Holocaust Survivors in Israel, journalist, author:

“The lessons of the Holocaust are all the more relevant in today. All the same humanly defects served as a breeding pit for the Shoah—such as racism, discrimination, the trouncing of human dignity, the persecution of minorities, antisemitism, domination, and the absence of tolerance—still exist today. Now, like then, they are not negligible factors but are actively at work in the most developed and sophisticated nations.

In the spirit and words of the Passover Hagada: “In every generation one must see himself” as if he was there. With one exception: here we are not speaking about the Exodus of Egypt, but of events that occurred only 60 years ago. The lessons of the Holocaust are not pertinent to other nations alone, but should be heeded first and foremost by us in our inner sanctuaries.”

“As the one who conceived of this conference, I see it’s primary importance in ensuring that the survivors impart their message before their time on life’s stage expires. In doing so they draw the world’s attention to their final “will and testament”—the bequeathing of a moral and value-based mandate for humankind. Since their arrival to Israel, Holocaust survivors busied themselves with resettlement and the development of the country, abstaining from focusing on themselves as “survivors” and allowing others to speak on their behalves. This time they are asking to speak in their own voices.” 

Rabbi Israel Meir Lau—Chief Rabbi of Israel:

“In my opinion, the central message of the Survivors’ Conference—taking place 57 years after the Holocaust at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem, the Nation’s eternal capital—is the Jewish people’s capacity to survive, and the realization of the prophecy of the dry bones with the establishment of the State of Israel. ‘…Thus saith the Lord God: Behold… I will bring you into the land of Israel (Ezekiel 37:12).’ ”

“This stage in human history indicates an increase in antisemitic phenomenon throughout the world, including neo-Nazism and even Holocaust denial. ‘The Legacy of Holocaust Survivors Conference’ in Jerusalem is a response to the antisemitism evidenced at the Durban Conference. It also undoubtedly provides final evidence of the Holocaust as a lesson to humankind of our duty to do everything possible to prevent a repetition of such appalling events.”

Avner Shalev—Chairman of the Yad Vashem Directorate:

“The unique, historical international conference in Jerusalem ‘The Legacy of Holocaust Survivors’ will honor not only the survivors’ many achievements, but enable them to bequeath an important legacy of the Holocaust to future generations—their post-war morality and virtue. Now in the 21^st century, the number of survivors is quickly dwindling and there will come a time in the not-so-distant future when the lessons of the Shoah will have to be learned without the presence of the witnesses. Holocaust education in the absence of the survivors will be a very different process.”

“Unlike any others, survivors speak with the moral authority of eyewitnesses, addressing complex issues like how it is possible in the post-Holocaust era to rebuild a world based on ethical values and human hopes. Who better to raise their voices in an emphatic response against hatred and inhumanity than Holocaust survivors? Their dedication to society in spite of humanity’s past failures best illustrates how justice and morality can prevail. Their message will resonate to the world at large, reinforcing the imperative that we not only continue to explore the lessons of the past, but educate the leaders of the future.”

Per Ahlmark—Author, Former Deputy Prime Minister of Sweden:

“The survivors have seen things that the rest of us cannot even imagine. What are they telling us?  First, we must remember what so many of them have achieved. I admit I cannot understand how survivors of the Nazi horrors could speak, teach, build, create, and make other people strong, wise, and happy. But that is exactly what thousands and thousands of them have done. Also, I have tried to grasp two of their messages. Always fight antisemitism! Always resist dictatorships! By giving humanity both these commandments, the survivors have probably saved us from many disasters and follies. My life was changed when I started to understand what they meant. In short, we have to listen to the survivors in order to survive.”